JB/015/293/001

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142

Honesty is subordinate to justice. It is sometimes an ambiguous phrase.
Montaigne says every body ought to be honest, in talking of his own virtues. He
forgets that such talk must will be likely to wound the self love of another. A man may
to himself, prefer himself, – but such self preference is not very likely
to be recognized by a second person.

Fidelity is also subordinate to justice – it is the manifestation of an
active faculty – & implies the observance of a contract specific or understood.

1. Truth is not a human quality – is not a virtue. Veracity may be is a far
more convenient word. And veracity is a virtue which occupies a very
inappropriate place in the public mind , – & the breaches of which are in consequence
protected to a great extent by the popular sanction. Thucydides says that
in his time one hero would ask another 'Are you a robber'. The days are
come in which a man might ask another 'Are you an advocate' An advocate
is one whose power is in his tongue – & who sells that power to the first comer – to
the right side or the wrong side, as may be: – to advocate justice, or to defeat
justice. The old days were days of force, – the present are days of fraud.
The powers of the body had once the mastery, now those of the mind. It was
physical force that then disposed ruled, – it is now mental fraud.

Lying has to a great extent introduced itself into the daily
forms of Society – uselessly always – & frequently pernicious. It may not
on every occasion do harm to others, – but it invariably does harm to the
liar himself. It will inevitably lower him in the opinion of others, – unless
as in the case of some of the professions he is specially endowed with the

Identifier: | JB/015/293/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	293	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f142
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5509
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