Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-03-23
ADGER COLLEGE.
Anniversary Of tho Piedmont so-
ciety. e{s

large and appreoiativc audience was present
Friday night 10 hear tho speakers who had
been selected to represent the Piedmont Society
sof Adger College In This their fifth anniversary.
Tho Lutheran Church was well filled aud tho
young men, speakers, marshals and students.
we're encouraged to do their best by the lovely
faces and sparkling eyes of tho young ladies
who graced tho occasion by their presence
Through TOUT the entire exercises the best Of
order was preserved. The audience carefully
RETAINED from appaudng the speakers, as this
had been requested by the members of the
church who had SO kindly offered the use of
their building for tho evening. There was not
even "tlio busy whisper ciroling round" to de-
tract attention from the rostrum.
Tho President. j. I. iiolingsworth, after q
few remarks relative 10 the advantages to be
derived from q literary society In connection
with the college, announced the subject Of de-
bate: "Ought capital punishment 10 DO abo-
lished?" Ahirmativc-R L. Lcnhardt. Mega
tivc-James O. Lewis.
MIR. Lenhardt, after stating the object of
government, showed That governments ore
authorized 10 punish the offender for the sole
purpose of preventing u recurrence of the
offence, not for the purpose of rctribution, as
this would be invading The province of tho
Creator. The speaker then referred to the
divine command, 'Whoso sheddeth mans blood,
by man shall his blood he she'd" bu, from the
omission Of The words 'by man" in The Septu-
ngint version this may be regarded us the
language not Of command but OF prophecy
II is wrong to infict capital punishment, be-
cause cannot draw the line of dcmarcation
between sanity and nsanity-in short. because
VIC cannot determine with absolute certainty
whether this punishment is deserved or not
Mildcr punishments would act rs sufficient
deterrent of crime, rs is shown by the records
of those States which have abolished the death
sentence Several countries we're referred TO-
but we viii only instance Michigan, in which
there have been fewer murders committed in
eight years than were committed in New York
city in one year.
MIR Lewis in reply argued That the abolition
of capital punishment would destroy every safe
guard of civilization, and that apart from this
the divine in junction wns imperative. The in
Fiction of the death penalty for murder, dread
ful as the penalty is. meets the appreciation Of
the public conscience, and there is no other
punishment so fit and entirely commensurate
with This crime. Imprisonment for life rs n
substitute would not diminish crime, but on the
contrary increase it. for the fear Of the ga.ows
being removed. he who wns guilty of other
crimes won. he tempted 10 take The life of
those WHO might belray or expose him. The
only way then TO prevent men from taking life,
either for its own sake or TO conceal other
crimes, is to make them know and feel tllnt their
life will pay the forfeit ns sure as they commit
the dreadful deed, for death is must and ever
will hc the king Of tcrrors 10 tho guilty con-
science
Al the conclusion Of the debate the President
ms the orator of the evening Mr..
Julien X. Lcgnrc. Subject, mind in matter"
The speaker directed oar attention to the won
deis Of nature as exhibited in the heavens,
showing that all The universe, the earth, tho sun
md yon distant orhs, whose mdiant b.,ms
alleviate the darkness of night were all subject
TO law, and therefore The product Of omniscient
intelligence. with which doctrine the mmensty.
variety ana perfection Of nature were in general
harmony. No sounds come to us from the
shorcless ocean of heaven, the music of the
spheres is not transmitted across the iracklcss
regions Of space, but We can gnzc with wonder
aud admiration upon The grandeur and suhlimily
Of the glitcring worlds which be,lcck the
ccrnlcan vault convinced that these brilliant
gems were not created TO throw n tide Of useless
sptendor over the Soitudcs of immcnsy, but
that they poin, to One
''Who taught those orbs TO move,
Who lii their celestial fires,
Who guides the monn to run
In silence through the skies,
Who bids that dawning sun
In strength and beauty rise."
The music was excellent. the audience show
ing their appreciation by listening, n rare com
pliment, MS it is part of the iee non Scripto
that the interval between speeches is to be de.
voted TO finding out who your neighbors are aud
to small talk
At The conclusion of each speech the marsl,a,s
we're KEEP, busy carrying bouquets TO the ros-
trnm. No. satisfied with the exquisite flowers
which nature in her bounty provides, art was
taxed to furnish floral rihues of sufficient
beauty to express tho appreciation Of the fair
donors. Judged from this standpoint. as We have
n right to do, the anniversary was u perfect
success. WV
Game Law.