But again Marcus
would have said, "Let us wait for the sequel of the sequel," and that
would have justified him. It is often found by experience that men, who
have learned to reverence a person in authority chiefly by his offices of
correction applied to their own aberrations,--who have known and feared
him, in short, in his character of reformer,--will be more than usually
inclined to desert him on his first movement in the direction of wrong.
Their obedience being founded on fear, and fear being never wholly
disconnected from hatred, they naturally seize with eagerness upon the
first lawful pretext for disobedience; the luxury of revenge is, in such a
case, too potent,--a meritorious disobedience too novel a temptation,--to
have a chance of being rejected. Never, indeed, does erring human nature
look more abject than in the person of a severe exactor of duty, who has
immolated thousands to the wrath of offended law, suddenly himself
becoming a capital offender, a glozing tempter in search of accomplices,
and in that character at once standing before the meanest of his own
dependents as a self-deposed officer, liable to any man's arrest, and,
_ipso facto_, a suppliant for his own mercy.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235