Author's Preface
humanity in us,” he draws the maxim: “Let not your rights be trampled under foot by others unpunished.” This is the idea which I have developed further in this little work. It is engraven on the hearts of all vigorous individuals and nations, and has found expression in a thousand ways. The only merit I can claim is that I have more fully developed the idea. An interesting contribution to the subject of my essay has been furnished by Dr. A. Schmiedl, in his “The Struggle for Law in its Relation to Judaism and Early Christianity.” Vienna: 1875. The saying of the Jewish professor: “Whether the object of thy right be a penny or a hundred dollars, let it be the same in thy eyes,” agrees entirely with the position I maintain.
I now leave it to my essay itself to convince the reader of the correctness of the view which it defends; and in doing so I have a double request to make of those who feel called upon to refute me. I would ask them, first, not to distort my views and charge me with a desire to stir up strife, or with inculcating a love of
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