This Day in History: April 24

That Humanity which has hitherto deterr’d us from retaliating upon our Enemies their own barbarous treatment of Prisoners, and which is the only ground of argument that can be urg’d against my proposal, has already cost us the lives of too many valuable Citizens; that Line of Conduct which sacrifices a Countryman rather than to inflict pain on an Enemy, does not indeed merit the name of humane or generous; the first political as well as moral Duty is self preservation. [More]