The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-04-14

Mr. EDITOR: ! have been reading with much
satisfaction, lINzitt's criticism upon the Char
;Tters OF Shakespeare, and have thought that
some suggestions as to the character OF Corio-
lanus might not be without interest and profit
to some Oft the many intelligent readers of your
excellent journal.
Says IlaZlitt, Corolanus is store house of
political common-places. Any one who studies
IT may save himself the trouble Of reading
Burke's Reflections or Paine's Rights of Man,
or the Debates in both houses of Parliament
since the French Revolution or our own. The
arguments for or against aristocracy or democ-
racy, on the privileges of the few and the claims
of the many, on liberty and slavery, power and
the abuse of it, peace and war, are very ably
handled, with the spirit of poet and the acute.
ness of philosopher"
Among the many good things contained in
the criticism of Huzlitt-itsefa store house of
valuable trcasures-is, "The insolence of power
is stronger than the plea of necessity" How
true. Necessity demands legislation that con.
serves the morals of the people, and is promo.
tive of their happiness. The 'insolence of DOW
or" mocks the plea ofnccessity, in forcing upon
an unwilling people laws insulting TO thgir
manhood and prcjudicial to their welfare.
The ''insolcncc of powcr' forced opium upon
the unwilling and protesting Chinese. To-day
that so-called Christian nation England is Il
stencil in the nosrls of every man who respects
justice and loves his race. England sends her
missionaries and bibles to people whom she
iollto W hSl ai ms w lcGcihC lHC lCuIlul ufup
that is dragging them down to the lowest pit OF
degradation and misery. Sublime hypocrisy
The Bible in one hand, opium in the other
heaven and hell the alternative, no damnation
no salvation. This may be necessity of trade
it is also the "insolence of powcrn
And this assumption of the right to insult, de.
grade dcmoralze, ruin body and SOUL others,
carries with it an Imposing air of superiority
Hence eve would rather be the oppressor titan
the oppressed" The "insolencc" Of the few,
our masters by pretcnsion if not BY right, is of.
ten appreciated by the many, themselves sui.
ierers. To ride booted and spurrcd over poor
mortals, 'the sport to the few and death to the
many" is, alas too frequently spectacle OF
pleasure to slaves, of qualification TO brutes 1t
is bad enough that the interests of justice and
humanity must "courtesy" TO the ''nsolence'
of the Great, our Masters, but intolerablc that
the poor devils who are themselves "booted and
spurred' should as in Il royal hunt encourage
the strong 10 set upon the weak, and cry havoc
in the chase
The truth need not be concealed The vrtu.
Gus have no rights that the vicious are bound
to respect. In numbers more, yet lordGd over
by the few, whose interests, or passions, or
servility, gives them ability 10 influence those
whose "insolencc Of power is stronger than the
plea of necessity"
The dramatic moral is, starve the poor because
they are poor beat the slaves because they are
slaves, impose upon the workers heavy burdens
because they do work. Tho power, riches, pride,
splendor, and tyranny Of our masters is ut the
expense of our weakness, poverty, degradation,
wrctchednes and sevilty. r. T. w.