suffer; who even, while sitting at his window, actually saw the distracted mother as she broke through the guard to embrace her innocent children on their way to the scaffold! What a thrilling scene! This fact alone should make the whole civilized world pause and tremble, lest another innocent victim should be sacrificed upon the altar of this bloody law! And how many have fallen! Rev. Mr. Chapin says, 'it has been estimated that there are over one hundred!' How many more, is known only to him who is the Great Searcher of hearts. What a dark catalogue! How many griefs and tears! How many broken hearts! How many distracted, ruined families! And yet, how many lift up their voice, even now, in favor of blood! And when we turn now to distracted, oppressed Ireland, in her ardent struggles for liberty, how solemn is her voice, as it comes to us from her 'great Agitator!' Even now, he is arraigned for conspiracy, in charges which have occupied seventy hours in reading! And who can tell, who can predict, her fate? The law of death still exists the bloody axe is lifted up! She may yet add another to the long list of those who have fallen victims to the punishment of death! Heaven spare her from such a fate! 11 ESSAY I. CAIN. Scriptures-Dominion not given to man over man-First murder in first family-Lamech-Abimelech-The Sacrifice-Murder of Abel -Address of Deity-Omniscience of Deity-Life inviolable—Objection-Anecdote of Biron-Immutable distinctions—Strength of the argument-Reflections-First and last murder. Life is not to be taken, even for life. From beneath that rainbow arc, and from the ashes of martyred Abel, and from the stamped forehead of Cain, is proclaimed to the magistrate and the criminal, to the murderer in his bloody purpose, and the judge in his fearful decision, 'Thou shalt not kill!' E. H. CHAPIN. HAVING presented various facts and arguments from history and observation, we now approach the sacred volume; that volume which must decide all moral questions, and by which every system of Moral Philosophy is to be tried. Let us go then to its sacred pages, solemnly and reverently asking for light from Him who is the source of all moral and spiritual light; to Him who 'in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;' who said, 'Let us make man in our own image.' Having finished our fair world and placed man 'to replenish and subdue it, He saw it was very good.' And 'the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' Such was the work of creation. God gave man 'dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, |