SEVEN PRINCIPAL LAWS OF HEREDITY. 23^7 



degree than was attained by the parents except tem- 

 porarily ? 



Initial heredity is a law which has two edges, both 

 belonging to the same sword, which has but one hilt, 

 and is held in but one Hand. Let us not accuse 

 God too early. 



That I may not seem to be uttering blasphemy, 

 let me transfer the unspeakable topic of hereditary 

 descent to a lower plane. Here is the Commonwealth 

 of Massachusetts. What if she should make a law 

 that every man who is habitually intemperate shall 

 lose good judgment? We should say that she is 

 terribly in earnest. That is a fearful thing to do. 

 Would you vote for any such a regulation ? Prob- 

 ably not, if you have been educated liberally. Take 

 away a man's judgment for habitual intemperance ? 

 Why, the thing he most needs under such temptation 

 is sound judgment ; and to crush in his good sense 

 is to tempt him more, and perhaps to ruin him ! Ask 

 me to vote for a law that every man who is habitu- 

 ally intemperate shall lose good judgment ? Not I. 

 I have been better brought up. I was born in Bos- 

 ton. There is a commonwealth of which we have 

 heard, where the laws are not passed by count of 

 heads and clack of tongues, a commonwealth gov- 

 erned by superior Powers, among which there is no 

 vacancy waiting to be filled by any human election ; 

 and in that commonwealth such is the law, and it is 

 executed every time. [Applause.] What do you 

 think that commonwealth means ? It is terribly in 

 earnest. It is terribly partisan. It has an opinion 



