- relation are seen to be in the physical. But
the subject of the law which claims love from moral beings must freely accept its beneficent rule; while the crystal can not choose another finish for its angles, or the star select for itself a rule which will square it instead of rounding it.—Richard S. Storrs.
(1764)
LAW ENFORCED
Violating a petty township ordinance on
a hunting expedition on Long Island, his
friends were indignant when Garibaldi was
haled before a local magistrate, as described
in a recent number of the Century. To the
protests and condolences, the patriot replied:
"No, friends, these officers of the law have
done nothing more than their duty and I
deserve the correction. The Americans
make and enforce the laws proper to the
regulating of their own communities, just as
we hope some day to do with ours in Italy.
(1765)
LAW FOR THE TRANSGRESSOR
In certain places we see regulations like
these placarded: "No smoking allowed,"
"No betting allowed," "No swearing allowed";
and we perceive at once the kind of
place we are in, and the kind of people who
usually frequent them—that is sufficiently
clear from the prohibitory legislation. We
never think of putting up such regulations
in a temple. So the commandments of
Moses assume this to be a sinful world;
they are addrest to sinners; there is in them
the idiom of impeachment and condemnation.—W.
L. Watkinson, "The Transfigured
Sackcloth."
(1766)
Law, Help—See Prohibition as a Benefactor.
Law, Impartial Enforcement of—See Impartiality.
Law in Earlier Times—See Punishment,
Former Severity of.
Law, Invariable—See Gravitation, Law
of.
LAW, MORAL
We teach children that two and two are
four, but not that it is wrong to tell lies as
a bookkeeper. We teach them that fire
burns, in science, but in morals we do not tell
them that the boy who tries to satisfy his
hunger for pleasure with sin, is one who eats
red-hot coals when he is hungry. We tell the
girl that hot water scalds, but we do not tell
her that there are passions and pleasures
through selfishness that blight the soul, and
do not satisfy, just as scalding water and
boiling oil, and carbolic acid will not satisfy
thirst.—N. D. Hillis.
(1767)
Law More Than the Individual—See Impartiality.
LAW, NATURAL
The laws of matter are simply the mode
in which matter in virtue of its constitution
acts. Oxygen unites chemically with hydrogen,
in certain proportions, under certain
conditions, simply because of the qualities
or attributes wherewith these two gases are
invested. It is not the law which determines
the combination, but the qualities which determine
the law. These elements act as they
act, simply because they are what they are.
(1768)
LAW, OBEDIENCE TO
The world has no place in it for a lawless
man. What we call liberty is really a
form of obedience to law, and whatever you
may achieve later in life will represent the
discovery of law and the instant acceptance
thereof. The Indian obeys one law—and
can therefore swim the river. Obeying the
law of fire, he achieves a canoe, hollowed
out with the flame. Obeying the law of the
wind, nature fills his sail, and releases him
from bondage to the oar; obeying the law
of steam, nature gives the man a ship. Obeying
the law of electricity, his car doubles its
speed. Obeying the law of the air, the man
spreads his wings like a bird.—N. D. Hillis.
(1769)
Law Prohibiting Evil—See Cocaine Restrictions.
LAW, SEVERITY OF ANCIENT
On February 9, 1810, Romilly, the great
reformer, obtained leave to bring in three
bills to repeal the acts which punish with
death the crimes of stealing privately in a
shop goods of the value of five shillings, and
of stealing to the amount of forty shillings
in dwelling-houses or on board vessels of
navigable rivers. In May that relating to
shops was passed, the two others were opposed
by the Government. But on May 30
the former bill was rejected by the House
of Lords by a majority of 31 to 11. There
were no less than seven bishops who voted
for the old cruel law. These learned Christian
gentlemen devoutly believed that transportation
for life was not a sufficiently severe
