Page:A memoir of Granville Sharp.djvu/31

Rh is 'malum in se, evil in its very nature.' Because the first necessity in a Christian community is, to do justice to all men, at all times—as, it is better to endure all adversities, than to assent to iniquity. "The end or purpose of all good government is liberty, with protection from personal injuries, and the security of private property; but when a large part of the community are deprived of their liberty and protection, not for a short time only, but regularly and constantly, the end or true purpose of government is defeated and destroyed. "This doctrine is deeply impressed in the genius of our common law, which informs us, by unquestionable maxims, that no man is worthy to hold the reins of administration who cannot maintain the national justice, the chief object of which is certainly, personal protection. Cessa regnare, si non vis judicare,' Cease to reign, if you will not do justice, and the reason of this is plain from another maxim, Vita Reipublicæ, pax—et animus libertas—et corpus, leges,' peace is the life—and liberty the soul—and the laws the body of the commonwealth."

In another place, Sharp quotes the following in corroboration of the same views. "Humana natura in libertatis causâ, favorem semper magis quam in aliis causis deprecatur;' and 'Anglica jura, in omni causa libertati dant favorem,' human nature gives a preference to the cause of liberty, above all other causes, and 'the laws of England always favor liberty.' (Fortescue.)"

He says, in his manuscripts, "I have been told that it is the common lot of the poor and laborious part of mankind, to endure hardships and inconveniences. That the pressing and forcing them into service, is no injustice or illegality, being nothing more than a necessary contingency of their low condition of life, in which they were bred; and that the cruelty rather rests with persons, who like me take notice of their grievances, and render them unhappy, by persuading them, that they are so. All this has been urged to me, with the most plausible sophistry, and important self-sufficiency, as if the speaker supposed that the mere sound of words, could alter the nature of things;