Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-10
CAPITAL PUNISHHEN +.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
To the Editor cfMe Journal.
ga Christian" has attempted to point out the
inconsistencies and absurdities of communica-
ton signed Canaan" wherein "C'' stated that
where parents are austere and cruel the children
are wilful and disobedient. Here A. c. says that
"C' puts the effect for the cause that the wilful
and dsobedient children the cause of austere
and cruel parents. Soloman the wise says to the
parent, "bring up q child in the way he should go
and when he is old he will not depart from il"
But "A. c." wiser than Solomon, says that the
reverse Of this proposition is true, that Solomon in
fact put the cart before the horse, that Solomon
ought to have said children bring up your parents
In the way they should 60" Paul said fathers pro-
woke not your children to wrath, but bring them
up in the nurture and admonition Of the Lord. In
this case Paul fell into the error that Solomon
did because the reverse ofths counsel should have
| been given, according to the more enlightened
wisdom of "A. c." 1t would seem that Solomon
was fool and that Paul was void of understand
ing. "a. c." does not deny that many criminals
that have been guilty of the crime Of murder have
been converted and that their Heavenly Father
had forgiven all their sins. &C" enquiries are the
laws of man of higher order than the laws Of
Gods The poor sinner had, been forgiven by his
Heavenly Father but not by the laws Of man.
Mans law is memorable, it must have its pound OF
flesh. Human or rather inhuman law must have
its penalty be its victim disciple Of Christ or q
servant Of Satan. "A. c." charges &c" with gross
inconsistency in the foregoing statement. lie
says that &C." would, according to his argument,
just as soon as convicted murderer had repented
of his crime the Executive Magistrate should give
him free pardon of all his sins and hold him no
longer guilty man liable to no punishment what
ever. C's." argument justifes no such conclusions
as &c" does not believe that any earthly Govern
or has power to forgive SINS He has power to
commute his sentence from capital punishment to
civilian or christian, under such circumstances,
would not fail TO commute the punishment.
"A c." forgets that the inconsistencies and cruel
ties Of capital punishment belong to the disciples
of the gallows and not to &C." "a. c." is gal
lows man and approves of capital punishment, and
he says in effect to the hangman in relation to his
brother christian away with him cruelty, cruelty
him Is this christianity No it Is an exhibition
of the religion Of the Scribes and Pharisees and
of Plate the Roman Governor. &C." said in q
persons through the imperfection of human testi-
1 mony and the uncertainty of circumstantial evil
dence, had been doomed to An ignominious death
on the gallows This statement is true to the let
ter, but yet this law has the approval of "A. c."
The Scrlbes and Pharisees brought to Christ .
woman taken in adultery in the very act. The law
of Moses required that such an one should be
stoned to DEATH They said unto Christ, "what
sayest thou" Christ stopped down and with his
| finger wrote on the ground as though be heard
them not. So when they continued asking him,
he said unto them, "He that is without sin among
you cast the first stone," and when they heard it,
being convicted by their conscences, stole away
from the presence of him who could read the Sc
crets of their hearts, and left the woman alone
with the Savior. And he said unto the woman
condemned theei" And she said, mo
man Lord" And Christ said unto her,
"Neither do condemn thee, 90 and sin no more"
What an interesting lesson is here exhibited, of
mercy and justice to "a. G" and others who IA
vor capital punishment. &C" said that education
and the Press are the educators, in every civilized
country. They cultivate the field in the spring, in
childhood and youth. The field is the human
mind and the precious seed of truth and chris
tianty are being sown by the good and the true,
into good and honest hearts. brought up in the
fear and admoniton of the Lord. A bountifu
harvest Of good wheat or truth crowns the labor
of the husbandman. Some are sowing mixture
of wheat and tares Of good and evil, and the har-
vest will correspond with the seed sown, q mixed
harvest of truth and error. Others there are that
sow nothing but tares, like begets like, the hsr
vest therefore will be nothing but tares unless
some good Samaritans should pass by and scatter
some good seed into this field of dessolation. No
doubt IA. c." has been educated both by his par
ents and by the pulpit to believe that capital pun
ishment is great conservator of the public veal
and that in fact the gallows is essential pillar
for the support of civil government. Capital pun
shment is one of the cherished doctrines inculca-
ted BY his parents and his pastor. Now if"A. c."
doubt but that we should have been very Jealous
Mahometans, or if born in Farther India, we
should have been worshippers at the temple of
Juggernaut. The accident of birth, (if such &C.
cident can happen) and education, have made us
intellectually and morally, what We are. These
not only to the Pagan and Mahometan, but also
to each other. God regns in India and Turkey
as we'll as in Europe and America. "a. c." be-
lieves that capital punishment is right and have
shown why he believes So. "A. G.: says that
&C." proved too much and that therefore he
proved nothing &C" proved that when God set
In Judgment on CAIN the first murderer, that Ihel
d id not infict capital punishment. That was al
&C." designed to prove. What has "A. G..
proved not "too much" but absolutely nothing -,
"Shall not the Judge Of all the earth do right p
"a. c." says that God let him CAIN loose to
90 where he pleased with only mark set upon
him to indicate bis character" This is the lam
guage of "a. G." and not of &C" nor yet the Ian
guage of the bible. "a. c. says in an irreverent
manner in effect that this is rather loose man
per to deal with murderer. "a. c." thinks that
he is little wiser than God, and has found out q
better way to dispose of 3 murderer than God
adopted. His.better way is death on the gallows.
Thou shalt not kill" is all well enough for the
government of individuals. But in this enlight-
ened age "a. c." has learned that the execution
of thousands Of innocent persons on the gallows
is no crime. | think if "a. c." was tried and con-
victed Of murder by false testimony and con-
demned to be hung by the neck until he was dead
that when he felt the halter drawers he would
have poor opinion of the law.
In the days of Ahasueras the Persian Monarch
one Haman the Agagte, built gallows fifty GU
bits high wherein 10 hang Mordecar the jew
Haman and his ten sons were hung on this
gsllows This is the fr.t gallows that my reading
presents TO my recollection. j think Hannah is
entitled to the honor ofbeing the inventor OF the
ofHaman than Of Christi
II imprisonment for life substituted fol