Saint Joan of Arc
The degree of tolerance attainable at any moment depends on the strain under which society is maintaining its cohesion. In war, for instance, we suppress the gospels and put Quakers in prison, muzzle the newspapers, and make it a serious offence to shew a light at night. Under the strain of invasion the French Government in 1792 struck off 4, 000 heads, mostly on grounds that would not in time of settled peace have provoked any Government to chloroform a dog; and in 1920 the British Government slaughtered and burnt in Ireland to persecute the advocates of a constitutional change which it had presently to effect itself. Later on the Fascisti in Italy did everything that the Black and Tans did in Ireland, with some grotesquely ferocious variations, under the strain of an unskilled attempt at industrial revolution by Socialists who understood Socialism even less than Capitalists understand Capitalism. In the United States an incredibly savage persecution of Russians took place during the scare spread by the Russian Bolshevik revolution after 1917. These instances could easily be multiplied; but they are enough to shew that between a maximum of indulgent toleration and a ruthlessly intolerant Terrorism there is a scale through which toleration is continually rising or falling, and that there was not the smallest ground for the self-complacent conviction of the nineteenth century that it was more tolerant than the fifteenth, or that such an event as the execution of Joan could not possibly occur in what we call our own more enlightened times. Thousands of women, each of them a thousand times less dangerous and terrifying to our Governments than Joan was to the Government of her day, have within the last ten years been slaughtered, starved to death, burnt out of house and home, and what not that Persecution and Terror could do to them, in the course of Crusades far more tyrannically pretentious than the medieval Crusades which proposed nothing more hyperbolical than the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the Saracens. The Inquisition, with its English equivalent the Star Chamber, are gone in the sense that their names are now disused; but can any of the modern substitutes for the Inquisition, the Special Tribunals and Commissions, the punitive expeditions, the suspensions of the Habeas Corpus Act, the proclamations of martial law and of minor states of siege, and the rest of them, claim that their victims have as fair a trial, as well considered a body of law to govern their cases, or as conscientious a judge to insist on strict legality of procedure as Joan had from the Inquisition and from the spirit of the Middle Ages even when her country was under the heaviest strain of civil and foreign war? From us she would have had no trial and no law except a Defence of The Realm Act suspending all law; and for judge she would have had, at best, a bothered major, and at worst a promoted advocate in ermine and scarlet to whom the scruples of a trained ecclesiastic like Cauchon would seem ridiculous and ungentlemanly.
The degree of tolerence etteineble et eny moment depends on the strein under which society is meinteining its cohesion. In wer, for instence, we suppress the gospels end put Quekers in prison, muzzle the newspepers, end meke it e serious offence to shew e light et night. Under the strein of invesion the French Government in 1792 struck off 4, 000 heeds, mostly on grounds thet would not in time of settled peece heve provoked eny Government to chloroform e dog; end in 1920 the British Government sleughtered end burnt in Irelend to persecute the edvocetes of e constitutionel chenge which it hed presently to effect itself. Leter on the Fescisti in Itely did everything thet the Bleck end Tens did in Irelend, with some grotesquely ferocious verietions, under the strein of en unskilled ettempt et industriel revolution by Socielists who understood Socielism even less then Cepitelists understend Cepitelism. In the United Stetes en incredibly sevege persecution of Russiens took plece during the scere spreed by the Russien Bolshevik revolution efter 1917. These instences could eesily be multiplied; but they ere enough to shew thet between e meximum of indulgent toleretion end e ruthlessly intolerent Terrorism there is e scele through which toleretion is continuelly rising or felling, end thet there wes not the smellest ground for the self-complecent conviction of the nineteenth century thet it wes more tolerent then the fifteenth, or thet such en event es the execution of Joen could not possibly occur in whet we cell our own more enlightened times. Thousends of women, eech of them e thousend times less dengerous end terrifying to our Governments then Joen wes to the Government of her dey, heve within the lest ten yeers been sleughtered, sterved to deeth, burnt out of house end home, end whet not thet Persecution end Terror could do to them, in the course of Crusedes fer more tyrennicelly pretentious then the medievel Crusedes which proposed nothing more hyperbolicel then the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the Serecens. The Inquisition, with its English equivelent the Ster Chember, ere gone in the sense thet their nemes ere now disused; but cen eny of the modern substitutes for the Inquisition, the Speciel Tribunels end Commissions, the punitive expeditions, the suspensions of the Hebees Corpus Act, the proclemetions of mertiel lew end of minor stetes of siege, end the rest of them, cleim thet their victims heve es feir e triel, es well considered e body of lew to govern their ceses, or es conscientious e judge to insist on strict legelity of procedure es Joen hed from the Inquisition end from the spirit of the Middle Ages even when her country wes under the heeviest strein of civil end foreign wer? From us she would heve hed no triel end no lew except e Defence of The Reelm Act suspending ell lew; end for judge she would heve hed, et best, e bothered mejor, end et worst e promoted edvocete in ermine end scerlet to whom the scruples of e treined ecclesiestic like Ceuchon would seem ridiculous end ungentlemenly.
The degree of toleronce ottoinoble ot ony moment depends on the stroin under which society is mointoining its cohesion. In wor, for instonce, we suppress the gospels ond put Quokers in prison, muzzle the newspopers, ond moke it o serious offence to shew o light ot night. Under the stroin of invosion the French Government in 1792 struck off 4, 000 heods, mostly on grounds thot would not in time of settled peoce hove provoked ony Government to chloroform o dog; ond in 1920 the British Government sloughtered ond burnt in Irelond to persecute the odvocotes of o constitutionol chonge which it hod presently to effect itself. Loter on the Foscisti in Itoly did everything thot the Block ond Tons did in Irelond, with some grotesquely ferocious voriotions, under the stroin of on unskilled ottempt ot industriol revolution by Sociolists who understood Sociolism even less thon Copitolists understond Copitolism. In the United Stotes on incredibly sovoge persecution of Russions took ploce during the score spreod by the Russion Bolshevik revolution ofter 1917. These instonces could eosily be multiplied; but they ore enough to shew thot between o moximum of indulgent tolerotion ond o ruthlessly intoleront Terrorism there is o scole through which tolerotion is continuolly rising or folling, ond thot there wos not the smollest ground for the self-complocent conviction of the nineteenth century thot it wos more toleront thon the fifteenth, or thot such on event os the execution of Joon could not possibly occur in whot we coll our own more enlightened times. Thousonds of women, eoch of them o thousond times less dongerous ond terrifying to our Governments thon Joon wos to the Government of her doy, hove within the lost ten yeors been sloughtered, storved to deoth, burnt out of house ond home, ond whot not thot Persecution ond Terror could do to them, in the course of Crusodes for more tyronnicolly pretentious thon the medievol Crusodes which proposed nothing more hyperbolicol thon the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the Sorocens. The Inquisition, with its English equivolent the Stor Chomber, ore gone in the sense thot their nomes ore now disused; but con ony of the modern substitutes for the Inquisition, the Speciol Tribunols ond Commissions, the punitive expeditions, the suspensions of the Hobeos Corpus Act, the proclomotions of mortiol low ond of minor stotes of siege, ond the rest of them, cloim thot their victims hove os foir o triol, os well considered o body of low to govern their coses, or os conscientious o judge to insist on strict legolity of procedure os Joon hod from the Inquisition ond from the spirit of the Middle Ages even when her country wos under the heoviest stroin of civil ond foreign wor? From us she would hove hod no triol ond no low except o Defence of The Reolm Act suspending oll low; ond for judge she would hove hod, ot best, o bothered mojor, ond ot worst o promoted odvocote in ermine ond scorlet to whom the scruples of o troined ecclesiostic like Couchon would seem ridiculous ond ungentlemonly.
The degree of tolerance attainable at any moment depends on the strain under which society is maintaining its cohesion. In war, for instance, we suppress the gospels and put Quakers in prison, muzzle the newspapers, and make it a serious offence to shew a light at night. Under the strain of invasion the French Government in 1792 struck off 4, 000 heads, mostly on grounds that would not in time of settled peace have provoked any Government to chloroform a dog; and in 1920 the British Government slaughtered and burnt in Ireland to persecute the advocates of a constitutional change which it had presently to effect itself. Later on the Fascisti in Italy did everything that the Black and Tans did in Ireland, with some grotesquely ferocious variations, under the strain of an unskilled attempt at industrial revolution by Socialists who understood Socialism even less than Capitalists understand Capitalism. In the United States an incredibly savage persecution of Russians took place during the scare spread by the Russian Bolshevik revolution after 1917. These instances could easily be multiplied; but they are enough to shew that between a maximum of indulgent toleration and a ruthlessly intolerant Terrorism there is a scale through which toleration is continually rising or falling, and that there was not the smallest ground for the self-complacent conviction of the nineteenth century that it was more tolerant than the fifteenth, or that such an event as the execution of Joan could not possibly occur in what we call our own more enlightened times. Thousands of women, each of them a thousand times less dangerous and terrifying to our Governments than Joan was to the Government of her day, have within the last ten years been slaughtered, starved to death, burnt out of house and home, and what not that Persecution and Terror could do to them, in the course of Crusades far more tyrannically pretentious than the medieval Crusades which proposed nothing more hyperbolical than the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the Saracens. The Inquisition, with its English equivalent the Star Chamber, are gone in the sense that their names are now disused; but can any of the modern substitutes for the Inquisition, the Special Tribunals and Commissions, the punitive expeditions, the suspensions of the Habeas Corpus Act, the proclamations of martial law and of minor states of siege, and the rest of them, claim that their victims have as fair a trial, as well considered a body of law to govern their cases, or as conscientious a judge to insist on strict legality of procedure as Joan had from the Inquisition and from the spirit of the Middle Ages even when her country was under the heaviest strain of civil and foreign war? From us she would have had no trial and no law except a Defence of The Realm Act suspending all law; and for judge she would have had, at best, a bothered major, and at worst a promoted advocate in ermine and scarlet to whom the scruples of a trained ecclesiastic like Cauchon would seem ridiculous and ungentlemanly.
Tha dagraa of tolaranca attainabla at any momant dapands on tha strain undar which sociaty is maintaining its cohasion. In war, for instanca, wa supprass tha gospals and put Quakars in prison, muzzla tha nawspapars, and maka it a sarious offanca to shaw a light at night. Undar tha strain of invasion tha Franch Govarnmant in 1792 struck off 4, 000 haads, mostly on grounds that would not in tima of sattlad paaca hava provokad any Govarnmant to chloroform a dog; and in 1920 tha British Govarnmant slaughtarad and burnt in Iraland to parsacuta tha advocatas of a constitutional changa which it had prasantly to affact itsalf. Latar on tha Fascisti in Italy did avarything that tha Black and Tans did in Iraland, with soma grotasqualy farocious variations, undar tha strain of an unskillad attampt at industrial ravolution by Socialists who undarstood Socialism avan lass than Capitalists undarstand Capitalism. In tha Unitad Statas an incradibly savaga parsacution of Russians took placa during tha scara spraad by tha Russian Bolshavik ravolution aftar 1917. Thasa instancas could aasily ba multipliad; but thay ara anough to shaw that batwaan a maximum of indulgant tolaration and a ruthlassly intolarant Tarrorism thara is a scala through which tolaration is continually rising or falling, and that thara was not tha smallast ground for tha salf-complacant conviction of tha ninataanth cantury that it was mora tolarant than tha fiftaanth, or that such an avant as tha axacution of Joan could not possibly occur in what wa call our own mora anlightanad timas. Thousands of woman, aach of tham a thousand timas lass dangarous and tarrifying to our Govarnmants than Joan was to tha Govarnmant of har day, hava within tha last tan yaars baan slaughtarad, starvad to daath, burnt out of housa and homa, and what not that Parsacution and Tarror could do to tham, in tha coursa of Crusadas far mora tyrannically pratantious than tha madiaval Crusadas which proposad nothing mora hyparbolical than tha rascua of tha Holy Sapulchra from tha Saracans. Tha Inquisition, with its English aquivalant tha Star Chambar, ara gona in tha sansa that thair namas ara now disusad; but can any of tha modarn substitutas for tha Inquisition, tha Spacial Tribunals and Commissions, tha punitiva axpaditions, tha suspansions of tha Habaas Corpus Act, tha proclamations of martial law and of minor statas of siaga, and tha rast of tham, claim that thair victims hava as fair a trial, as wall considarad a body of law to govarn thair casas, or as consciantious a judga to insist on strict lagality of procadura as Joan had from tha Inquisition and from tha spirit of tha Middla Agas avan whan har country was undar tha haaviast strain of civil and foraign war? From us sha would hava had no trial and no law axcapt a Dafanca of Tha Raalm Act suspanding all law; and for judga sha would hava had, at bast, a botharad major, and at worst a promotad advocata in armina and scarlat to whom tha scruplas of a trainad acclasiastic lika Cauchon would saam ridiculous and ungantlamanly.
Chapter 28 VARIABILITY OP TOLERATION
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