The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric TimesWilson, Thomas
Religion
The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric Times
Wilson, Thomas
Industries, Primitive; Swastikas; Symbolism
The old adage or proverb says, "Many men of many minds," and it only
emphasizes the differences between men in regard to the various phenomena
mentioned. There are some things sure to happen, yet it is entirely
uncertain as to the way they will happen. Nothing is more uncertain than
the sex of a child yet to be born, yet every person has one chance out of
two to foretell the result correctly. But of certain other premises, the
chances of producing the same result are as one to infinity. Not only does
the human intellect not produce the same conclusion from the same premises
in different persons, but it does not in the same person at different
times. It is unnecessary to multiply words over this, but illustrations
can be given that are satisfactory. A battle, a street fight, any event
happening in the presence of many witnesses, will never be seen in the
same way by all of them; it will be reported differently by each one; each
witness will have a different story. The jurors in our country are chosen
because of the absence of prejudice or bias. Their intellect or reason are
intended to be subjected to precisely the same evidence and argument, and
yet how many jurors disagree as to their verdict? We have but to consider
the dissensions and differences developed in the jury room which are
settled, sometimes by argument, by change of conviction, or by compromise.
What would be the resources of obtaining justice if we were to insist upon
unanimity of decision of the jury upon their first ballot or the first
expression of their opinion and without opportunity of change? Yet these
jurors have been charged, tried, and sworn a true verdict to render
according to the law and evidence as submitted to them. There is no doubt
but that they are endeavoring to fulfill their duty in this regard, and
while the same evidence as to fact, and charge as to law, are presented to
all of them at the same time, what different impressions are made and what
different conclusions are produced in the minds of the different jurors.
Illustrations of this exist in the decisions of our Supreme Court,
wherein, after full argument and fair investigation, with ample
opportunity for comparison of views, explanations, and arguments, all
based upon the same state of facts, the same witnesses; yet, in how many
cases do we find differences of opinion among the members of the court,
and questions of the gravest import and of the most vital character
settled for the whole nation by votes of 8 to 7 and 5 to 4? The author has
examined, and in other places shown, the fallacy of the rule that like
produces like. Like causes produce like effects is a law of nature, but
when the decision rests upon the judgment of man and depends upon his
reason and his intellect, our common knowledge testifies that this law has
no application. When the proposition to be determined has to be submitted
to individuals of widely separated and distinct countries between whom
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