66 TO ONE, who told Themistocles, he would govern the Athenians admirably, provided he would take care to avoid partiality, he replied, may I never sit on a tribunal where my friends will not " meet with more favour and respect than strangers." 66 PLUTARCH. Life of Aristides. It may be doubted whether Omnipotence itself is competent to alter the essential constitution of right and wrong: sure I am that such things, as you and I, are possessed of no such power. BURKE. Speech at Bristol, p. 64. As I shall have frequent occasion to mention the word right, I wish to be clearly understood in my definition of it. There are various senses in which this term is used, and custom has in many of them afforded it an introduction contrary to its true meaning. We are so naturally inclined to give the utmost degree of force to our own case, that we call every pretension, however founded, a right; and by this means the term frequently stands opposed to justice and reason. After Theodore was elected king of Corsica, not many years ago, by the mere choice of the natives, for their own convenience in opposing the Genoese, he went over into England, got himself into jail, and on his release therefrom, by the benefit of an act of insolvency, he surrendered up what he called his kingdom of Corsica, as a part of his personal property, for the use of his creditors; : some of whom may hereafter call this a charter; or by any other name more fashionable, and ground thereon what they may term a right to the sove reignty and property of Corsica. But does not justice abhor such an action, both in him and in them, under the prostituted name of a right, and must not laughter be excited whenever it is told? A right, to be truly so, must be right in itself; yet many things have obtained the name of rights, which are originally founded in wrong. Of this kind are all rights by mere conquest, power, or violence. In the cool moments of reflection we are obliged to allow that the mode by which such a right is obtained, is not the best suited to that spirit of universal justice which ought to preside equally over all mankind. There is something in the establishment of such a right that we wish to slip over as easily as possible, and say as little about as can be. But in the case of a right founded in right, the mind is carried chearfully into the subject, feels no compunction, suffers no distress, subjects its sensations to no violences, nor sees any thing in its way which requires an artificial smoothing. Public Good. p. 6. 7.-By the Author of Common Sense. EQUA EQUALITY OF MANKIND. WHAT is the race of mankind but one family, widely scattered upon the face of the earth? all men by nature are brothers. FENELON. Telemachus, vol. 1. liv. xi. God has made of one blood all the nations of men. NEW TESTAMENT. Acts xvii, 26. - STRANGE is it, that our bloods, Alike of colour, weight and heat, pour'd out to Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off In differences so mighty. SHAKESPEAR. All's Well that Ends Well, act 2. -SEARCH we the secret springs, And backwards trace the principles of things; Dispens'd with equal hand, dispos'd with equal skill, Like liberty indulg'd with choice of good or ill. Thus Thus born alike, from virtue first began But that which made him noble made him good. DRYDEN. Sigismonda and Guiscardo. -MAN O'er men He made not lord: such title to himself reserving. MILTON. WHEN Tom, an' please your honour, got to the shop, there was nobody in it but a poor negro girl, with a bunch of white feathers slightly tied to the end of a long cane, flapping away fliesnot killing them. -Tis a pretty picture, said my uncle Toby-she had suffered persecution, Trim, and had learnt mercy. She was good an' please your honour, from nature as well as from hardships; and there are circumstances in the story of that poor friendless slut that would melt a heart of stone, said Trim; and some dismal winter's evening, when your honour is in the humour, they shall be told you with the rest of Tom's story, for it makes a part of it. Then do not forget Trim, said my uncle Toby. A negro has a soul, an' please your honour, said the Corporal (doubtingly) I am not much versed, Corporal, quoth my Uncle Toby, in things of that kind; but I suppose God would not leave him without one any more than thee or me. It It would be putting one sadly over the head of another, quoth the Corporal. It would so, said my Uncle Toby.Why then, an' please your honour, is a black wench to be used worse than a white one? I can give no reason, said my Uncle Toby.Only, cried the Corporal, shaking his head; because she has no one to stand up for her. -'Tis that every thing, Trim, quoth my Uncle Toby, which recommends her to protection, and her brethren with her; it is the fortune of war which has put the whip into our hands nowwhere it may be hereafter, heaven knows! but be it where it will, the brave, Trim, will not use it unkindly. -God forbid, said the Corporal. Amen responded my Uncle Toby, laying his hand upon his heart. STERNE.. Tristram Shandy, vol. ix, ch. v. : I SHOULD not like to have my enemy take a view of my mind when I am going to ask protection of any man; for which reason I generally endeavour to protect myself. But this going to Monsieur le duc de C * * * was an act of compulsion; had it been an act of choice, I should have done it I suppose like other people. How many plans of dirty address, as I went along, did my servile heart form! I deserved the Bastile for every one of them. : Then nothing would serve me, when I got within sight of Versailles, but putting words and sentences |