CHAPTER XIII. Be Just

BE JUST

Archbishop Abbot of Canterbury when preaching the funeral sermon of Lord Buckhurst, did not dwell on his merits as a statesman, or his genius as a poet, but upon his virtues as a man in relation to the ordinary duties of life. “How many rare things were in him,” said he, “one of which was justice.” The first and most essential exercise of love toward other persons is respect of their rights. It is a virtue that will govern one’s thoughts, engineer one’s actions, influence one’s life, and command the universal esteem of mankind.

To be just means to deal fairly with others. It is conformity to the principle of right, truthfulness to promise, faithfulness to engagement and trustworthiness in every capacity. True, it is not always done. In business, wrong methods, short measures, false weights are often used. In society misrepresentation seems to hold an important part, but no boy need resort to such measures, for he can succeed without them.

JUSTNESS POSSIBLE AND PROFITABLE.

When Athens was governed by the thirty tyrants, Socrates was summoned to the Senate Chamber and ordered to go with others whom they named, to seize one Leon, a man of rank and fortune whom they determined to slay that they might enjoy his estate. This commission Socrates positively refused. “I will not willingly,” said he, “assist in an unjust act.” One of the tyrants sharply replied, “Dost thou think, Socrates, to talk in this high tone, and not suffer?” “Far from it,” replied he, “I expect to suffer a thousand ills, but none so great as to do unjustly.”

Percy tells of a Persian king who desired a little salt to season some venison while on a hunting expedition. One of his attendants went to a neighboring village and took some by force. The king, suspecting the theft, ordered that he should immediately go and pay for it, saying: “This is a small thing in itself, but a great one as regards me, for a king ought always to be just, because he is an example to his subjects, and if he swerves in trifles he will become dissolute. If I cannot make all my subjects just in the smallest thing, I can at least show them that it is possible for me to be so.”

THE INJUSTICE OF A MOORISH KING.

Injustice in word or deed, however small, is a crime, which may benefit the doer for a time, but which will eventually pain him more than him to whom it is done. “If thou hadst,” said Carlyle, “all the artillery of the world marching at thy back in the support of an unjust thing, it would not be a success. If the thing is not just thou hast not succeeded.” A Moorish king desired to purchase a piece of ground from a woman who preferred to keep it. Thereupon the king seized it and built upon it a pavilion. The poor woman complained to the cadi and he promised to do all in his power to make it right. One day, while the king was in the field, the cadi came with an empty sack and asked to fill it with the earth on which he was treading. Having obtained leave he filled the sack, and then requested the king to complete his kindness by helping him load it on his horse. The monarch laughed, and tried to lift it, but soon let it drop, complaining of its great weight. “It is however,” said the cadi, “only a small part of the ground thou hast wrested from one of thy subjects; how then wilt thou bear the weight of the whole field, when thou shalt appear before the great Judge laden with thine iniquity?” The reproof was severe. The conscience of the king troubled him now like a rawhide lash, and he restored the field to its owner, together with the pavilion and the wealth it contained.

TO WHOM TO BE JUST.

When William the Conqueror left the shores of France eight centuries ago, to make conquest of England, the figure-head of the royal galley in which he sailed, and which led the fleet, was a golden boy pointing the way across the channel to England and to victory. Significant the symbol! What the future will be depends on the boys of the present, and if they point with justness toward themselves and others, it will mean the ushering in of a golden era.

In being just, every boy should love himself to that extent to deal honorably with every faculty of his nature, giving it due authority in the government of his conduct. He should not allow his affections to be loose, his will to run haphazard like a clock without a pendulum, or his appetite to be always gratified, like the voracious whirlpool of Niagara, but with self-respect he should make them subservient to his better nature. In his early political days, President Garfield was urged to do some doubtful political action. He replied: “It is impossible, I must eat and sleep and live constantly with James A. Garfield; and I am bound to have his good opinion of my conduct, even if I must forfeit that of everybody else.”

“Here, sir, clean my boots,” said a British officer to Andrew Jackson, who, when a boy of thirteen was captured in the Revolutionary War. “I am a prisoner of war, sir, and I look for such treatment as I am entitled to.” The officer flew into a rage, and, drawing his sword, aimed a blow at the boy’s head. To ward it off Andrew raised his arm and the sharp blade cut the flesh to the bone. Years after when Andrew was President of the United States he would point to it as an evidence of the officer’s injustice to him, when the rules of war acknowledged that he was simply exercising justness to himself.

Every boy should also be just to others. “Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you” is a good motto. Following this, what a delightful world this would be. Better wages would be given, the poor, crime and criminals would decrease; less trickery would be associated with business, and a better standard in measuring one’s conduct would be used.

There once lived in Marseilles an elderly man who was considered a miser, because he carried on a flourishing business, yet never seemed to spend any more than he could help. He lived alone in one room, dressed poorly and never allowed himself any luxuries. People pointed the finger of scorn at him on the street, children mocked him as he passed, yet he never resented their unkindness. At last he was missed. Search being made, he was found dead in his room. In his hand was a paper. It proved to be a will by which the whole of his great fortune was given to provide the city of Marseilles with free and pure water for the use of all. For this object he had spared and saved and suffered shame and abuse, that the very people who had ill-treated him might be given this blessing for which they suffered. He had been unjustly criticised, because the people did not understand his motive. How much better to speak and act justly! Cruel words wound, cruel actions crush. They may not be the most severe, but as a mouse can trouble an elephant, a gnat worry a lion, a flea disgust a giant, so these little unjust words and works make life unpleasant to those to whom they are done. Better employ Maximilian’s motto, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall,” for such will finally triumph for good.

REWARD OF JUSTICE.

To be just on all occasions demands concentration of one’s moral powers, as the capture of a strong city sometimes demands the forces both of land and sea. It is easy to be just to a friend, but one cannot afford to be otherwise to an enemy. Justice knows no class or caste. Thus the Egyptians represented it as a human form without hands or eyes, indicating that he accepted no bribes, knew no difference between friend or foe, was not influenced by fear or favor, but decided every case on its merits.

A MEMORIAL OF JUSTICE.

During the reign of Frederick, king of Prussia, there was near Potsdam a mill which interfered with a view from the window of his palace. Annoyed by this inconvenience to his favorite residence the king sent to inquire the price for which it would be sold. “For no price,” was the reply of the sturdy Prussian. In a moment of anger, Frederick gave orders that the mill be torn down. “The king may do this,” the miller quietly remarked, folding his arms, “but there are laws in Prussia,” and forthwith he commenced proceedings against the monarch. The court decided that the king must rebuild the mill, and pay besides a large sum of money as compensation for the injury which he had done. He was very mortified on learning this, but instead of disdaining the order, turned to his courtiers and said, “I am glad to find that just laws and upright judges exist in my kingdom.” Years after, the proprietor of the mill, having been reduced in circumstances, wrote to the king, stating if his majesty now entertained a similar desire to obtain possession of the property, it would be very agreeable to him in his present embarrassed circumstances, to sell the mill. The king immediately wrote the following reply:

“My dear Neighbor,—

“I cannot allow you to sell the mill. It must remain in your possession as long as one member of your family exists, for it belongs to the history of Prussia. I lament, however, to hear that you are in circumstances of embarrassment, and forthwith enclose a check large enough to arrange your affairs. Consider me always

“Your affectionate neighbor, “FREDERICK WILLIAM.”

My boy, be just. You can if you will, and there is no reason in all the varied activities and experiences of life, why you should not.

“To thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Do not be just from a mercenary idea, for that is only another form of injustice. But be just because it is right, and right makes men, and men are the great need of the hour.

“Poise then, the cause in Justice’s equal scales, Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails.”