Were the words themselves the law, each single written law would be liable to embrace many different laws, to wit, as many different laws as there were different senses, and different combinations of senses, in which each and all the words were capable of being taken.
Spooner illustrates the ambiguity of written laws due to the multiple interpretations of words.
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They do not attempt to deceive us, or mislead us, or reconcile us to their doings, by any such pretences, impostures, or insults as these.
They neither ask, nor expect, any mercy, if they should ever fall into the hands of honest men.
They do not tell us that they have established infallible supreme courts, to whom they refer all questions as to the legality of their acts, and that they do nothing that is not sanctioned by these courts.
On the contrary, they acknowledge themselves robbers, murderers, and villains, pure and simple.