Chap. XI.] DUTIES OF GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD.

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may order, at his pleasure, the rites of sepulture for his depend-ants who die, yet so that common decency is respected ; for, ifthis be violated, the law will not suffer the outrage to pass un-punished. In fine, the law protects every member of society inthe quiet possession of his private property, his liberty, his repu-tation, the common comforts of light and air, and the enjoymentof the public peace. And it is only in subserviency to theserights, that any one may do what he will with his own.”

“ It is on this principle that the law of libel is founded ; whichforbids the impertinent and malicious publication, even of thetruth , if it tends to disgrace another, and to provoke him to abreach of the peace. The offences which men may have com-mitted in time past against society, if repented of and atoned for,ought to be forgiven. The penitent should have some motiveto acquire a new character for virtue, in the assurance that heshall be protected in its enjoyment. ‘ If private intermeddlers,assuming the character of reformers, should have the right mali-ciously to arraign others before the public, and, when called toaccount, to defend themselves by breaking into the circle offriends, families, children, and domestics, to prove the existenceof errors or faults which may have been overlooked and forgivenwhere they were most injurious ; the party thus accused, withoutlawful process, might be expected to avenge himself by unlawfulmeans, and duels or assassinations would be common occur-rences.’* Hence the publication of disgraceful truth is unlawful,unless it is done with good motives and for justifiable endsd’’ f

2. This class of our social and relative duties, may be illus-trated further, by adverting to the chief causes, occasions, andcircumstances, which are accustomed to disturb and injure neigh-bourhoods.

(1.) Great unhappiness is frequently caused in neighbourhoodsby slander, tale-bearing, jealousy, envy, prying by one neighbourinto the concerns of another, &c. Slander sows the seeds of dis-cord, tale-bearing scatters them far and wide, and in due time,springs up a plentiful harvest of heart-burnings, evil surmises, andquarrels of every kind which can embitter life and render existence

* Pickering’s Reports, Vol. III. p. 313.

t Manuscript Lecture of Professor Greenleaf, of Harvard University.