raises the other foot to tread justice into the dust, then
the statesman, or rather the politics which he repre-
sents, becomes very repulsive to me."
"But you certainly would not carry the laws of pri-
vate morality, which are important enough in our do-
mestic and social relations, into the management of
state affairs ?"
"Certainly I would," replied Hold, with much
warmth. "Justice and truth are no inventions of man,
to be distorted and perverted at his pleasure. They
are the commands of the living God, who guides the
world by the counsels of His wisdom, and judges the
nations of the earth with justice. The idea that be-
cause I can overlook the miniature history of one little
point on this sand-grain of a world, and am to guide it
for a few seconds, that, therefore, I am raised above the
laws of the Creator and the eternal Ruler of Heaven
and earth — this thought is so pitiable, that one could
only smile at it, if it were not at the same time so con-
temptibly profane. Indeed, so long, as the cold-
blooded wisdom of the directors of the state refuses to
recognize the law of God as the only true guide, so
long must this remain a machine dripping with blood
and tears, going now forward, now backward, in its con-
fusion, and bringing only disgrace upon its architect.
By their fruits ye shall know them. What then is
Europe ? An eternal playground for an iron game of
dice, a mighty church-yard ever open to receive its
murdered millions. Every state has its great national
debt, and is only safe from bankruptcy by a change of
creditors. Everywhere there is a shaking and trem-
bling of the people and their rulers, lest the engine, so
Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/97
Detdiar sidj as efterluket wurden.
97
