["Professor Newman on Magisterial Responsibility," The Vaccination Inquirer, May 1879.]

The following letter was addressed to Mr. Wm. Tebb in relation to his repeated prosecutions by the St. Pancras Guardians—

        Dear Sir,—You desire some expression of opinion from me on the subject of your repeated prosecutions for non-vaccination of your daughter. You hardly look for reiteration of my wonder and my indignation that legislators of this country should dishonour themselves and betray the trust committed to them by delegating legislation to medical experts, and should be ignorant that they are committing usurpation by legislation against perfect health. The necessity of disestablishing and disendowing the medical clique which has fastened itself round the neck of this nation, and afflicted us by foul tyranny under false pretences of averting contagion, is the lesson which, I trust, is everywhere being learnt. But the fact which most presses on me, from reading the language of magistrates and guardians, is the immoral complacency with which they think they can clear their consciences from the guilt of oppression by explaining that "they do but execute the law, and it is their duty to execute it, without judging if it be right or wrong." Can they be ignorant that this fatuous renunciation of the duty of obeying God rather than man has always been the strength of every most wicked tyranny? No man can get rid of personal responsibility before God in this way. Every one of these men would see it, if a case were proposed in another nation and another class of actions. To poison the blood of healthy children is a wickedness which no honourable man ought to justify by saying that the State commands it; nor therefore ought he to compel a parent to do such a deed. No man is obliged to continue in the post of magistrate or guardian. If he is commanded to act oppressively, he can resign his post, and ought to resign it. Nothing is clearer to anyone who will open his eyes, than that what is now called Vaccination has no effect in lessening small-pox, and has frequent and terrible effect in doing mischief. The doctors who urge Vaccination do not believe in it, for they advise re-vaccination. It aims to infuse disease, which no legislator has a right to do, whatever bold theories or falsehoods medical fanatics may advance. To unprejudiced common sense the case is perfectly clear. Neither the Pope, nor the head of the Jesuits, nor a Catholic director, nor an English Parliament, in commanding tyrannical deeds, can free the under-agents from the responsibilities of wicked action. Each man has to bear his own guilt in compulsory Vaccination as much as in burning heretics or in massacring Jews. Besides, all men in authority ought to know that this pernicious and usurping law was passed without publicity and free debate, and that the Parliament did not know the dangers of various contagions from this false vaccination, of which the enforcement degrades law and makes Parliament itself odious. A patriot, methinks, would brave the authority of Parliament to save the honour of Parliament. I am sorry for you as an individual, but I do not wish this wickedness to become inveterate by mildness in the enforcement.—I am sincerely yours,

F. W. NEWMAN