The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-31
Is Human Life Sacred?

To the Editor: If VIC consider its
origin, its nature, and its design, we are
compelled to say it is. If we look at tie
Wreckless manner in which it is destroy
ed we are forced to say it is not. Life
IS mans most valuable and sacred pos
session. Skin for skin, yea, all that a
man hath will be give for his life" Job
Pa.
God is the hottest and most sacred
being in the universe. He made man in
His own image. Gen. 1:26; thereby in
vesting him with God-like qualities that
belong to no other created beings. God
breathed into man the breath of life, and
he became a living soul. Gen. 81. The
soul is the life of man, and is a part
of God himself, and must therefore be
sacred. Human life is SO sacred that
God has Said-Gen. 90: Whose shedest
mans blood, by man shall his blood be
shed" Again God has positively said
Deut. 5:17: Thou shalt not kill No
human rights. or laws, can anrul Gods
law. 1t stands, and by it all must be
judged. If men kill one another here and
human courts fail to infict the punish
ment Gods law demands. there will be
Il 81 d ma JuoSiiIIII ddJ' "iClt JdoliC1
will be strictly injected out.
"Self-defence" is the only justifablc
cause for one man to kill another. If you
know another has determined to kill
you, and has sought and found an op-
portunity to do it, then you have a right
to kill him first, if you can.
Here was a case of justifiable killing:
Two men were boon companions. They
associated. drank, gambled and caroused
together. One got drunk, and was getting
/ himself into trouble by violating law
! The other, as a friend, interered to
try to keep him out Of trouble. The
drunken man flew into a passion and
! shot the other, intlicting almost a mortal
: wound. and was trying to fire again. Tie
other drew his pistol, and instantly
| killed his assailant. He did it to save
his own life. He was justifiable. The
! grand Jury so declared. This was a real
! ease of self-defense. 1t is but seldom
hat men are obliged to kill in self
defence. But in nearly every case o
killing, self-defence is now the plea. Bu'
the qualification of hatred, malice, re
venge. and brutal passions are the prime
causes that move men to kill others.
This Wholesale destruction of human
life shocks the sensibilities of all good
DGODl6. II 10 81 q cAot@11 ~ NAO -
cation of the ninteenth century. 1t |;
a heaven daring, and God d~ishonorine
crime. 1t ought to be stopped. Execute
Gods law against murder, and the crime
will be abated.
The carrying of concealed, deadly
waapons is a fearful and fruitful source
Of crime. Perhaps nearly half OF the
men and boys of the country are con-
slant violators of law, in carrying con-
ceaIed weapons. A man becomes IL,
yolved in trouble with another. He does
not think of settling it by reason OF
arbitration or law. He thinks only of his
ristol as a means of settlement. Inc
law against carrying concealed weapons
ought TO be made ten times more severe
and then it should be strictly enforced
ANY one violating the law ought 10 be
heavily fined and imprisoned.
But if men feel they must lnt1lct Dooli5
nunishment on each other, let them flsh'
Il ont with their fists. But even thii
would be beneath the dignity OF man ere
atad in the 'image of God. Leave tn'
fohting to the brute creation. lhe3
krow no other way to settle their oil
fic,Ities. But men, endowed with mora
md intellectual powers, should settl
differences by reason, and law.
~ ]. A. STRADLEY.
OXFORD. -. {.
Fr,Iits of modern philosophy seem 20 D
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