Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-02-14
THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
The Ten Talks" Get Down to
Murder in the First Degree.
Which is Discussed Entertainingly by
X. f.. Fast--Large audience Listens
to the Talk Yesterday Outline of the
Talk

*. T.. FaSJ--L Large audience Listens
to the Talk Yesterday of the
Talk.
The ssTen Talks have come TO be
the adopted mode of keeping the Sab
bath afternoons in Morgantown for
the time being The usual large au-
dience was present yesterday, though
not quite so numerous as the proceed
ing Sunday. The sixth command
ment was the topic of the Talk.
Mr. Paul Mccoy opened with very
fine solo, most artistically rendered,
with piano accompaniment by Mrs
Keene. Mr.. Fast handled the topic
in his usual logical and lucid style.
Following is an outline of his talk:
/. OF the government of all things
by law
1t is often quite difficult to render Il
reason for some Of the things that are
most familiar to us. We have ac-
eepted the idea that the taking of
human life with malice aforethought
is crime, without question and with
out thought. In seeking the reason
for this universal judgment we are
led to inquire to what extent
are things animate and inanimate,
rational and irrational, governed by
law? We speak OF the laws of mo-
ton, Of grayitation, OF optics, of acou
sites, of nations, Of man, OF nature,
etc. What then is law in its highest
sense? Whence does it derive its
sanction? The we'll recognized dedni-
ton is, Law is rule of action,
prescribed by some SUPERIOR and which
the Inferior is bound TO obey"
IL. OF the government of human
action by law.
But how far is the action of human
beings rational beings - possessing
both reason and will, subject to pri-
mordial law? Did the command CIV
en- by Moses to the lsraelites at the
foot of Mt. Sinai, amid 1.-THE thun-
behring's and lightnings and the noise
of trumpets, and the mountain smok-
ing, and the terrors of the people,
create the offense known as murder?
Was it no transgression of any fixed
and invariable law, prior to this com
mand, for any one, wantonly, to take
the life of another? Or did the Mo-
sale dispensation merely reduce to a
written state law that from the
creation of man had been indelibly
impressed in the minds and upon the
hearts of the children of men? These
questions lead us to inquire:
/. OF the punishment of murder.
In all ages, in all countries. under
all conditions of civilization or sava-
gerry, murder has been recognized as
an otfense against the law of nature.
1t is crime that startles the human
conscience. In some degree of the
offense, almost universally, the pun
ishment is death
2. OF the universal antipathy to
murder.
Whence comes this universal antip-
athy to murder? The answer is no
where to be found unless we concede
that it is one Of the forces existing
from the beginning for the control of
the actions of men.
3. OF human reason and will.
But, some may inquire, have you
lost sight OF human reason and will?
Do they exercise no control over the
actions of men? If so, to what ex-
tent? An investigation of these
questions leads us into some consider
auions respecting the origin of law,
society and government. He who
would study these questions intelli-
gently must not lose sight of the fact
that society, law, religion, and the
state, are, in primitive conditions, al
most inseparable. Law was religion;
religion was law.
Ill. OF the origin of law.
There are three principal theories
as to the origin of law:
/. The social-compact theory. To
this many learned men have lent the
sanction of their great names. Among
Others that of John Locke is conspic-
uous. This theory is purely specu-
lative. 1t rests upon no historical
foundation whatever.
/. The traditions of Oriental law
givers.
The traditions of almost every ma
tion of antiquity go back to some sim
gle law-giver, who lowered above
other men in wisdom and authority,
possibly inspired by divine suggestion,
under whose direction their laws took
form If not beginning. 'sThere was
Moses in the background of many
history besides that Of the Jews. !"
3. Of the notion Of the institu-