The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-01
.(ess tE3ljBSRPRE@!E1
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT


Of which am a citizen, / feel that as
u citizen, I,ciM oilers, am rePoa'iJIc
for tie act a soH Of particep' crini-
ais-"GeceSsOry before The fact"
"Tuou SHALT NOT KILL" is one Of
the TES great commundm nts of the
DcculOgue Vixen listen, it comes
Us tue voice of God, the Great Foun.
tain of all Life, to my soul, Thou
shalt not kill" These words learned
to repeat by heart, when q little child
at Sabbath School ITO destroy hu.
man lifc," said my pious teacher, "is
the most drcadfully wicked act that was
ever committed" So said my minis.
ter; aud so said all his Church.
And yet, my Sabbath School teacher,
my minister, and all his Church, 'rouIi
themselves kM-not as individuals, but
as citizens Of the State-RDd not with
their own hands, but through Tie IN
s'rumcntaliy cfhe hangman.
| look around in society, and ! find
that very much the same instruction is
given in all our Sabbath Schools and
Churches, concerning the sixth COM
mandmcnt, as when l was child,
whilst the same disposition is mani.
Tested, on the part Of the people, to
violate its requirements, Our Chris
tian fathers and mothers, lawyers, doc.
tors and divincs, still say it is very
wicked to kill; and yet, each Of eur
States, with few exceptions, have en-
acted laws which absolutely require
the death Of men women aud children,
when guilty of certain otFenses. Yea,
even II innocent, the sume demand il
made, provided the tribunal before
which they are tried, JclicrcS them to
be guilty, and they have no means OIL
establishing their innocence.
Now, for my own part, | do not wish
to occupy a position like this. II
man should murder my own child, OF
the dearest friend have on earth, il
once fairly secured in prison, | would
never consent to biz death. 10 kill
him would only be initiating his own
wicked example. 1t would be Of nc
advantage to me. 1t would not restore
life to my child or friend. 1t could
not benefit the culprit. l! would be
simply work of vengeance, which the
religion l profess utterly forbids,
say again, could not, therefore, CEN
sent TO bis death. Aud yet, as a cili.
zen Of the State, | am made, even
against my own will, to share the re-
sPOnsibilities of every legali:ed murder
tue State commits, A large minority
of the most order.loving aud Christian
portion of the people Of this and other
States, are unquCstionubly opposed to
the Death Penalty. Their humanity
rises up against it, And yet, so long
us thi, law remains on our statute
books, aud men arc executed, so long
will these thousands be under the ne
cessity Of participating in the act, and
feel responsible for its results.
Another consideration. If an as.
sassiu should enter my dwelling al
midnight, with the intent to murder,
but should miss his aim, and should
succeed in securing him hand and fool
with strong cords, | should feel that
bad no ,iyh, to proceed aud dcliber.
atcIy beat out his brains, even il
possessed a desire 10 commit SO bastard
an act. lie is secure. lie can do me
no further injury; and il | should kill
him under such circumstances, the
State would call it murder, and hold
me responsible for the deed, declaring
that l had no authority to deprive him
of life, when he was once secure. And
this is true. But then the State would
take this same man, and though pos.
sessCd Of means to hold him far more
securely than |, would 60 to work, and
after weeks or months of preparation,
commit the very decd which, if perpc-
tratrd by Inc, rs an individual, it pro.
riounces murder, Now, an important
and very interesting question arises,
viz: Whence dcrircS The State ih au-
thoriiy for this decd? Many good and
wise men have argued, and not without
reason, that it has no authority. Look
a: the subject a moment. Who con.
stitute the StatOi Answer: Its citi.
zcns, irrespective Of numbers, whether
ten persons, ten hundred, or ten hun.
bred thousand. We'll, it is plain that
they can possess no authority in their
associated capacity MS State, but such
as is drirsa from MenseireS us ind.
riduals. Tho State cannot say, have
a right to kill because lam The State,
or because | have the poperj it can
only say. | have right 10 kill because
the citizens which constitute this body
hare delegated this authority to me.
This Icing admitted, then, | ask, can
any individual delegate to another or
others right Uhich he him@.fIOes moi
po@tssI Reader, you are citizen oil
some State, aud, therefore, constitu.
ent member of the body-politic You
grant, US an individual, you have no
right to beat out the brains Of on as.
s.ssn, whom you lave securely bound.
Now, can you coufer this right upon
another man, or ten other men, when
you dc not yourself possess itf You
answer, that tho authority is derived
from the compact, III which the citizen.
Of the State have mutually agreed to
surrender life under certain circam.
s,nnceu Rut harn tho sauna nnovtibn