How far the _great Superstition_, super-imposed upon the _olden_ Idolatry (dark and cruel) may have deepened the shades of Barbaric nature, and strengthened its old admiration of force and rapine, may be only surmised. Certain it is that the Jewish _Jah_ is not unlike the _Odin_ of these tribes; and (as I have said) the gentle Christ-god, himself a Jew worshipper of Jah, has been received only as subordinate; in fact, a _Sacrifice_ by _Jah_ made to himself to appease himself! A character, in fine, not _strong enough_ for these fierce tribes. We have the _government and the family_ resting upon a different basis in the West from what they rest upon in the East. In the West, it is difficult to say if there be _any rule_ upon which either securely reposes. In the East, the _rule_ is as clear, and as clearly recognized, and as undoubtedly _obeyed_, as _any_ rule can be. The existence of the Sovereign Lord is not more certainly admitted, and his authority not more implicitly submitted to. This is the rule of OBEDIENCE. But aside from principles which control comprehensive forms, like the Family and Government, there are secondary growths, usages (perhaps not referable to any marked rule), which have had powerful influence. For instance, the mode of trying persons suspected of Crime, appears to my poor mind to be very fantastic and irrational. The Barbarians, however, boast of the superiority of their way over all other tribes, ancient or modern. When a crime has been committed, and some one, suspected, has been arrested, he is brought before a Judge, whose duty it is to see if there be good reasons for the arrest. The very first thing, we should think, would be to ask the accused to give any explanation he may wish. Not at all; he is told to say _nothing_; for if he do it will be recorded and may go to _his hurt_. How to his hurt unless he be guilty? How it may be that the accused could, at once, explain everything--but no--the officers who have made the arrest wish to work out a _theory_ of their own; and the Judge, listening to these officers, who are uneducated, rude, and often at work for a large prize, commits the accused to prison to be tried over again, really, at a future day, by some other Judge. Meantime everybody who, upon the theory of the officers, is imagined to know anything, is ordered to give security that they will appear at the next trial, and say what they know. And if a witness cannot give this security (frequently the case with the poor), he is also thrust into prison. In this manner persons, who have been so unfortunate as to be fixed upon by these ignorant officers, are treated like the accused, and put to great inconvenience and sometimes suffering, either in themselves, or their families, or affairs. This goes on--the next trial is postponed, delay after delay, whilst the officers are working out _their theory_; and finally the accused is discharged and the witnesses also, the whole disgraceful proceeding