Page:Political Tracts.djvu/172

 cannot all be uppoed to have committed acts of rebellion, yet all are involved in the penalty impoed. This, they ay, is to violate the firt rule of jutice, by condemning the innocent to uffer with the guilty.

deerves ome notice, as it eems dictated by equity and humanity, however it may raie contempt, by the ignorance which it betrays of the tate of man, and the ytem of things. That the innocent hould be confounded with the guilty, is undoubtedly an evil; but it is an evil which no care or caution can prevent. National crimes require national punihments, of which many mut necearily have their part, who have not incurred them by peronal guilt. If rebels hould fortify a town, the cannon of lawful authority will endanger equally the harmles burghers and the criminal garrion.