The hydraulic press., 1858-12-25
From the Sierra Citizen.

JUsTIcE.-Few of us weigh in our
minds the beauty and glory Of Justice;
many, indeed, seem ignorant of its true
meaning. Men of every degree and
business think they have rendered JUS
tice to themselves by the accumulation
of wealth, no matter how; but this is
mistake. They may enrich their peck
eis, while they cheat their souls. How
ever much, by business transactions,
we may enrich ourselves-the legality
Of which may recognized by law even
and, in doing so, injure our neighbor,
it is wealth unjustly procured. Again,
if any one deals unjustly with me, it is
any thing but justice for me to retaliate
by injuring him. Hierocles says, we
Dug hit always to deal justly, not only
to those who are just to us; but like
wise to those who endeavor to injure us;
and this, too, for fear that in rendering
them evil for evil, we might fall into
the same vice. Our conscience is the
best judge of justice, even better than
the decisions of the most learned of
judges, for conscience seldom misdirects,
while judges are liable to err. There
are few questions of justice so intricate
that the individual minds of those con-
cerned cannot unravel them; but there
are such strong inducements for the
wrong. doer to appeal to judge and jury,
that the most simple cases are placed in
their hands for settlement-often to the
injury of the innocent. If all men
would act justly, many of our well-fed
lawyers and fattened judges would min
gle with the obscure things. It is as
tonishing that justice, year after year,
assumes more mysterious and compli-
Gated shape; so much so, that the learn
ed and grave are still writing volume
upon volume, to add to the existing huge
pile, for the purpose of facilitating juries,
lawyers and judges in their decisions,
and more clearly directing them how to
distinguish between justice and injus-
tice; indeed, the great floods of legal
opinion have already deluged justice;
but occasionally, accident discovers JUS
tice, as Noah's ark upon the waters,
and the things that are Caesars are rem
dered unto Caesar. Some seem to think
justice a meaningless term; in truth it
is nothing with many; for the political
and social life of mankind have become
SO astranged from what is right, that
when man voluntarily renders justice
to his neighbor, there are those who
look amazed and exclaim, magnani-
nous man p and wonder at his homes
ty, because he might have by little
tact and good fee to the legal fraterni-
~, dealt unjustly, and had the law to
sustain him, too. The idea of justice
contains every conceivable perfection.
Had justice always ruled the world, the
name of mercy would have been unknown
among men. Franklin says Justice is
as strictly due between neighbor nations
as between neighbor citizens. A high
wayman is as much robber when he
plumbers in gang as when single; and
nation that makes an unjust war is
only large gang. It was remarked by
DR.. Blair that sense of Justice should
be the foundation of all our social quail
tiles. In our most early intercourse
with the world, and even in our most
youthful amusements, no unfairness
should be found; that sacred rule of
doing all things to others according as
we wish they would do unto us, should
be engraved on our minds.-James B.
McQuillan.