Baths of human blood are not unknown to students of history: and Jack the Ripper, with his letters written in harlots’ blood; enclosing pieces of fried woman’s liver to the London Chief of Police, is certainly not a fabulous ancient legend.
Is this the record of a breed of “dearly beloved brethren”? What hollow mockery these holy phrases are, to be sure? — The Brotherhood of man! Ha!Ha! The Brotherhood of Devils rather!
Allegorically speaking the clothes we wear — the houses we live in — the food we eat — the books we read, have been carved (by force) out of other men’s bones and flesh. Literally they are the hides, sinews, flesh, pulp, and outer woolen covering of captive animals, transmuted by human slavery into garments, lumber, implements, thoughts, shoes, and daily dinners. Indeed man’s tushes are against all other animate beings whatsoever; and in turn, their fangs are against him. So it goes on, and on, and on, as merrily as marriage bells. Viæ Victus! And behold, it is good! This world is no Nirvana, where peaceful pleasure flows. It is a gruesome butcher-shop, where slain men hang in rows.
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From the scientific point of view, it is but a single step from the eating of captive cattle, horses, sheep, hares, rabbits, deer, hogs, etc. to the eating of captive men.
It may grate upon unstrung nerves to be harshly told these gruesome facts in straight language. However, calm sensible readers must unreservedly admit that Man is not a pretty, harmless little cherub; not even a “lamb,” but the fiercest of all the vertebrates. He is the fighting, roving, pillaging, lusting, cannibalistic animal, par excellence — the King of the Great Carnivore. When he takes his walks abroad, the “wild beasts” of the field and the birds of the air, even the most courageous of them, are stricken dumb. Shuddering they fly from his shadow (or his odor down the wind) hiding in trembling and quaking with terror.
It is man’s destructive energy — not his altruism; that makes him absolute monarch of all he surveys; and yet, how feeble he is if compared to the powers of Nature that gave him being? No other beast will stand and face him, except it cannot run away — not even a snake, a tiger, or a wolf.
Structurally, men are fashioned for purposes of inflicting and suffering pain. Every human anatomy is an elaborate nerve and bone infernal machine — a kind of breathing, perambulating Juggernaut — a superb engine of lethal immolation that automatically stokes its furnace fires with its victims.
Men rush upon each other (or upon their prey) with hoarse war-shouts and bloodshot eyes, as prowling beasts of the deserts and jungles do. Man banquets upon his quarry with greediness, snarling, and growling with ferocious triumphant delight, just like unto wolves: but he loves to act the hypocrite — turn up the whites of his protesting eyes to ‘heaven’ — weep crocodile tears over his mangled, bleeding, and palpitating carrion. How exultantly he lilts his Te Deum, his Kyrie Eleison, his Et in terra pax, his Glorias, and his Alleluia’s; while with blood-clotted jaw and distended paunch he licks his gaping wounds?
As the painted Redskin chants his vengeful ghost-song; so the furious Paleface whoops his double-leaded editorial. As the hungry lion roars at midnight o African karoo, or in Himalayan jungle; so the piratical Anglo-Tueton roars his ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ his Brittania Rules the Waves,’ or his ‘Watch by the Rhine.’ Exactly as the Moslem fanatic yells “Allah Akbar,” while slicing up hated “Christian dogs,” so the vicious Englishman thunders forth his “Hip, Hip, Hurrah!” while driving and elegant bayonet-dagger into the liver of “wicked heathens;” whose property he thereafter annexes — as a matter of course; for “business is business, don’t you know.”
Man’s anatomy, external and internal; his eyes, his teeth, his muscles, his blood, his viscera, his brain, his vertebra; all speak of fighting, passion, aggressiveness, violence, and prideful egoism.
Even the component elements of a human body are themselves in a constant state of internecine warfare. Our bony framework and pulsating tissues, are vast campaigning grounds; whereon microscopical animal-culæ in countless myriads, fight out their ephemeral lives, as we ourselves do — with tooth and claw. When one swarm of microbes, germs, or spores, conquer (in the struggle for sustenance) disease, or death supervenes to us, as the case may be. When rival hosts vanquish, then our flesh, nerves, bones, and blood become their happy hunting grounds, and our health returns — at least until the bacilli-battalions have finally eaten us out: or they have been, themselves, conquered and exterminated by fiercer swarms.
It is not improbable that this earth itself is a living breathing organism and that the Tribes of Man are microbes and bloodsucking vermin (on its outer cuticle) imagining themselves “the whole thing.” Just as itch-creating parasites burrow into our own hide, so (in our turn) we may be unpleasant parasites, burrowing in the hide of some nobler and grander Being.
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From youth to hoary age, man takes an instinctive delight in all that pertains to warfare and the chase.
As a boy he twangs his arrows at the sparrows, trains and loads his toy-cannon, marshals his tin soldiers, brandishes his wooden sword, fights his mimic battles, builds his snow fortifications on the play ground; and the proudest day of his life is that on which he becomes the proprietor of “a real gun.”
As a full grown citizen he practices homicide with repeating rifle, at moving targets — slaughters tame pigeons with choke-bore breechloaders — hunts foxes, wolves, bears, pumas, over mountain and mere — wades up to his neck in swamps to kill teal, and travels to far lands in search of Big Game and nigger shooting.
The Indian fighters of North America take supreme joyance in slaying red devils; and to “pot a black-fellow” in Queensland is boasted of round camp-fires under gum trees, as — “great fun.”
The Cape of Good Hope, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, have been made into veritable human shambles and gory hunting grounds, within the memory of middle-aged men. Indeed the delight which men take in slaying wild animals, is tameness itself, compared with the exultation they display in hunting, trailing and slaughtering each other.
Man-hunts were organized systematically in Lacadæmon, when the helots became too numerous and too restive. It is not improbable that as our own surplus “submerged tenths” increase in numbers, they may be thinned out by similar battues.
At every meal we rend flesh, scrape bones, suck marrow, and daintily lap blood; just as our hairy troglodyte progenitors did. The food supply of all Christian nations is composed of the body and blood — the hides and marrow of both human herds and vast swarms of inferior brutes, living, dying, dead. The lives of countless hordes of hirelings, are daily being transmuted into juicy steaks and sirloins; that those who have money may buy and eat thereof. Not only do we ferociously compete for prey i.e. for subsistence; but we literally eat each other with voracity, relish, and mutual toleration. Thus properly understood, Darwinism is no very comforting doctrine for fat men.
Public buildings and frowning fortresses; capitols and prisons; “temples of freedom” and cross-crowned cathedrals, have (every one of them) been constructed upon exactly the same general principles whereby the Pyramids of On and the palaces of Nineveh were built — every riveted girder, every iron transom, every block of concrete, every solid, squared, and polished stone, has been bedded literally in a dying groan; by the hands of dehumanized and conquered decadents, insensate, — “of reason void, of reverence full.”
There is nothing immoral, nothing abnormal, in these grim facts. All is in strict harmony with that cosmic enactment — the Survival of the Strongest.
In the proud language of Germany’s chansonist —
“The living current through the air is heaving,
Breathing blessings, see them bending;
Balanced worlds from change defending,
While everywhere diffused is harmony unending.”
Instinctively we understand that the struggle for existence is absolutely needful. We feel that Nature makes no mistakes, and therefore we accept
her dicta because we must, not because it has been eloquently formulated, by sublimated visionaries; or re-echoed, again and again, by thousands of human microphones.
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When not thwarted by artificial contrivances, whatever argument Nature promulgates is — right. The further man gets away from Nature, the further he departs from right. To be right is to be natural, and to be natural is to be right. The sun shines, therefore it is right that it should shine — the rain falls, therefore it is right that it should fall — the tides ebb and flow, therefore it is right that they should ebb and flow.
Darwin’s law exists — may be seen in operation — is practicable — of daily demonstration — therefore it also is right. It is not a dream like “Religion,” it is not an invention like “Morals;” it is not an assumption like “God.” It is a cosmic Fact, like the sunshine, the rain, and the tides! Nature does not set up Idols, does not found Superstitions, does not invent Decalogues. These toys and fetters have been constructed by man, for his own infinite — damnation.
Neither morals, laws, nor creeds are First Principles, but they may (probably) have their uses; just as guillotines, and gardeners’ hoes have their uses. They may be convenient engines for the deletion of Lower Organisms, for extirpating individuals of infantile intellect. Indeed the secret object of all superstitions possibly is, to provide an ultra-rational sanction for fraudulent standards of Right and Wrong.
To base a Lie upon a myth, is certainly much safer than to base it on a Reality, for you cannot run a tape-measure over a Myth.
Christliness, as social quietism, has never been accepted by men of super-eminent strength, courage, and wisdom. Such men have everywhere regarded the Christ Ideal as a model for slavish souls only — to be humored for strategic purposes but never practiced by masters, conquerors, kings. “Don’t do as I do , but do as I say ” has ever been the dictum of High Priests and Rulers — to docile multitudes.
The evolution of sovereignty satisfactorily exhibits this ethical dictatorship, as an historical common-place. Moral codes, (always and everywhere imposed upon the common people by “immoral” combinations of cumulative craft) are never obeyed by Ruling Castes.
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If the Masters of Christiandom are to be judged by Moral Codes, by the Common Law, or by Gospel Injunctions, there is not one ‘moral’ individual among them. Measured by Religio-Ethical dogmas, they are one and all, an amalgamated Mafia of blackmailers, confidence-men, thieves, murderers and infidels. as far as the Codes are Concerned, honesty must undoubtedly be searched for among the dregs of society, rather than among the elite. But it is essentially unjust to measure the Conquerors of Mankind by fallacious Christly standards. Christ together with his moral measuring rod, is their subordinate agent — an effective instrument of State.
Indeed “Moral Principles” are one of the tricks in the game of “dog eat dog;” all are playing. They are effectively narcotized out of the deal, who fancy themselves “Safe in the arms of Jesus.”
Never yet has there been a Christian king, a Christian president, a Christian congress, nor a Christian synod. Of course many prominent celebrities have professed Christianism — for example: Judas Iscariot, St. Peter, Torquemada, Cromwell, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, Gladstone, and Jabez Spencer Balfour; but only minds paralytic judge of men by professions. Christian and Ruler are direct contradiction.
The ridiculous ineffectuality of all Gospel Theories, shows that they were only invented as campaign lies.
Christ explicitly condemns the use of force, and yet all existent nations (without exception) were founded by unlimited throat-cutting and piracy. The rulers of the world, the directors of concentrated Power, are not now, and never have been, sad-eyed Saviors — mournful, immaculate tramp-gods — but masters of majestic violence. To use the language of Isaiah, not only Zion, but every nation on earth “has been built with blood.” Nations cannot be built otherwise.
The Romans first appear in history as a gang of banditti — the English as a nest of pirates — the Germans as a horde of roving freebooters — the Russians as a band of mounted horse-thieves — the Americans as pious anarchists and nigger stealers — the Australians as exiled cut-purses — the Turks as Bedouin brigands.
Everywhere symbols of kingship, tribal totems, and insignia of state, speak of Violence, Defiance and War.
The fasces carried before a Roman Prætor, consisted of an axe for chopping necks, and a bundle of rods for whipping backs. The Mace of the English parliamentary organization, of which the American system is an imitative offshoot (“that bauble of Cromwell”) also all Royal Sceptres are but carved and gilded clubs. Originally both Mace and Sceptre were in daily use for breaking recalcitrant skulls. They are still emblematic of Legislative Authority — and offensive Violence — as much so indeed, as the knotted bludgeon, the barbed lance, or the greenstone skull-splitter of an orthodox cannibal chief.
National crests are selected, not as a rule from doves, lambs, goats, magpies, and hares; but from lions, tigers, she-wolves, serpents, dragons, bears, eagles, and the Fighting Man.
In the centers of “our highest civilization,” force is recognized as the underlying principle of Authority. Between nation and nation it is in constant requisition, as the basis of all diplomacy, and between contending factions (within the nation) it is often effectively applied. The policeman’s loaded truncheon, the huzzar’s slicing sabre, and the artillery company’s field piece, are still the ultimo ration of Order, Liberty, Peace. The maxim-gun is a development, and a decided improvement upon the old time bludgeon; especially when dealing with rabid revolutionary masses. One of those beautiful engines and half a dozen trained men, if supplied with plenty of ammunition, could wipe out in half a day, the largest mob of would-be insurgents that London, Paris, or Chicago ever saw. “We have found in most cases that one regiment of regular infantry, is quite capable of managing the biggest and wildest mob” writes millionaire editor Kohlsaat. Chicago Times-Herald. (13-11-’96.)
When citizens disobey legal “regulations” they are generally interviewed at first, by a blue-coated “guardian of the Peace,” with an official warrant and a varnished club, who tamely leads them away to a State dungeon, or indicts them before a State Inquisitor. Behind the armed police and the suave Judge, stand in threatening array, the whole military and naval forces of Government and Law.
Law Courts and Thrones are (de facto) built upon bayonets. Likewise all Statutes, Constitutions, and Moral Codes are written by the Sword. Material Strength is now, and ever has been, and ever must be, the true basis upon which all political institutions rest. No other foundation is feasible.
What the sword has established the sword must defend. Symbolic thereof, every emperor and president, every sultan, king, shah, or savage chief, is proclaimed before drilled legions and raucous multitudes; amid the fan-fare of battle trumpets — the unsheathing of battle-sword — and the thundering roar of battle-cannon. Two examples, from two continents, — from two different systems of Government, — may be quoted as sufficient proof of this: —
Sir Edwin Arnold describes the recent Coronation of the Emperor of Russia, an hereditary absolute monarch: — “Behind and between the royal chairs, stood the new Commander of the silver-eagled regiment, his saber bared and gleaming.” When cannon volleys, booming across two continents, from Riga to Vladivostock, announced the final crowning of their Suzerain; 2,000,000 Sclavonian warriors bared their heads in acknowledgement, clanged their weapons in token of pride, and swore eternal allegiance.
“Governor John R. Tanner (of Illinois) mounted on a black horse, and wearing a broad-rimmed felt hat, with gold braid and tassel, (also cavalry saber), will ride down Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington) at the head of the First Regiment… National Guards, in the Presidents inaugural… crack Illinois soldiery marching… next the President’s Personal Escort… Troop A. 8th Infantry… Along with the regiment will go the gun corps and the gatling guns that did service… during the Deb’s insurrect
ion.” The President of these United States, an elective Monarch, is a Commander-in Chief of the federal armed forces: and possesses more administrative authority than any Asiatic despot.
Every military and naval officer in England, receives his commission direct from the Queen. Until recently it was customary at Coronation ceremonials for an hereditary Champion (armed cap-a-pie) to ride out into the courtyard and there, before assembled commoners, knights, nobles, generals; officially challenge to personal encounter, anyone who dared to even question the royal titles.
European land-title deeds may be (in every instance) traced back to military and kingly power. In all the English colonies, waste lands are occupied and cleared, under “Crown grants.” The same principle prevails in this Republic and among all savage tribes.
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By force all things that exist are evolved, maintained and perpetuated. Force aggregates and separates the atoms that go to make up this cosmic universe of mind and matter. It integrates them into forms, organic and inorganic. It disintegrates them again and again. It builds up and pulls down, without the slightest respect to man’s wishes or desires. It theorizes, creates, constructs, annihilates, attacks, and repels. It is literally in all, through all, and over all.
Even the undulatory migration of races, that now proceeds (over sea and continent) in great animalistic waves, as it did in the days of Akbar and Tamerlane, is also the vibrations of force, acting through human media. It is the incarnate pulsations of Power.
Antiquarian delvings in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Islands of the Sea corroborate the written annals, folk-lore, and legends of tribes and nations. The past of this pendant ball, is one long awe-inspiring chronicle of cannibalisms, invasions, ravishments, cataclysms, “battle, murder, and sudden death.”
The surface of the soil is a lethal chamber — the bottom of the sea a charnel house. Both are littered from pole to pole with the ruins of forgotten “civilizations” that men and nature have delighted to destroy. Everywhere and always the debilitated have perished, everywhere and always the mightiest have won. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Power, Slavery, Pain, Joyance, side by side.
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