March 05, 2008

Great is Justice!

Great is Justice!

Justice is not settled by legislators and laws—it is in the Soul; It cannot be varied by statutes, any more than love, pride, the attraction of gravity, can; It is immutable—it does not depend on majorities—majorities or what not, come at last before the same passionless and exact tribunal.

For justice are the grand natural lawyers, and perfect judges—is it in their Souls; It is well assorted—they have not studied for nothing—the great includes the less. They rule on the highest grounds—they oversee all eras, states, administrations.

The perfect judge fears nothing—he could go front to front before God; Before the perfect judge all shall stand back—life and death shall stand back—heaven and hell shall stand back.

Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Leaves of Grass, 1900

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have also been thinking quite a lot about 'integrity' and what that might mean.

Aphra Behn