The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-31

American government; (3l as member OF the
divine society OF Jesus Christ. There is but one
Bong who has the absolute right TO take liie and
tnat one Is He who created and gave lite. This 10
fundamental fact, stripped OF all tawdry senti-
mentality and lies at the bottom OF this entire
question. 1t Is not what tribes and nations In their
associated capacities have done, are now doing.
but what Is the authority OF God and the moral
sense upon which all human justice Is professediy
based. MaJorites are no infalible guides; MAORI
ties do wrong majorities have sanctioned the
most brutal and damnable crimes malorities
killed the Son Of God.
'THOU SHALT NOT KILL
This 10 from the Decalogue, which contains o
class OF eternal principles, as binding at all times,
upon all men, sngiy or collectively and under all
conditions The language is unqualified. 1t does
not say thou shalt not kill your friend, but you
may be LETT to the inference to xiii your enemy.
IL does not say thou shalt not kill loyal, we'll
disposed citizen. but you may make the deduction
that you NAV MA rebel 1t does not say thou
shalt not kill as an Individual but you may kin In
your civil. military or any Official relation. the
words stand out IN bold and unequlvocal outline.
"Thou shalt not KILL"
The Ten Commandments are perpetually In force.
They were not temporary or expedent for certain
rude states OF society. They are immutabe prin-
ciples. But the argument always on the lips OF
the advocates or capital punishment is that drawn
from the language TO Noah, which came before the
moral aw-"Whoso sheddeth mans blood by
man shall his blood be she'd for in the image OF
God made He man," Grant the accuracy Of this
translation, as many eminent scholars OF biblical
science do, and what have wes The great Ills.
take to put this passage in the sphere OF precept
and command when It rightly belongs to the
sphere OF prediction. "Put your finger in hot
stove and It Will De burned;" "He that pursueth
tn 10 N
take the sword shall perish by the sword;" 'In
the day thou eatest thereon thou shalt surely die
or, dying, thou shalt die indeed"
1t does not say whose killeth a man. Men ore
Killed by poison, cutting, strangulation, drowning
without shedding Of blood. Whose Is unquanned
also. and includes judges, juries sherifrs, hang
men, everybody who takes human life. Capital
punishment was not inflicted upon Cain; he Was
banished from the scene OF the murder as fugi
tive and said. my punishment is greater than
can bear" And the Lord said unto him, There
fore, whosoever sayesh Cain, vengeance shall be
taken on him sevenlold." Here Is taught the in
vioable sanctity OF human life, and that violence
viii always beget violence.
r But Director Will cite from the Levitical laws
and snow that Tor more than thirty offences CAPT.
tai punishment was adminlstered-for idolatry,
Sabbath breaking, adultery, &c, &c. This Is adj
mitted. The Levltca! laws are abrogated or they
particular in rites. ceremonies, penalties, &C.. II
they are not. then modern society Is bound 10
innict capital punishment ior thirty offences,
and every thing pertaining TO the pottcO religious
commonwealth oI the Jews must be strictly en-
forced. Remember, they mad no penal Institutions
then, as we understand the phrase; society was
rude, shifting, anarcnic.
Tne great teacher and lawgver Of mankind,
Jesus Christ, In that tnmitaele Sermon on the
Mount picked out the uncnanging principles OF
moral law and enforced them with emphasis
"Tn0u shalt not KILL While he repealed every pOr-
ton OF the Levltcal aw-incuolng the law OF retail
iation-'An eye Tor an eye," &c. Wherever any
aluslon Is made to rigntinl authority by the apos-
ties, and an appeal made Tor obedience to 1t, the
% oy ce
that which Is evil be afraid for He beareth not the
sword In vain. The sword is an emblem Of au-
thOrty and Is used in conformity with the times
and In an accommodative way to represent that
there is no biblical argument for the
taking Of human life in any capacity.
WHAT political reasons are there Tor this
that there are none which are worthy OF defence.
1t Is admitted by many OF the best statesmen OF
poiticaly inexpsdsent, Should be- avoided when.
ever other means can be found Of furnishing with
equal, II aot greater eaect: John stuart MN was ~;
speech delivered in the House Of Parliament April
~, 1858. and reported in tue London Times, can be
taken as the strongest plea in favor Of this orutum
JnlUen. But his arguments were riddled and bat
tered down into w0rthlessness by Mr.. Gllpin, Of
the same House. Mr. Mill took the position that
capital punishment was not so dreadful as sentL
mentallsts represented, because We only took away
death :" ne asks triumphanty; 'somsthing COM
paratlvey easy Was 1t not tne object OF all ed u-
ca,lo9 to teach US s 70 dsssp,se death 5 As v ne
ought to be mighty thankful that the law does not
exact any more from you than your lite; that's
trine; Death Is nothing; you get of easyP II ID
strange that so keen logician as Mr.. Mill did not
discover that his argument was seli-destructive
and opposed to what the law cCntemplates by such
punishment viz, that death. as final penalty,
was terrible to the culprit, terrible ali wrong
upon society. Certainly those who execute the law
40 not regard the gallows as pathway OF roses
h was This side OF the grave One cannot argue
for the terror and ease OF the gallows at the same
time.
That the gaIlows does not act as restraint under
any condition In watch murder Is committed is
almost, II not quite, sell-evdent. 1t proves ITSELF
dltions-lmpulse or elaboration. When he rusnes
upon his victim with pistol, knife or bludgeon,
what does he under such an impulse OF passion,
think OF the gallowss Nothing wnatever--it does
not enter his mind But II he Is not deferred then,
will ne be wnen in cool elaboration, day by day,
month by month, year by year. he plans how to
get his victim within the meshes, and then de-
stroys his lier There has been time for the gaows
to rise awthart his VISION daily and nightly; there
might be sel.assert0ns OF conscience; before him
might pass the forms OF the DrOken-nearted widow
these things move nlm TO the right or lelt but on
he goes to gloat his soul In blood. The gallows Is
not preventive OF CRIME 1t mas Jailed as such
and to defend 1t Is unscriptural, unphlosophl c.
impOtic; It Is absurd.
In tnOse countries Wnero cdpfta punishment
has been abolished the ratio OF crime has de-
creased wonder uly. For more than forty years
Tuscany, alter having been startled by the fearful
increase OF capital crime, has abandoned capital
punishment and c0uld not be induced to readopt
IT, SO sautary has been tue operation Of the new
laws.
Portugal witnessed her last execution In 1916;
in 1851 there were 27S homcidal crimes; In 1855
l73, and In 1860. only l42. The Governor OF Mlchf-
gan reported In 1854. after seventeen years. ex-
perience OF tue new code that crime had
diminished and because conviction and pun ism.
ment were so much more certain.
The death penalty has been abolished on the
grounds OF political inexpediency In Tuscany,
Portugal Odenourg, Anhait, Nassau, Bremen.
Neuicnatel, Wurtemourg Bavaria Baden. Bruns
Wick, Belgium and several OF our own States
as Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Michigan.
we Indulge the hone that by more thorough
study OF crime and It's penalties and the science Of
prison discipline, by our legislators and, indeed,
by the great mass OF our intelligent people, that
the day Will soon come when not a capital execu-
ton VIII be witnessed on THIS Continent. 1t Will
MT do 70 ral thn mill IN nrnS mt orxal,