CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



enabled both to protect the nation from outward 

 harm, and to preserve order in society through 

 the agency of the laws, or, failing them, through 

 the application offeree. Seeing that the sovereign 

 is prevented by the constitution from infringing 

 upon the rights of the subject, through the exer- 

 cise of his power, it is discovered that loyalty is 

 rewarded in the comfort we enjoy ; or, to use 

 another expression, self-interest alone, if no nobler 

 sentiment interfere, would lead us to afford assist- 

 ance to the king in the execution of his high and 

 important trust. This assistance is demonstrated 

 not only by personal service, if necessary, but by 

 respect. Loyalty may be greatly enhanced by 

 esteem for the private virtues and conduct of the 

 sovereign. When so influenced, it is certainly 

 both an amiable and commendable feeling, and 

 can never, but in ill-regulated minds, degenerate 

 into servile prostration. 



Loyalty to the sovereign leads to a subordinate, 

 but important duty. It induces us to respect 

 inferior constituted authorities. All judges, magis- 

 trates, or other civil functionaries stand in the 

 light of representatives of the sovereign. The 

 king cannot be everywhere at once, and he 

 deputes these individuals to attend to the wants 

 of his subjects, and to keep good order in society. 

 To shew contempt for any court of justice, or for 

 any magistrate, is therefore equivalent to shewing 

 contempt for the king himself, as well as for the 

 laws, and is justly punishable. To shew our re- 

 spect both for the laws and the sovereign, we must 

 respect the decisions of judges and magistrates, 

 and support their due execution by our personal 

 influence. Nevertheless, it is in every one s power, 

 when he feels himself aggrieved by these decisions, 

 to appeal to higher authorities for redress ; such 

 being the only means allowable by the constitution 

 in opposing the legal power of the established 

 courts of civil and criminal jurisprudence. 



The administration of the civil law, such as that 

 \vhich applies to inheritance, debtor and creditor, 

 and civil rights generally, rests with a body of 

 educated men, or lawyers, whose services may at 

 all times be commanded. The other description 

 of law which is made applicable to the preserva- 

 tion of the peace of society, any one can under- 

 stand, if he have the ability to know right from 

 wrong. We surely all know that it is illegal and 

 criminal to steal, to rob, to murder, to break into 

 our neighbours' houses, or to attack their persons 

 by violence. It can require no reading of acts of 

 parliament to understand this. Our duty in this 

 matter is very easily defined. We must ever bear 

 in mind that one of the principal acts of duty 

 which the constitution enforces is the abstaining 

 from meddling violently with the persons and 

 property of our fellow-subjects. In this well-regu- 

 lated realm, the person of every man, woman, 

 and child is inviolable from private attack. It is a 

 crime almost punishable with the highest penalty 

 of the law to strike any one, either from an idea 

 that he has injured us, or through the influence 

 of passion and prejudice. If we consider that we 

 have been injured, we must apply to the magis- ! 

 terial authorities for redress. We are only per- 

 mitted to use physical force when in absolute ' 

 danger of losing our lives or property by violence, : 

 there being then no time to apply to the law for 

 protection. 



Under this head we may, perhaps, with pro- 



56 



priety, notice that love of country which it is 

 certainly a duty to warmly cherish. A love of the 

 country in which we were born and brought up, 

 is one of the affections of our nature. It is felt 

 by the natives of almost every land, however rude 

 they may be, or however worthless the country 

 may appear to other people. This affection is not 

 without its use when it is kept within rational 

 bounds. It gives the people of each country an 

 interest in their common soil, prompting them to 

 defend it from the attacks of other nations, to pro- 

 mote its general interests, and to feel kindly 

 towards all who belong to it. But the love of 

 country, while thus good in moderation, becomes 

 absurd and mischievous when carried to excess, 

 or not governed by reason. We must not allow 

 it to blind us to our defects as a nation, or to 

 errors calling for correction in our social policy. 

 We must not, because we love our own country, 

 hate or despise other countries and their inhabit- 

 ants ; that would be as bad as if every man were 

 to think so highly of himself, as to believe that no 

 other person had equal honour or virtue. While 

 ready, also, to defend our country from unjust 

 aggression, we must take care lest a disposition 

 arise in us to take up arms without sufficient pro- 

 vocation against neighbouring countries ; for war 

 is a tremendous evil, which should never be 

 resorted to but under the strongest necessity. 

 While seeking to promote the interests of our 

 country in its manufactures and commerce, we 

 must not allow ourselves to suppose that, by in- 

 juring other countries in these matters, our own 

 country will be benefited. Every country has, on 

 the contrary, an interest in the prosperity of all 

 other countries ; for when a country is prosperous, 

 it becomes able to buy from others what those 

 others have to sell. In short, all the rules for the 

 conduct of individuals apply equally to nations. 

 We are to love ourselves so far as to seek, by all 

 fair means, to advance our own interests ; but we 

 are also to love our fellow-creatures, and do them 

 all the good in our power. So a nation may love 

 itself so far as to seek, by all fair means, to 

 advance its own interests j but it is also to love 

 its neighbours, and to do them all possible good, 

 but certainly no evil. Such conduct is good for 

 both parties; for the more comfortable, happy, 

 and good our neighbours are, the pleasanter and 

 more profitable it is for us to live in the midst of 

 them ; and the more prosperous, contented, and 

 peaceable other countries are, the better it is for 

 the prosperity and tranquillity of our own. 



Duties as Jurors. 



The laws under which we live give us the in- 

 valuable privilege of trial by jury ; in other words, 

 by a body of men chosen indiscriminately, as 

 nearly as is practicable, from the class of society 

 in which we have moved. By such a considerate 

 regulation there can be little risk of individuals 

 being oppressed by the authorities, provided those 

 who compose juries do their duty. It is therefore 

 incumbent on citizens who are liable to serve in 

 juries to make themselves acquainted with what 

 is understood to be their duty when so called 

 upon. It requires no learning to fulfil the char- 

 acter of a juror. It requires no more than a cool- 

 ness of thinking, and a mind above being carried 

 away by prejudices or feelings. The juror is to 

 remember that it is the jury which is the judge in 



