Page:Criticism on the Declaration of independence, as a literary document (IA criticismondecla00seld).pdf/35

 If a man had honestly pledged his life, we should feel satisfied that he could not increase the security; knowing full well, that all that he had he would give to redeem his pledge, if that redemption could be effected without the final and more costly sacrifice. To pledge their fortunes, after they had pledged their lives, is in fact, either pledging what was already disposed of, or pledging what could not be disposed of, if the first pledge was exacted. None but the men of "soft latitudes," would undertake the gratuity of disposing of their fortunes, after their lives were disposed of.

But the sounding brass, so sonorous in chivalric ears, and for which they will at all times and every where sacrifice sense or sentiment, is "sacred honor"!! Why the chivalry should account their honor sacred, I could never conjecture, unless it was because they have but little. People are apt to be chary of what is scarce. Perhaps however we judge them harshly; and they only make a great parade of this virtue because they have no other. We have no certain means of knowing but what the chivalry would canonize modesty, if they knew what it was. But it is not to be expected, that men can appreciate what they cannot comprehend.

How is sacred honor better than honor! And by how much is a pagan virtue superior to a christian one? Piety is a virtue, if faith is. If we should bear of a man parading and boasting of his sacred piety! we might, I apprehend, with some propriety conclude, be really had none at all to boast about; and I venture the opinion that when we hear men boasting of their sacred honor, we may come to a similar conclusion with similar propriety.

Honor is nothing more than a virtue; modesty nothing less. one should be accounted sacred, the other not, must be demonstrated by southern causistry [sic] if demonstrated at all. Chastity is generally accounted a virtue north of Mason and Dixon's line. If it has not hitherto endured the climate south of that line, is it so much the fault of the virtue, as the fault of the cultivators! On the supposition however that this virtue might be cultivated as an exotic, it is doubtful whether the chivalry would account it "sacred."

If the chivalrous south pledged their honor because it was sacred; they must have kept it secreted because it was pledged: