706 Dynamic Theory. 



characteristic, common to them all, becomes the prominent feature of 

 the composite picture. This common characteristic is the one we see 

 the most of, and consequently give it the title of principle. But the 

 principle thus made up is manifestly nothing but the essential part of so 

 many cases of policy consolidated and expressed in one formula. Prin- 

 ciple, then, is somebody's policy. Whose ? But little argument is re- 

 quired to show that it originates with men in the social state. No man 

 in a solitary and anti-social condition, would interdict himself in the use 

 of any means of stratagem for his purposes of aggression or defense, 

 by the erection of self-imposed limitations. But men in society dis- 

 covered that relations of helpfulness to each other depended upon rela- 

 tions of confidence in each other ; lying destro}^ed confidence, and hence 

 their policy came to be settled into a principle. 



The social organism looks approvingly upon the action of G-eo. Wash- 

 ington in refusing to lie about the hatchet, for his own benefit, but she 

 equally approves his having deceived Sir Henry Clinton for her benefit. 

 Encouraged by the applause which the social organization awards to all 

 who work in her favor, men will strain principles in doing for their so- 

 ciety, their party, or their country what they would be condemned for 

 doing for themselves. Principle, then, is the policy of society, which 

 she enforces between individuals, but which she reserves the right to 

 violate in her own behalf according to the dictates of her interest. (See 

 Rom. 3:7.) If we were to revise the formula in regard to lying, with 

 reference to this fact, we should make it read something like this : It is 

 immoral for an individual to lie to society to her detriment and for his 

 own advantage. 



Recurring now to the question of the struggle which we say some- 

 times occurs between principle and policy, we perceive that it is a ques- 

 tion between two policies, one the policy in which the interests of soci- 

 ety are involved, the other involving the interest of the individual, re- 

 gardless of those of the society. There is no question that to the indi- 

 vidual his own interests are paramount to any others. But his personal 

 interests are closely involved with those of the society, and society 

 seeks by artificial means constantly to involve them still further. And 

 where they are not so involved, she, by punishments and resentments, 

 seeks to restrain the individual from preferring his interests to hers. 



The following story was related of a negro, the servant of a Union 

 officer in the civil war. At the battle of Corinth he ran away, and was 

 not seen again till the engagement was over. Upon being questioned 

 as to his cowardly conduct, he admitted : "Yes, sah, I ran away at de 

 fust fiah, and would have run soonah if I had known what was coming. " 

 "But," remonstrated the officer, '-how can we hope to succeed if men 

 act in this cowardly manner. Don't you understand the great principles 



