We read that a criminal has tortured some old man or woman for money—and then murdered the victim. We can scarcely believe in such atrocity. But only a little while ago—barely two centuries— IT WAS THE REGULAR LEGAL CUSTOM TO TORTURE OLD PEOPLE AND YOUNG.
Poor old women, falsely accused of witchcraft, were burned alive and ducked in this country, while clergymen and magistrates looked on and applauded.
All over Europe innocent witnesses could be tortured to make them give testimony at a trial.
Men accused of no crime whatever were tortured to make them give testimony against others—often when they had no testimony to give. They were hung up by the thumbs, the bones of their legs were crushed in a boot of steel, the soles of the feet were roasted over a brazier of red-hot coals—to make them help convict another.
The noble leaders of the French Revolution abolished such torture of witnesses in France, and they were criticised for doing so by the respectabilities.
"How are you going to convict criminals if you do not torture witnesses?" the respectable element asked. We have got beyond that state of affairs. We hear of murders based on jealousy— perverted affection. We hear of crimes based on envy—perverted ambition. All of the best elements in man, when perverted and thwarted, lead to crime.
And these perverted passions will continue to breed crime until men shall have learned to regulate society on a basis that will give full and natural play to the forces within us. But organized murder on a really vast scale is practically done away with.
Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon and others like them had great ambition. To gratify their ambitions they forced millions of men to die for them.
Human beings have protected themselves against the murderous ambitions of their great leaders.
The Napoleon of to-day must get a Congress to give him his soldiers.