The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-09-25

y right from A. Let US 90 farther. MI
u child Is attacked by murderer, have
not the right 10 this case to protect him
. which protection may make absolutely
$ necessary not only the parrying off of the
assassIn's blows, but also the rendering
him innocuous? | have the right to Kill
= an animal which attacks me, and endan,
5 gers my life. If a murderer attacks me
= he thereby lowers himself for that mo,
ment to an animal, and he puts it oul OIL
my power to use any other means than
those would use against the animal so
long as must aver: the danger to which
> he exposes me.like an animal; and VIII at
ever danger or suffering accrues from it
J is his own doing, not mine. am bound
to protect my life, for my creator has
gwen it to me lor various solemn pur-
poses. Were not to protect it, brute
force would rule, and the most sacred
ends Of humanity would be set at naught.
Man is a reasonable being indeed, but
he is not ordered to act by reason alone.
But against killing a human being this
objection has been made: You settle the
doom cf the killed. The answer is, that if a
human being is killed, according to The
principles o! justice and perfect right, and
the necessity Of the case brought on by
the assallan, we must needs suppose that
this was Intended to be his final hour, with
whatever consequences may be attached
10 it, because the princi pie of justice and
right come from the creator, and are es.
seutias in his vas; system. If then they
were to initiate with others Of his inlen-
lions there would be contradiction in his
government Of the world, which it is alb
surd TO suppose. la brief the ancient
! Vim vi repeIere Iicel, is not Only justifa.
/ BE, out is one of the principles oil Gods
whole creation, and cXtinguished from it
would create universal moral and physical
disorder.
One word respecting the proposed plan
Of settling national disputes BY congress
Of nations, and according 10 an enacted To-
ternalonaI code, as OF late, petition to
propose such hing to other nations was
laid before the Congress Of the United
Stairs.
The idea Of an eternal peace was re.
pealvdIy conceived BY Christian writer's,
ba! perhaps for the first time more thor.
onghly dwe!t upon by the philosopher,
Kant, who nevertheless gives it oolv as a
speculation. The wag OF seUting anica>
BY what at other times woUId have led To
boodshed, has Of lue become more ire
quen', and is undoubtedly uFon the whole
- evidence either OF moe generally
dfluSed love Of peace, OF ct the fact, that
governments have, in III" course OF civili-
ziticn, more or less changed their charac-
lie! FROM cabine; governments 10 udlIonaI
governments, and nations have nor, in the
present stale Of thiogs, as frequent desires
Tor war as formerly, OF as Individuals may
be supposed to have: though we should
be unjust if we we're TO ascrbe the many
ormer WAYS always to The warlke spirl!
rprinccs. 1t was The spirit Of the times
and in not few cases were the princes
urged by the people to wal IN which
they reluctantly anga9ed.
; Yet we err, il we suppose that the set
, tIemcnt Of international questions by con-
) crosses ot ambassadors, has no: had in
d some cases most grievoIs Consequences
5 for some nationS. 1t is impossible &c
; hrlng nations into so close contact as is
the case in those CONGRESSES, AID yet tC
separate the international questions strictly
from questions which, though domestic
are of general interest. Domestic inter
} lereuce isan almost necessary consequence
| Wherever people meet, the most power
) fnl must sNay power sways, It is tht
> law OF nature; II is so in poI'!cs as in ev
cry other sphere, as we have observed
5 when considering the ub)ect Of represent
- alton; and wherever paris OF nations oil
, entire nations meet nomjnaIly on term:
r of parity, it is unavoidable tha! the mes
! powerful must sway The less powerful
Independent, national development, there
lore, one Of the most necessary requisite:
; Of a general, diverse and manifold clvilzl'
; ton, in law, language, custom and lilera'
f ture, would be as serionSI Y nteFfered viii
: by such a proposed congress OF nations a:
: i, was fol long time in The middle ages
by the papaI power. All legislation at
} distance becomes inconvenIen', not unirt.
: o1en:Iy Iuinous, because unadapted to the
. specific case. A congress on The banks
of he Po, or on the Bosphnrus, for Asia
! Europe and America. would make calling
: decisions far people near The Rocky Rloun'
lains All the Inconvenience anI hard
ships of so. called universal monarchie;
= would be felt. Nor can mny intcroaton-
! al questions possibly be settled like malh'
| emalicaI questions. Tne difference OF ma
t tons, which nevertheless is necessary,
must needs lead TO very different wants
e aud views. Something similar takes place
c IN very many law cases R'ght and
\ wrong are frequently not so strictly dJvid
y ed in complex. cases that we can demon
strate it with absolute mathematical GER