The advocate., 1895-05-15


thatP Suppose your revolt should succeed and you
should overthrow the government now existing in
Massachusetts, must not the question, What shall
we do with our victorYp be the very first question
for you to decideP To overthrow the government
and then 60 home would accomplish nothing, for the
same government would be on its feet tomorrow,
ready and able to send you to the gsoWs instead of
ceasing to oppress One of the demands of your
followers is that sconVenton shall be called to frame
q new constitution-to set up a new government in
stead of the DID, and of course if history is not to
change it's course at that point before great while
some other Sydney Stone will be raising rebellion
against the new government set up by the rebels Of
to-day Within three years after the people had
thrown off British rule and established republics Of
their own, behold before me the son of one Of the
ReVolutloniSts engaged in an armed attempt to throw
off the Republic set up by the late ReVolutOnists
Can you hope to build better than theyP What
shall we have in place Of the Commonwealth we
have oVerthroWn, must be the question npon the de-
cision of which will depend whether your success
full revolt shall result in any good to the people; so
say you must show me what is to be the morrow Of
your revolution before you can induce me to rebel
But let us return to what l started to say. You
know"
'sBut this question troubles me greatly Your
suggestion makes the cause of the people look 80
hopeless that it fills me with despair. What is to
be done? can not-I will not submit without pro-
test to the injustice see practiced sroundme Yet
what is the solution Of the awful riddleH Surely
you who have pondered the matter so deeply must
have thought of some way out of this Wretched
maze"
''My dear Sydney how should be wiser than all
the statesmen and all philosophers Of all the ages
have arrived at some conclusions which will give
you but they are not good for you at present. if to
you they should seem reasonable and you wish to
remain enthusiastic in your present enterprise. Let
US postpone their consideration till some future and
more convenient season."
"No. That season may never come. did not en-
gage in this undertaking blindly. know precisely
what it may mean. Unless we shall win, my certain
end will be soldiers death, death on the gsllOWs, or
exile. So let me hear your ideas now. They might
shape my future course should become expatriated;
and certainly they would be useful in case we should
succeed and must insugurate new regime"
'I yield to your wish; but have brief counsel to
offer. By way of preface let we say, never unsheathe
the sword for paltry purpose Human life, even the
life of an oppressor for he has family ties, is too
precious to be destroyed for slight cause. speak
not at present of the grievances Of the people. God
knows the people are wretehed enough. But mere
grievances will not justify boodshed which can be
justified only when by it those grievances can surely
be redressed. When speak of the cause for armed
conflict, mean the result to be achieved by the car
mage which must accompany aserious revolt. Should
you succeed, will that result be worth the life of
single human beingP Morally, to kill brother man
in war is equally murder with killing him in peace
and only the end-the general good-tO be attained
can excuse the horrible deed if it be excusable all
Let US seriously reflect, then, and go over some OF
our ground again. We will suppose you are success
full, and that the people have won at last the right
and the power to do whatever they may choose to
What thenP Your countrymen have but lately passed
through a dreadful war Of eight years duration.
They won, and the people here were as supreme as
theV can hone to be should VOur new rebellion win