Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-02-10
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

| punishment. lie LOOK IOr his tpXt the SlAlIl
verse of the ninth chapter OF Genesis: "Whoso
sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood,
be shed; for in the image Of God made be man."
Mr.. Beale said that one of the saddest signs
I Of the times is the weakness Of Il blind compass
sion for the deliberate assassin. II seems that
the universalism, infidelity and pseudo.philan-
throphy Of the day have so far Influenced society
| In our large cities as almost to guarantee i'm
punity TO criminals in general, and to procure
very special clemency toward the poor, dear
murderer In particular. LII fact, such is the
| sinful weakness that leads some men nowadays
to shrink from enforcing the death penalty for
the capital oifensc, that they hold and teach
that Justice Is hostile to mercy, and that the
legislation which ordains capital punishment is
wicked legislation.
Such being the case, the public good demands
that the pulpit throw the light of Gods word on
this important subject. When the blood of
scores Of toully murdered men throughout this
land to-day cries for redress, and when embold-
ened murderers, on their way to deeds OF vio-
ence and deliberate assassination, declare that
hanging Is played out 1t is high time that Gods,
ministers at the altar should give forth certain
and scriptural sound. 1t is high time that
the pulpit, the press and the people everywhere
should rebuke mawkish sentimentality In re-
gard 10 crime and criminals and teach the pub
| lie that the same goodness that ordains the re-
wards Of virtue ordains the retribution ofvice-
that strict and vigorous execution of just and
equitable laws is at once a high duty, the truest
| mercy, and needful to the security Of person
and property. 1t was his duty, he said, to rea-
llZe, and cause Others to realize more fully than
ever, that God has invested the civil magistrate
with divine warrant for inficting the penalty
OF death upon the willful murderer
LII the first place, | argue that nature itself
| teaches that, under certain circumstances life
may be taken. Blackstone says, Il. 4. ch. AZ
| "Murder is crime at which human nature
starts, and which is, believe, punished almost
universally throughout the world with death."-
Doubtless, the judgment OF mankind has been
as nearly universal on this subject as on any sub
ject whatsoever Perhaps as few persous have
really believed that the death penalty should
never be inflicted as have believed that there
was no God. While some men desie to have
| capital punishment abolished may lead them to
think it ought to be abolished, yet the instinc-
tlvejudgment ofeven these men, which is, that
the murderer deserves to die, is much nearer
| the truth. Though affecting 10 be mercifuly
beyond what Is written, and insisting that in no
case should "the powers that be" take away
human life, if desperate, in quest of beauty
and plunder, were TO force admittance Into
their houses, as, some time ago, an Athletic me-
gro did Into the chamber OF an unprotected lady
| in one of our Southern States, declaring his
nendsh purpose, would not these persons
Justify the destruction of the villain.
The adullrous sinner was slain by the
|
timent OF Justice itself proclams that death was
the proper penalty. This sentime mt has its
origin In that sense of justice, which, approving
the death of Sisera at the hands Of Hebers wife,
and the decapitation Of Holofernes by Judith, is
one Of the spontaneous products of human rea-
| son.
And this law of nature, written on all men s
hearts, is illustrated and enforced by the case
OF Cain' Although a sovereign God ordained
that his life should not be taken for his crime,
| yet he was conscious that he deserved death,
and he knew that his fellow-nen felt so too, and
felt 1t so deeply that he was in danger of being
slain; nor was he satisfied or safe until Almighty
God placed mark upon him for his protection
| from those in whose breasts the same great
Being had implanted the sentiment that the
| willful murderer deseryedto die.
See also how aprrehensive of death was La
mech, after he had slain man TO his wound
| ing, and young man to his hurt See also the
universally Of tue belief that death is the only
fit punishment for murder, by the historical fact
that as soon as civil government eases to an
swer the end for which il was instituted vigi
lance committees arise, and the nearest of kin
becomes the avenger ofblood
1t is surely plain enough that the universal
conscience demands the death of the man who
with malice of forethought destroys the life Of a
tellow-iuan. How dare we doubt the correct
ness Of this verdict, rendered as it has been in
every age?
He insisted, in the second place, that capital
punishment should be inflicted upon the muir
derer, because that penalty best corresponds
with the enormity of the crime. 1t Is proba-
able that In rude and less organized states Of
society il might be proper to take life for other
crimes than murder, but, clearly, murder has
always been the greatest offense to law and So
ciety. II is contrary to reason that petty larceny
| should receive as severe punishment as de-
iberate murder. Can any one doubt but that
death is severer penalty than imprisonment ?
Let such one make the case his own, and this
will dismiss his doubt, if he has any. He claim
ed, in the third place, that justice demands the
| death penalty.
As Justice between man is the fundamental
idea Of all government, so the primary object Of
all punishment Is the meeting ont of Justice -
OF course the good Of the offender, and particil-
larly the safety of society, are subordinate ends
Of punishment And 1t may be capable of easy
proof that the death penalty is better for the
victim Than life-imprisonment for the murder.
er would more likely pine away in dependency,
aud would more probably delay seeking his
souls salvation, il he knew that he would GER
tlinly be incarcerated for life, than If he had a
dehnite day for execution, only several weeks
In the future.
And It would be no difficult matter To show
that tho death Of the murderer would be better
for the security Of the law-abiding portion oi
|
this Is more important than the good of the Of.
fender.
The most conclusive argument for capita
punishment Is that the God who gave men life
: has pronounced death the proper penalty fol
murder, and that He has armed the civil rule
with authority to infict capital punishment.-
II it be true, then, that God has distinctly at.
fixed the penalty of death to the crime of mur
der that He who holds In His hands the issues
OF life and Of DEATH has made known to us Hi:
will respecting the punishment of murder, We
may assert that the case Is made out and We
may justly call upon all men to submit to Coo
in the mater. That God has settled this eues-
tion he simply appealed to his text. 1t Is not
Jewish law; 1t was given before the Jewish ma
tlon was born, 1t Is still in full force 1t is no
limited to any time or country. The fact tha
man was made in the Divine image Is the Iea
son for this Divine law, and until this reason /:
destroyed the penalty cannot be repealed
i, What God has bound together let not man pu
ausnder.
tits true that we i've u lder The gospel, bu
does the gospel Of Christ abrogate the great law
, and doctrines OF the Old Testament? Whicl
did Christ come into the world to destroy or I,
fulfill the law? Does not the Saviour IIimsel
say "All they that take the sword shall persl
: with the sword?" (Math. 20, 52) Thus we fin,
! that the scriptures sustain capital punishment
= in every part of them. Nor can the sixth com
! mandment be tortured to teach an opposit
J doctrine, for no intelligent reader of the Bbl
+ for moment supposes th2s the prohibition q
. the sixth commandment includes death by tn
hand ofthe civil magistrate for capital crimes
{
n An INTERESTING REMEMBRASCER TIL,
Q Dela,odredn says: Ex-Alderman Vincent The
= historian, exhibited TO the members of the Leg
lsatule, last week, neatly bound scrap book
obtained from the library of gentleman o.
Philadelphia, containing a valuable and inter
a esting collecliO n of official documents Of tls