, 1874-03-02
Lecture Before tho Philosophical
Society by /. n. Stiles.
A Plea for the Abolition Of Capital
Punishment.
Elaborate and Thorough Discus
sion Of tho Entire
Question.

Tho tlrst convictions Of tho sauctity OF NIL
1nman ]ifo wero implanted by tho oarly Chris
tianB. AnimRted by zeal which know no con-
fines, ststainod by fatl, unboundod aud illimit-
able, commissioned by God MS thoy believed to
proc!aim now truth, handful of mon oon-
frontcd tho philosophy Of drecco with dcolar-
alton Of fraternity Of oil n1o1, destined to MI
Immortality of happincBs or misory, united to
ono auothor by spocial comfy of re-
demptio,,, through Christ, whose blood hau boon
shed by au atoning sacrifice 10 I'LL offended
Deity.
1nIMonTALrrY.
To tho Grcek nr.d llotnnl tho Immortality Of
tho,suul WIS at boBt but dim, Bhasowy Aoto.
10 the Christian 1t waH divine truth aboyo aud
beyond vorlticatiol. 10 lit the soul in thtB llfo
fol tho possible bliss which ewaisod # III l!lo
GORGEOUS realms beyond vas duty, to the dis
cnnrgo of which tho oarly Ohrstian brough. to
lla lid horoism md devotion which hnu but
low parallels IN tho whole history, Of nlan.
oId saa E'F eaf aqSa u not noe aoiSp ana
whore denth is thoro wo. nro not"
but to the onrly Christian doath WAS Of tho
greatest possible concern. 10 linn 1t Was gnto-
way whorc tho body reatcd wliilo tho soul pasaed
Oh to bBsfu! heavon or to d 1oyloss hell 10
lin this itfo, though but q pilgrimage, was tho
pacred girt Of God, valuable onIy for It's oppol-
knnitios 10 lit tho soul for heuyen, yet for this
aloue Of q yulue incstihlablo.
1NFAET10lDE.
Viewing tho question from purely uttlitarian
standpoint, the wisest md most human OF tho Pa
cnus but teebIy condemned abortion md iu(anti-
eide ,silo others like Plato, oven encouraged it.
The naiutcsH extinction Of newborn 1nfant,
which hns scarcely touched tho eartl, which
knows nothing Of its bo1rowa and llttlo Of itB
iove wns little calculated to urouHp tho pagAu's
sympathy, aud oven at this lnte day CAUSES
sorrow Which too easily assnaSea, There arc
many reasonB for believing that hon1o Of theao
ppgau practices hnvo not ceased eVon among
lho learnod and cultured Of OUR own day and
generation.
destruction Of unborn inEaut lie il, the days Of
tue cally Christian excited Ills pity, or touched
lis Acart. Yet to him this inlans life
lad d fearful significance. 70 linn,
lion it became an immortal SOUL, responsible
for tho Bin OF Adam destined, oven Il IL died
unborn, to bo raised again On the last DAY;
doomed, iii ,perished without baptis!n. ~, to DO
caat into u ioylcas endless hell. 10 him, Us to
tho Pagan, it WIZ OF littlo consequence TINT
lie l,tl 2oei, ioyt but to him il ws horror nn-
spcnknbiv TINT soul hal thus boon doomed.
MANS 1HI1uMAN1T}.
Its O fact, however, difficult to realize, vet
fact nevertheless, that cultured, rolnod,
mud lnoral societies have existod i'll
which tho slaughter Of criminals or captiyoB
has boon regarded with feelings Of no morn com
Function than tho slaughter OF animals for fool
Tho treatment Of tho barbarnns by tho GrooIB,
aud tho s!avos mud gadiators by the Romans
tho treatment OF the Indians by tho Splninrta
500 yenrs ago ana ny our owu connrylnen Of to-
our late war, nro 10 many verilcatioMH OF tho
truth of tho Btntetnont Exon in n,.r own timo
1nun who have a!doa most conapcuously in the
slaughter Of their follow-,non m tic hayo boon
deemed therefor worthy Of tho nnton's hg,-
cut honors. From The Gcncra1 commanding
to tho private soldicr in tho ranks what prizes
wcro not awarded, and what g'ories woro no.
showerod upon, Mi who bore d soldiers part il,
our lato great var, in which wero slaughtered
moro tlan 10000 Of fathers, brothers, SOUS
and lovers. Yct VIC affect to look bnck Will
wonaor Mt tho thousands OF Atl,enia,s who gath
ercd to witness tho glauiatorial games, wlsere
oven tile learned aud cultured, with breasts
leuyi1g with emotion, RaZed ulmiringly upol
tho. dying struggle Of the conlbatants
wb,lo tic ,,y lo,sy ,,;9y ;eyos n,.,Ion Of boaal'' 9
down upon tic yanquishod gladiator
proB!rnto I'll Lie dirt Of the Rrolla, yet cajmi,
turning his throat to the sword Of hiA cun
quo1or
their private life tho AthonsanB woro courteous
generous, mud humane" lii all ages men seen
TO hayo had y STANDARD Of what wo call humanity
determined by the gUuoral condition of society
and lnve Rgreed III condomning nll who fol
below it. Nc condemn unhesitatingly tho abo1
tions antl infanticaos which tho llomaus up
proved. We look buck with mingled fccling
Of dirgust and horror upon tho slaughto
Of mcn ut their gladatorial games. Wh
dro,s' children will not look bac
with like feelings upon our approval OF tl'
slaughter oil human beings, whether by th
soldiers nlllAkct or tho hnnBunn's rope.
sANcrIrY or HUMAN LIFE.
Ihig Wow, whic! WIS hold by tlo carly Chris
taus OF tho sas!ctity Of human lito, catne lfo'
tho Cisistlan doctriio Of tho inesimnp!o yalll
posed thu shedding Of human blood for an
cuuso or under any protext They inte1ccde
for tic spaang Of tho lives of criminals WHO h a
been condemned for tho highest crimes alirnelcs
it was huid, wero sometimes wrought to nttcstth
innocence Of accused or condemned prisoners
but were never wrought to consiGn criminal
10 execution. Wlulo they found Biblical argl
monts to sustain slascry, tley brought; N; none n,t
lime came, as we know, when tho Christia
priests wero willing to shed blood enough, all
for tho highest crime regarded death as til
just and proper penalty. 9hnt highest Grim
--unbeliof. Thanks to mans loyo OF liberty.
is u crime no longer, deserving netlor dont1
nor boMls,--,io nor ostrncisn. Tile most form
iable enemies to hn'nnn life have been
wAn, rEarILIkcE, AND FAMINE.
80 long Az mon looked upoh tho two latter I
puuishulrta hont by God, md sought to ngo
them only BY prayer and supplication, they H. r.
n,ancd nuconquerca a1d lllcon4uerablo Iht
l,sye now como, however, to be regarded III a
1noht wholly the result OF mnslB ignorance ni
slolhfulneHs. Scientific labor and research gi'
liz much promise that peB4lcnce Will soon ccat
to tlneaten ILL., whllo i'll otlr own country u
problem Of how to dispose Of all tho lloinctn
Uur soil shuts out oil foarB Of famine. Ono
tleso great enemies, however, remainB unco
quorcd. War, which has been THO immediate eau
of 10 nlnch btooashod, Aaa resulted mostly from
few ca,1yup: from religious intolerance fro
lle utuLftlon Of rulers or natons to oxtend II
nrep. of. their Sovereignty from effort 3 to I
,.tt the masHos Of the people clntlug under re
or fanceu wrongs or, as III the caBo Of Our la
war, to prevent thu dBintegration Of tho Go
erninent. thnk 1t nny be safely eaid tint
this country ut least, under our Constitution as
now IL, ono Of theHo callsoB viz: religious u
toleral,ca, IL no longer sufficiently iornlltla
to excite our fcara. Tho oti,or causcs, ilowo1c
relnui,, and may ut any timo fan tho war Bpl
into a deyOurinH ilamo,
THE WAR Br1H1T.
Tint that spirit may DO easl!y ankindled III
boun shown since tho organization OF t!lla Bocl
ty by tho oxpros .ious Of tlIo press througllu
tho country over tho recent "Vrgiuiua Atrar
That excitement gayo us abundant evidence th