Page:A Tour Through the Batavian Republic.djvu/402

390 D.

"HILOSOPHERS of all nations and ages have invariably judged, that when civil dissensions are over, the conquering party has always been guilty of injustice when it has thought worthy of punishment actions which the chiefs of the conquered party have done to maintain their cause, and has in consequence of these principles set on foot a general persecution. Actions which are at all times criminal; actions which are morally bad, independent of all political relations, and consequently always punishable; are then the only ones that can, according to the principles of justice be taken into consideration; are also the only actions which a righteous judge, whose judgment ought not to be directed by any influence of political passions, will esteem criminal and worthy of punishment; and not those actions which we at present consider as highly pernicious, but which have been committed