136 The Man and the Tiger. ' [ Aue. 
wi 
The social compact to maint me 
For open war, and subtile aN ; 
Oppression, murder, theft, declare 
Pi (Howe’er by force or art depressed) 
* The lurking tiger in his breast. e 
i , Then hold your hand, and set me free, 
Respect humanity in me.” 
“ Yes,” cried the master, “I admit 
How much ’gainst heaven we commit ; 
But laws, thoudl broken, are still strong 
(Say what you will) to punish wrong ; 
\ And though the crime they can’t prevent, 
\ - Right is maintained by punishment.” 
“ Aye, there,” the tiger quick replies, 
“ Again revealed before my eyes, 
ie. The savage stands, as fierce and rude, 
Careless or ignorant of good, 
As he in far Columbia’s land sl * | 
With sealp and tomohawk in hand. . 
Justice and laws are but a name 
To veil in mystery your shame, | 
Not fiercer burns the thirst of blood, 
In my fell brothers of the wood, ; 
é Than when the frequent senate meet, { 
Of crimes and punishments to treat. : 
Pride, avarice, rage, and sordid fear | 
Upon your judgment seats appear ; ' 
And justice is compelled to own 
. What selfishness has done alone. 
. Pale commerce, trembling o’er its gains, 
Incessant calls for deadlier pains ; 
<i And luxury would almost dare 
“ia To hang the wretch who shoots a hare; 
_ While stern finance-is ever willing 
To lose a man, and save a shilling : 
As. if society were meant * 
For nothing more than punishment ! 
Disguise the matter how you will, %. 
_ Murder in form is murder still. 
Between the man who braves the wheel, . 
The axe, the rope, some toy to,steal, 
And him who dooms that man to die, 
And guards with blood his property, 
The same relationship I see 
As ’twixt that mangled boy and me sg 
The weaker falls by right divine, 
Simply because the str ng must dine. 
Then, own the truth—e’en I must die, ‘ 
Your own security to buy ; Fe 
_ And when beneath your blade I bow, 
"Tis fear, not justice, strikes the blow.” M, 
a 
