(Wl ERROR OF POSITION: BEING I DianiHsion ULTRA MEDICAL POLICY OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADVOCATED BY Medical Professors, Medicus and Others; SHOWING THE POLICY TO BE ADVERSE TO THE GREAT INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIETY, PEACE AND PROSPERITY OF THE^-WA'TTON. BY PROFESSOR MILO, O. S. R., OF TRIUNE COLLEGE, HOPEWELL. " Ereiy other Kepnblic has fallen by the discord and treachery of its owe citizens." Judgt Star*. '• Those physicians have generally become the moat eminent who have soonest emaucs- pated themselves Irom the tyranny of the schools ot physic."—Dr. Rush. " Under God, we are determined, that, wheresoever, whensoever, or howsoever, we shall he called to make oar exit, we will die freemen."—Josiah Quinty, Jur.. IN FOUR NUMBERS.—NO. 1. - ■<■•> >. 4 b-1'1.'*■■ *'■•- •------- NASHVILLE: W. F. BANG y in their own shame." That such a policy should be called American, is enough to make a Republican blush for the honor of his coun- try, and fear for her safety. The wants of the people demand, and they will have the services of those who go for a Republican, rational course of 32 error of position. medicine, which is based upon the established laws of evi- dence, and depends on merit for its support. We have just as little use for despotism as we have for ignorance, or false pretences. 11 If ignorance were bliss. 'Twere folly to be wise." If despotism rules, We've little use for eyes. Our opinion of the Code is like that which a friend of onr.- expressed of a ham of meat which he purchased. He said it was very fine, all but some spots, which seemed to be alive, although the meat had been killed seven or eight months.— So the Code contains a great deal of good matter, but there are spots, which are just about on a par with that portion of the meat which had creepers in it. Currency is sometimes given to error, by mixing it with a large portion of truth.— This plan was successfully adopted by Mr. Hume, when he wrote his history of England. He, perhaps, did more to pro- mote the cause of infidelity, by sowing the seeds in that his- tory, than he would have done by writing a work expressly on the subject of infidelity; because people would have been notified, by the subject, to be on their guard against the poison. It is evident, that the Code of Ethics was intended for no ordinary course of discipline, but to accomplish special objects by unusual punishments. Prof. Bowling, who is an advocate of the Code, acknowledges that, " it is to the profession of medicine what a hell is to the ignorant, an instrument of punishment for those we dislike,— ----------a hangman's whip, To haud the wretch in order." The penalty annexed to a violation of the Code, and which is executed upon offenders, is to hold up their characters in such a light as does not leave them a dime's worth of reputa- tion, and to denounce them as infamous. This unusual pun- ishment is adopted to enforce obedience. But one of the prohibitions of the Constitution of the United States is, that '•' unusual punishments shall not be inflicted," even by the su- preme authority of the Commonwealth. Yet the punishment ERROR OF POSITION. 33 inflicted, in some instances, by authority of the Code of Eth- ics, is as unusual as the severity of the penalty, when compared with the smallness of the offence. 2. The punishment is unusual, because it is illegal. It is contrary to the law against slander and libel. 3. The punishment is unusual, on account of what it is for ; because it is for exercising the same liberty which others claim for themselves; that is, the liberty of deciding for themselves what is right and proper, within that scope which is allowed by the laws of the land. 4. The punishment is unusual, as it is the penalty of an un- authorized act of legislation. 5. It is unusual, as it is inflicted on the innocent; for where there is " no law," by proper authority, " there is no trans- gression " And some of the acts specified are called offences, only because it is the good pleasure of the American Medical Association to call them so. The Association not only claim an vnautho/ized jurisdiction, but one which is denied, by the Constitution, to the supreme power of the nation. '■ The preservation of one's good name is a part of the right of personal security;" and this right is one of the absolute rights of individuals. The people of this country " have fre- quently declared these rights to be natural, inherent, and una- lienable. Most of. the Colonial Legislatures had, by declar- ation of rights, solemnly recorded and defined these and oth- er of their privileges, or found them already granted and se- cured by the Royal Charters. The Colonies joined in a gen- eral assertion of their rights. The first Continental Congress, in October, 1774, in the memorable Declaration of Rights, solemnly promulgated the great and fundamental principles of American Liberty. After the Colonies had become inde- pendent States, upon the formation 6f the several State Con- stitutions, it was, in most instances, thought proper to declare in the shape of abstract propositions and elementary maxims, the most essential articles appertaining to civil liberty and the natural rights of mankind. There was a precedent for these declaratory bills of right in the Colonial annals of the country, and also in the history of the English nation." c 34 ERROR OF POSITION. The right of personal security is guaranteed by special pro- visions in the laws of the Commonwealth; and as the preser- vation of one's good name is part of the right of personal se- curity, the law makes private reputation one of the objects of its protection. It makes special provision against slander, and libel, to protect the right of personal security, because they tend directly to the injury of the individual. But libel is considered a public as well as a private injury, and "the party is not only liable to a private suit to the person libelled, but answerable to the State by indictment, as guilty of an offence tending to a breach of the public peace" In relation to these of- fences, other " distinctions proceed from the difference be- tween the degrees of malignity, and the extent of the injury with respect to slander, written or spoken; the former being more deliberate, more capable of extensive circulation, and more permanent in its injurious consequences, than the lat- ter. " But what is slander? "If a man maliciously and falsely utter any false tale of another, which may injure or hurt his trade or livelihood, as to call a tradesman a bank- rupt, a physician a quack, or a lawyer a knave," it is slan- der. Judge Blackstone says, "It is said, that formerly no actions were brought for words, unless the slander was such as (if true) would endanger the life of the object of it. But too great encouragement being given by this lenity to false and malicious slanders, it is now held that for scandalous words, of the several species before mentioned, an action on the case may be had, without proving any particular damage to have happened, but merely upon the probability that it might happen." But what is libel ? Says Judge Blackstone, "A second way of affecting a man's reputation is by printed or written libels, pictures, signs, and the like; which set him in an odious or ridiculous light, and thereby diminish his reputation. With regard to libels in general, there are, as in many other cases, two remedies : one by indictment, and the other by action.— The former for the public offence; for every libel has a ten- dency to a breach of the peace, by provoking the party li- belled to break it; which offence is the same (in point of law) whether the matter contained be true or false; and, therefore, ERROR OF POSITION. 35 the defendant, on an indictment for pnblishing a libel, is not allowed to allege the truth of it by way of justification." " To render words actionable, they must be uttered without legal occasion." As to the malice, the law is, that "malice is to be presumed, until the contrary be proved." Let it be borne in mind then, that to call a tradesman a bankrupt, a. physician a quack, or a lawyer a knave, is slander ; and if written or printed, it is libel, if it is done with malice ; and the law decides, that " the fact of the publication of a li- belous statement is prima facie evidence of malice." When the language is ambiguous, the law is this: "Ambiguous words are not to be understood in their milder sense ; for if so, as Lord Mansfield said, a man might defame in one sense, and defend in another." " Slanderous words are to be understood in their obvious sense." " Words are to be taken in the sense in which those who heard them most usually understand." But the advocates of the Code of Ethics use the subterfuge of ambiguity of language, by applying it in a sense in which it is obliged to be ambiguous to the people, generally. They have almost as little regard for established authority, on the meaning and use of language, in some important cases, as they have for the genius of our government, her policy, and her laws. An advocate of the Code, in the Christian Advo- cate of November 10, 1853, who signs his name Medicus, in speaking of the word quackery, says : " In the use of this word we do not regard its technical or its etymological sig- nification ; but we use it in the sense commonly attached to it by medical men at the present time. Formerly it designated an ignorant pretender, but now, it has a more extended mean- ing," * *. In another place, in the same article, he tells us that, " the term quack still includes all ignorant pretend- ers—" * *. In another article, in the same paper of Novem- ber 17, 1853, he says : "We use the word quackery, not ' spitefully,' but as it is used by the American Medical Associ- ation, in its Code of Ethics. This is our text book until its authority is set aside." He takes the ground that the declar- ations of the Code are founded injustice and right, and con- 3fJ ERROR OF POSITION. tends that, " An accomplished chemist, who is a scholar and a gentleman, ought to be called a quack, if he does not obey the Code ; " as if disobedience or rebellion, had anything to do with the legitimate or proper meaning of the word quack.— It seems as if he would have us believe that we ought to obey the orders of a self-constituted authority, even when they act in direct opposition to the government, and laws of the coun- try ! The people are severely reproached by him, and other advocates of the Code, because they do not join with them in opposition to their government, and laws, and to those great principles on which the very existence of society, and all its institutions, depend ! When Medicus takes and advocates the position, that a well-educated and skillful physician, who is an accomplished chemist, a scholar, and a gentleman, ought to be called a quack, for disobedience to the Code, he consid- ers it disgraceful to any one not to join with him and support him in this position, though the law is, that it is slander to call a physician a quack, and if printed, or written, it is libel, if done with malice; and the fact of the publication of a libel- ous statement is prima facie evidence of malice. But he is so much more devoted to the Code of Ethics than to republi- can principles, or the laws of the country, he is willing to en- gage in the work of defamation, in the shape of slander and libel, to defend and advocate the Code ; and,'like an advocate of the Inquisition, he contends that it is all just and right.— Indeed, by precept, and example, he advocates insubordina- tion to the laws of his country, by engaging in the work of defamation, and teaching it as an important branch of fam- ily instruction, suitable for a religious newspaper; and gets permission, by courtesy, through the medium of the paper, to give this instruction in ten thousand families, in which the paper circulates. And he seems to think that it is passing strange, that any one should hesitate to join him, in this campaign against the peace and prosperity of the nation. But in the case mentioned by Medicus, and brought under discussion, which is that of Dr. Ayer, it seems so difficult to find any fault in him, according to the laws of his country, that his case reminds us of the case of Daniel, in the reign of Darius. He was obedient to all proper commands. His ERROR OF POSITION. 37 enemies had to manufacture a crime in order to get an oppor- tunity to convict him. A new law had to be passed, making that a crime which was well known to be right and proper.— the policy adopted was an infamous one in that case, and so it is in this. On the part of Medicus and others, the slander, the libel, the teaching of the same by precept and example, contrary to law, and their deciding that to be a crime which the law justifies, is not all which this case calls up, and requires notice here.— There is a disregard of established authority on the meaning of language, which if allowed, and indulged in, would be high- ly injurious to the great interests of education. By the common consent and agreement of the literary world, the authors of our different dictionaries, such as John- son, and Walker, Webster, and Worcester, with others in use, constitute the proper tribunal to decide on the meaning of language. This tribunal has the confidence of the Amer- ican people. They have constant reference to its authority, when they wish to make themselves understood, or to under- stand others. This has been the case from their earliest knowl- edge of language. And when the meaning of an important word has been so long established, and so generally under- stood in its proper sense, great confusion and uncertainty, as a natural consequence, would be introduced, by extending the signification of such a word, so a3 to give it meanings en- tirely at variance with its common acceptation. The meaning of the word quack, which, as Medicus says, still includes all ignorant pretenders, has very little to do with that disobedience to the Code of Ethics, which may be charged to some men, who would sooner suffer martyrdom in the cause of rational liberty and independence, than subscribe to the Code. Besides, there is no necessity for such an ex- tension of the meaning of the word, by the American Medical Association, or by others; for the practice of coining new words for special use is common, and in some instances impor- tant, and proper; and why not answer all ordinary purposes in the present case ? We are well aware, however, that a new word might fail to give that rich satisfaction, which some men feel, in giving vent to their smothered spleen and ven- 38 ERROR OF POSITION. ^eance, by applying a term of reproach and infamy to others more eminent and worthy than themselves. But a man had better stretch his mouth upon a fence corner, and hang it out to dry, than to use it as some do. One of the advocates of the Code is so determined to have the word quack disconnect- ed from its former associations, so as to be more at liberty to be applied as a term of reproach to men of eminence, that he goes so far as to say " It no longer means the ignorant pre- tender." So says Dr. Bowling ; and he says, " The meaning of the word quack, has been modernized from necessity."— It seems the word disobedience, or rebellion, would not do, and rather than coin a new word, be chose to modernize an old one, by giving it meanings entirely at variance with the le- gitimate and appropriate meaning, according to the standard authorities. He is determined to make the people submit to all the inconvenience of the confusion and misunderstanding, thus to be introduced into language, for the express purpose of accommodating a medical faction, in one of its freaks of spleen and prejudice, and reckless disregard of the public good. Webster's largest dictionary is large enough to give room to define words, and here are all the definitions he gives to the word quack: "Quack. A boaster; one who pretends to skill or knowl- edge he does not possess. 2. A boastful pretender to medical skill which he does not possess ; an empyric ; an ignorant pretender." Medicus says, "it still includes all ignorant pretenders."— But here we have one of the interesting issues, which the ultra medical policy, occasionally makes with itself as well as with the truth, when Dr. Bowling says, " It no longer means an ig- norant pretender." Of course, as they have stript the igno- rant pretender of his old clothes, for the benefit of others, we suppose he must have a new suit, or go naked. Some new word must be coined to suit his case, and coining new words is attended with much less inconvenience than so much mod- ernizing. But we have no idea that the old clothes can be made to suit the well-educated physician, who is an accom- plished chemist, a scholar, and a gentleman. As we have already observed, by the common consent and ERROR OF POSITION. 39 agreement of the literary world, the authors of our different dictionaries and lexicons in use, constitute the proper tribu- nal to decide upon the meaning of language. It is one to which our courts of law and equity have constant reference, in all their adjudications. The scope which they have given to language constitutes an area, which is found amply suffi- cient, for all the operation of the American Government, in its legislative, judiciary, and executive departments; an ample arena for Congressional debate ; and giving sufficient scope for the civil polity of the nation, to execute its varied and appropri- ate functions; and it certainly ought to be sufficient for medi- cal associations, or any other associations, whose intentions are legitimate, honest, and useful. One great object of the American Government, as we have before observed, and of the patriots who exerted themselves for its organization and establishment, has always been, to fortify, to protect, and defend the absolute rights of man, among which is that of personal security, which embraces the preser- vation of one's good name, and which gave rise to the pro- visions of the law against slander, and libel. But the position taken by some of the advocates of the Code of Ethics is, that the fortifications erected around our absolute rights, shall be forced, and that a man shall not be protected and defended for the preservation of his good name which he may acquire by a faithful observance of the laws of his God, and his country, unless he obeys the Code of Ethics ; for if he fails to do this, though, in other respects, he may be without fault, they claim the right, not only to brand him with quackery, but to denounce him as infamous, and unfit for companionship in a liberal profession ! And is it a liberal pro- fession? Liberal indeed! Liberal as despotism! Liberal as tyranny! Small bodies may be guilty of tyranny, and so may large ones. Ch-eat men may be tyrants, and so may small ones. And 'Tis natural for tyrants to breathe such a breath, As the gas from the grotto where dogs meet their death ; And freemen, who serve them, are sure to be found, Like those near the vpas, where death strews the ground. 40 ERROR OF POSITION. Those who believe in the infallibility of the American Med- ical Association, as some do in the infallibility of the Pope, would be more excusable for advocating a position so entirely at variance with the genius and policy of our government, as that just mentioned; but it is advocated by one who sees the action of the Association, at times, to be such, that he calls it " the miserable old fogyism of the American Medical Asso- ciation," which is one hundred years behind " the Medical Department of the University of Nashville," which, though " a school of yesterday, puts to blush the representative wis- dom of all the schools in America, in grand association as- sembled." But we will give his views, in his own language. He says : " The Medical Department of the University of Nashville is one hundred years in advance of the miserable old fogyism of the American Medical Association. It was foolishly ar- gued in the Association that, even were Colleges to adopt the recommendation of a revocation of diplomas when their pos- sessors grossly violate the National Code of Ethics, that it would be found impracticable in practice. Now two years before this recommendation to the Association, its every fea- ture was foreshadowed by a law of the Medical Department of this University, and its violation is now about being pun- ished by this identical impracticable revocation ! Shame, that a school of yesterday should put to the blush the representa- tive wisdom of all the Medical Schools in America, in grand association assembled, with a supper to the tune of eight thousand dollars in abeyance, and present soul-cheering puffs of the city press, engaged the day before and day after in puffing every pathy, ism, pill, and potation east of sun-down." [Nash. Med. Jour., 1853, p. 305. He adds, " if we were not the most bashfully modest gentleman upon the face of the globe, we would suggest that a few leading spirits of the Association be deputed as ' out- growths'' in the back-woods here, a few months before the next annual meeting, to have demonstrated, to their entire satisfac- tion, that some things can be done as well as others. Or probably the peripatetic stethoscope of New England might be sufficiently ambitious of such an enlargement of his circuit of ERROR OF POSITION. 41 operations as to induce him to take in a small slip of ingin ter- ritory out this way."—(lb., p. 306.) Now, if things are " foolishly argued " in the Association, it is not strange that they are sometimes foolishly decided on, and adopted; and we have no reason to doubt that such is the fact, from the sample which they have given us in the Code of Ethics. We are aware that we might not agree with Prof. Bowling in referring to the same acts, for proof of the folly of the As- sociation. They seem to have no particular objections to the " soul-cheering puff of the city press," in their own case, how- ever unfavorable to them in the case of others ; but they had better see to it, that Dr. Bowling does not have them all ex- pelled from the Association. On the subject of bragging, the example of the Doctor is so very forcible, that we would not even suspect him of giving precepts against it. He does the work up so brown, that it al- most amounts to black-balling. It is common for professional men to claim the respect and confidence of the people ; and such claims can have no better foundation than merit, which will be more readily awarded if they comply with common and reasonable expectation. It is expected of great men as well as small, that they will respect the government, religion, and laws of the people, among whom they live, and if they fail to do these things, they forfeit their claims to respect and confidence. It is not only expected, but required, that they should treat the different classes of society wilh common decency, respect, and decorum. When any men, or body of men, acquire such an enormous size that they cannot accommodate themselves to the genius of our government, and the requirements of her civil code, they ought to be turned down a little in the class, and let oth- ers come up, and see if they can spell the word republican.— If they can, we go for them in preference. WTe have seen and heard enough of tyranny, and despotism, not to be over anxious to extend our acquaintance with these ancient char- acters. Such are the feelings of republicans, generally. And those who will not regard such considerations, but are deter- mined on their course, regardless of the rights of others, need 42 ERROR OF POSITION. not be surprised if they find a very strong disposition to call them to an account, without much regard to the personal con- sequence which they may be disposed to attach to themselves. Many have been misled by the Code of Ethics, and the party feelings and questions which it has occasioned. One great question which has been sprung, and brought up for discussion, by the New Medical policy, is this :—How Doc- tors, Druggists, Apothecaries, Merchants, and others can be controlled ? And the conclusion seems to be, that they can be controlled by taking violent hold upon their reputation, be- cause some men hold their good name dearer than their prop- erty and their lives. To control these different classes of so- ciety in this manner is regarded as a great work, in which great men have enlisted with great devotion, and they take hold with a strong hand. They seem to think it a great dis- covery, like the man who was not much of a hunter, and when he met with an old bear he was anxious to make her follow him home; and all at once he found that he could make her follow him fast enough by taking up one of her cubs and starting. Something after this fashion, a stronghold is taken upon character, to control the person to whom it belongs. This seems to be the plan adopted : to control a man, by tak- ing control of his reputation, and handling it without regard to his merits, as it respects weightier matters, whatever favors may be shown on account of his observance of ceremonies. And a strong hold is certainly taken, when a man is represented as having no feelings to govern, or influence him, but the in- terest which he feels in the profits of his business—as one in whose word no dependence can be placed, and who deserves no confidence, because he would recommend a bad article more strongly than a good one, if he made more by doing it. We say, to give such a representation of a man's character, in or- der to punish him, because he would not do as we wished him to, in a matter in which we had no right to control him, would be a great and i: unusual punishment," in the eye of the law, which forbids such punishments. An example of this new policy is given us by an eminent Medical Professor. He tells us that, " the Apothecary, Drug- gist, or more particularly the Vender of Patented Nostrums. ERROR OF POSITION. 43 does all he can to promote the sale of Physic." And he says. " Their interest is fully expressed by the advice of Meg Mer- riless to Domine Sampson, when hesitating to take her dev- il's broth, she exclaimed, "gape, sinner, and swallow." This remark exhibits, in a most unfavorable light, some important classes of our citizens, who are respectable for their numbers, and integrity of character. It embraces in its scope nearly all our country merchants, for they are in the habit of selling domestic remedies, for the accommodation of their customers. Even paregoric would be a secret remedy to the most of them, for it is probable that not one out of twenty have had occa- sion to make themselves acquainted with the formula by which it is prepared. But the demands of the people make it necessary that the Apothecary, the Druggist, and Country Merchant should keep a variety of such remedies, and thus it will be, while the people have the libert}r of calling for what they want. But is it possible, that the Druggist, the Apothecary, and others, who sell patent nostrums, have no re- gard to the good or bad effects of what they furnish others to swallow ? Perhaps this information on the subject, which has been given by the Professor, may be news to these different classes of people, as it was to us ; for we had always sup- posed, that, like other classes of society, they had some fellow- feeling, which led them to feel an interest in relieving pain and suffering, besides their interests in the profits on the ar- ticle sold; and we did not know that they were more under the control of self-interest than other classes of society. And, with these views on the subject, it is natural for us to enquire, where is the evidence that they do not possess a common share of honesty, integrity, and good feeling? If their interest in a medicine is exactly gauged by the amount of the profits real- ized, so that they would give the strongest recommendation to the article on which they made the most, without any re- gard to the benefits which result from the use of it, then self- interest is the only interest which they feel in the matter, and their advice is not to be depended on, only as expressing their pecuniary interest. But if their interest vitiates their testimony, so as to make it good for nothing, it ought to be considered that, in the majori- • 44 error of position. ty of applications made to them, their interest is three or four times smaller than that of the physician, in such cases, and, consequently, if their intercut vitiates their testimony, so as to make it good for nothing, then the greater interest of the Doc- tors, must sink their testimony a number of degress below noth- ing. But in relation to the- Doctors, or the Druggists, the Apothecaries, or the Merchants, the opinion that their inter- est is "fully expressed" by the advice, "gape, sinner, and swallow," is, to say the least of it, too illiberal to meet our present views. It did not meet the views of the Medical stu- dent, whose father is a merchant, and considered an excellent man by all his acquaintance. His son remarked, " accord- ing to Dr. Eve's account, my father would kill a man for a few dimes. He has not left my father a dime's worth of reputa- tion." We would not have our enemy be in the condition express- ed by the poet, when he says, " Of fortune and of fame forlorn." Without a dime's worth of character, for his own comfort, or that of his children who come after him, a man must be a forlorn being in the midst of society. To do the work of defamation, it is not always necessary to call an individual by name ; for persons can be slandered. and libelled, in classes, as well as separately. The Professor takes the ground, that they shall not have any reputation un- less they allow him to say what articles they may sell, and what they shall not. His spleen, prejudice, and vexation are aroused by their disobedience to orders, and he is determined to punish them. If any one can view the matter in a more favorable light, let him do so; we have no objections. But such a method of procedure, (according to the light in which we view it,) to control men, is so abhorrent to every noble, hon- orable, and manly feeling of the human heart, that any law which did not contain provisions against such an outrage could not long-be respected by freeman, or even by savages. Even the Indian, the red man of the forest, rather than sub- mit to such indignity and degradation, would risk the fiery or- deal, or challenge to mortal combat, in the fatal duel. To be stripped of reputation is so repugnant to the feelings of con- 9 ERROR OF POSITION. 45 scious innocence, that one cannot, and will not submit to the libel. It " fires the heart and nerves the arm " for conflict, " at all hazards, and to the last extremity." When compared with slander of so deep a dye, the rush of battle and the shock of arms are only amusement to the warrior. In such a comparison the roar of artillery would be music to the ear; and the idea that if he fell, it would be in an effort to purge his honor, and that the " rushing waters would sing his requi- um," would cheer his spirit like an angel's song. It is easy to be seen, by almost any one, that for a Doctor to assume such authority and jurisdiction over Apothecaries, Druggists, Merchants, and others, and to denounce them, as Dr. Eve has done, is not treating them with common proprie- ty, decency, and decorum; and we do not wonder at the strong expressions of indignation which we have heard upon the subject. The wound given them was not from an acci- dental " twang of a party bow-string," but from a settled pur- pose, and deliberate aim of the archer, like that of Astor, when he shot the arrow inscribed, " To the right eye of Phil- lip." And we have taken more notice of this matter than we should have done, because it is one of the strong features of that ultra-medical policy which is so much at variance with that instituted by the law-giver of the universe, which says, " Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," and which declares that, " He who privily slanders his neigh- bor shall be cut off." This policy consults the peace and pros- perity of society, and the good of all. The authority here concerned, is even higher than that of the American Medical Association. But this authority has very little weight with some. We occasionally see persons who have as little cere- mony about "bearing false witness against their neighbor" as if it were an honor to them, and they handle him as rough- ly, as if it were their special privilege to kick him as much as they please, without regard to law or gospel. " O tempora ! O mores ! " We live in a dissolute and licen- tious age. Wickedness reigns in high places, and great ex- amples have great influence. " Evil communications corrupt good manners." But this is the road to national ruin. It has been tried by different nations and proved to be such. Says 46 error of position. Judge Story : " Every other republic has fallen by the discord and treachery of its own citizens. Let us never forget that we must prove ourselves wiser, better, and purer than any other nation ever has yet been, if we would count upon suc- cess. It has been said by one of our own departed states- men, himself a devout admirer of popular government, that power is perpetually stealing from the many to the few." The Ancient of days says, " Who is a wise man and endowed with knowledge among you, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaca- ble, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." The friendship of man cannot always avail us. We need the friendship of Him who holds the destinies of the universe. His favor is life, but his frown is death ! To His word, " we do well that we take heed, as unto a light that shrneth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in our hearts."