Capital Punishment: For The Signal Of Liberty

An.v Arbor. Dec. SO, 1844. Müssas. ficlitors: - In theSignal Dec. 9th; iliscovered a communication upon tJie subect of capital punishment, from a strariger tö ie. The cause that cailed iorth this article Jto beiug, was a petition tbat you published alling upon the Legislatura to abolish thiá egalized sy6teni of murder. I feel grateful or the favor you granted in giving püblicity 0 the petition. And, aa your correspondent esires thdt his "striclurea" should 'be cirulated, and sent up to the Legislatura:1' so vviPh to have the petition, and this commu ication lo be lts company. But, gents, it fül be a little "webit" of a tax upon jou; and ie Legislature, tonttend to our cogiuiiöns.' ut to the "strictures." 1. It is rauch easier friend Alarsb, to cry ut infideüty than it is to prove a position tbat n opposer moy take upon any point to bè ich. This is a lery convenient way,' hor ver to excite préjudice and sympathy, wben ne is wanting rbr argument. And, any euerficial observer, will diacover that you oLually need to bring their asaistance to voor d. You eay, "the author óf the pétitióh lay nbt be an inSdel." To relieve yóur tnind pon thia puint, I inform you that hé is nút." ■'et the course which you take Í3 uncalled for. ii) attempt upon your part is made to make neoutassuch. The great golden rule if= be not overeóme óf evil, but overeóme evil vi'.h good." Now I would aek, bow rnuch food hanging must we have, te overeo nte the vil of comtnitting murder? I fully coccut vitli the Editors, that the Bible does not maerially assist either side. Or thaf the Creaor of the Universe, has been instrumental in iiaking all the laws that ever exiated upon hé ahores of time among all the natioriá óf he earth. Por instance, I do 110: belieVé thatv 1 "God of love" had any thing todo vith' he Leg'fslalures of the Snuth intaáking laws, to oppress and keep in perpetval bondagelhQ coloreó1 popula tion. No. Charge not thir unholy crime to the God of Heaven. Can it; be among ihe possibilities that thé instittitiofri' of southern slavery, andall the laws pertaining to it, is a complete Bible institvtion? ' Sup pose all Legislative bbdies from time immO-' monal down to the présent had made Jorws io1 re'.ntion to crime exuctly ihe opposite to what they b&ve, would thoáe laws be of Gód? Ü so, then if the Legislature of Michigan ehould' abolish capital punishmeut, and substitüte goiïiö' other penalty, the law thuè made, would be ofGod, according lo the "stricivres' of friend Marsh. Thia mode of rensoningj would snnction all the laws ihat finité men might riiake, End cali ihem "complete Bible institúlíons-i And what would be a "Bible instilulion ia one country or State, would be exactly the opposite in anotner. And what would be s ''Bille instituí ion" to-day, might have no irisiitution to-Worrow. Thia rigid aronBort of a way to interpret the Bible will, "Ibelievé" establish '' infideüty ," The manj1 Cir'tíUmrtan1ce9 under which the Chrislians at RorfcfévVerQ placed cailed for a different expression froril the Apostle, than it wouid under oiher ones.- Bnt, suppose ;he Apostle, and the Churchat Home, hod petitionëd to the rulers, to abölisli somé of their opuressiv'e laws, would such aa net, found their désigñ iipori "nfidëlity"? The bare-fucèd assertioD, that a ruler, "aí ihe peril oj his soul must meet the consequencet in the world to cemxe" for the violalion of .principies, needs proof. Por one, I ha vel hief yet to éarn. But this manner of rêasóning is a popular way of bèggingthfe question. I hope that this grave]' and saint hke-scare crow of a doctrine will find ils way up fto the Legislature." With whtit ae, and proFoiihd' solèrhnity they will' be struck, when theiV eyë' rfteeta this aWful predictioni ! Confidént, I ami that they will b:gio to tbink, that it is a trofee from JMuunt Sinai.' ! It is perfectly proper that peópJe shoufá be subject to the laws under which they live, imd ehould bé taught lo obey them. Yet this does not proliibit them in sending a pelition to the rulers.2. It is readily granted that God is the proper being who holds power. And he is the oniy owe whó cangive, and the true power to tafo? lifë. Hé hne Hot' given the right to öis'h, to take his óü'ú life. And if he hns not giVén this right ío man, can nn nssocialion of méri'havé such a right. Every suiciiié ommitted'by a eane niind, is a direct violatibn of the command óf God, Thou shalt not kill.' God, is tfiè only being, who has the right to fix the terraination of inan's existence. Then, if man in his individual capacity, hrsno right ■ or portion of a right, to put arrend fo His own life, or ihe life of others; it irt-ësiSUbly foliows ihat this right cnnno: juálly be delegated toou a66ociatcd biidy. For ahasèociation.can pos"sess no greater ainóunt of rights in aesociated thari ihat whitíh belongs to all, in' their iriüiviiliial capacity. The people have uo right to meddle wilh1 tliát' #hch an individual, has no right to intérfért?. The right whiéh we possesi as in dividuals may be delegated to the whole.- Büt, ii is utterly irapossible for us 10 give power to óthersi that we have ribt; Aiid, if govérament a68umes power which dööa not beiong tó them in their individual station, 6iich power controverts thé firét prinöiplés of out republican fortn of governtnent, aod would overthrow, (if carried out,) i(ovrjree insiituttons." To this, you in vbat yóu ara pleaeed to cali an assutnpüon; thai {ithere is not in all ! his a single proof that God haa not through the people, or otherwise delegatcd to the ruler.--, tlie right of taking his (tb inurdereís) Ufé." ï wouid askf if H is set furth in tiie comhianll, ' Tkuu shalt not kiïlf" Or in the words of onr blebso Master, "neither dol condemn ihee; go, audsiu po moie. And do we find au sxuibition of inflicijny Hèa h' iip his enerrtie fct his crucifixion,