XI.
MORALS OF REVENGE.
Historians have been divided in opinion with regard to the proprietyof that wild justice which Dominique de Gourgues inflicted upon themurderers of his countrymen at La Caroline. One class of writers hathpreached from the text, "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord;" anotherfrom that which, permissive rather than mandatory, declares that "Whososheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."
Charlevoix regrets that so remarkable an achievement as that ofGourgues, so honorable to the nation, and so glorious for himself,should not have been terminated by an act of clemency, which, sparingthe survivors of the Spanish forts, should have contrasted beautifullywith the brutal behavior of the Spaniards under the like circumstances;as if the enterprise itself had anything but revenge for its object; asif the butcheries which accompanied the several attacks upon the Spanishforts, and the butcheries which followed them--where the victims weretrembling and flying men--were any whit more justifiable than thesingle, terrible act of massacre which appropriately furnished thecatastrophe to the whole drama!
If the Spaniards were to be spared at all, why the enterprise at all? Nowrong was then in progress, to be defeated by interposition; no designof recovering French territory or re-establishing the French colony wasin contemplation, making the enterprise necessary to success hereafter.The entire purpose of the expedition was massacre only, and a bloodyvengeance!
It is objected to this expedition of Gourgues, that reprisals are rarelypossible without working some injustice. This would be an argumentagainst all law and every social government. But it is said that revengedoes not always find out the right victim, particularly in such a caseas the present, and that the innocent is frequently made to suffer forthe guilty.
Gourgues could not, it would seem, have greatly mistaken his victims,when we find one of them confessing to the murder of five of theHuguenots by his own hand, and none of them disclaiming a participationin the crime. But there is a better answer even than this instanceaffords, and it conveys one of those warning lessons to society, theneglect of which too frequently results in its discomfiture or ruin.
That society or nation which is unable or unwilling to prevent orpunish the offender within its own sphere and province, must incur hispenalties; and this principle once recognized, it becomes imperativewith every citizen to take heed of the public conduct of his fellow, andthe proper exercise of right and justice on the part of his ruler. Thereare, no doubt, difficulties in the way of doing this always; but what ifit were commonly understood and felt that each citizen had thus at heartthe wholesome administration of exact justice on the part of the societyin which he lived, and the Government which can exist only by thesympathies of the people? How prompt would be the remedy furnished bythe ruler to the suffering party! how slow the impulse to wrong on thepart of the criminal!
The suggestion that magnanimity and mercy shown to the Spaniards byGourgues, after his victory, would have had such a beautiful effect uponthe consciences of those guilty wretches, is altogether ridiculous. Theidea exhibits a gross ignorance of the nature of the Spaniards at thetime. Gourgues knew them thoroughly. A more base, faithless, treacherousand murderous character never prevailed among civilized nations, andnever could prevail among any nation of _warlike_ barbarians. We do notmean to justify Gourgues; but may say that it is well, perhaps, forhumanity, that heroism sometimes puts on the terrors of the avenger, andvisits the enormous crime, which men would otherwise fail to reach, withpenalties somewhat corresponding with the degree and character of theoffence! There are sometimes criminals whom it is a mere tempting ofProvidence to leave only to the judgments of eternity and their ownseared, cold, and wicked hearts. The murderer whose hands you cannotbind, you must cut off; not because you thirst for his blood, butbecause he thirsts for yours! But ours is not the field for discussion,and we may well leave the question for decision to the instincts ofhumanity. The vengeance which moves the nations to clap hands withrejoicing has, perhaps, a much higher guaranty and sanction than thecommon law of morals can afford.
The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida Page 56
