300 THE ETHICAL KINSHIP 



his own ways of life, belonged to a different order 

 of things, and was irritatingly unconcerned about 

 the gods and traditions of the * chosen people.' 

 The Gaul had no rights that were inconvenient to 

 Romans, because he was a ' barbarian.' The fact 

 that he had blood, and brains, and nerves, and 

 love of life, and ambitions, and that he suffered 

 when he was subjected to humiliation, hard treat- 

 ment, and death, just as Romans did, was never 

 really thought of by the arrogant and reckless 

 Romans. Romans never realised in their minds 

 what it meant for non-Romans to be treated as 

 they were treated ; and one reason why they never 

 realised it was because it was convenient for them 

 not to do so. To kill or enslave a Gaul or German 

 we now know, who are able to judge these acts 

 from an un- Roman and unprejudiced point of 

 view, was practically the same crime as to kill or 

 enslave a Roman. But it was not so to Romans. 

 The most trifling offence against a Roman citizen 

 was enough, according to Roman law, to condemn 

 the offender to execution. But the most horrible 

 outrages, when committed by Romans upon non- 

 Romans, were nothing. Romans always thought 

 and felt from the standpoint of Romans. They 

 never got over into the world of the * barbarians,' 

 and really pictured to themselves — really felt — the 

 misfortunes of their victims. It was the same 

 way with the black man in the eyes of the white 

 man a generation or two ago ; it is the same way 

 with the brown man to-day. The black man had 

 no rights that were inconvenient for the white 



