30 COBBETT'S [No. 



stitution." That is to say, to relieve the necessitous; 

 to prevent their sulfrrin:} 1'roni want; completely to 

 render starvation impos-ib!.-. a part of odr 



very constitution. k> T \ \ K K KF< )RE, our laws ought 

 by no means to be taxed with b< -ini: /'//. /^ n ///// for 

 denying this privilege to the necessitous." Pray 

 inaik the word therefore. You see, our laws, he 

 says, are not to be taxed with beiu^ unmerciful in 

 deeming the necessitous taker a thief. An 

 the, net to he deemed unmerciful? BECAUSE 

 the laws provide effectual relief for the necessitous. 

 :se, even according to BLACK- 

 t if the Constitution had not pro- 

 vi'ied this eMectual relief for the necessitous, then the 

 law- i. nerd fn.l in deeming the ne- 



cessitous taker a thief. 



37. But now let us hear what that GROTIUS and 

 that PrnKNDORF say; Jet us hear what these great 

 writers on the law of nature and of nations say upon 

 this subject. BLACKSTONE has mentioned the names 

 of them both ; but he has not thought proper to no- 

 tice their arguments, much less has he attempted to 

 an>wer them. They art- two of the most celebrated 

 men that te ; and their writings are referred 

 to as high authority. ;rd to all The subjects of 

 which they have treated. The following is a pas- 

 sage from GROTIUS, on War and Peace, Book II.. 

 chap. 2. 



38. " Let us see, further, what common right there 

 appertains to men in those things which have already 

 become the property of individuals. Some persons, 

 perchance, may consider it strange to question this, 

 as proprietorship seems to have absorbed all that 

 ri^lit which arose out of a state of things in common. 

 But it is not so. For, it is to he consider 



the intent inn of those who fi, pri- 



vate property, which we may suppose to have been 

 such, as to deviate as little as possible from natural 

 equity. For if even written lairg are to be construed 

 in that sense, as far as it is practicable, much more 

 so are customs, which are not fettered by the chains 



