Guverner u Podgorici, general Martinovi, ispriao mi je kako je Crnogorac iz njegovog

plemena, prije izvjesnog vremena, bio osuen na bievanje. Molio je da radije bude strijeljan, ali
pravda je bila neumoljiva. On se ustrijelio. Inae, samoubistvo je gotovo nepoznato u ovoj
zemlji. A kad se ve jednom desilo, knez i narod bili su toliko ogoreni kukavilukom i
nemoralnou toga ina, da je sljedei zakon obnarodovan: Svako ko sebe lii ivota, ili pokua
da to uini, proglaen bie za beasnog, a samoubica visie javno objeen na vjealima dvadeset
i etiri sata. Nedostojno je Crnogorca da sam sebe lii ivota, to moe da odlui samo Bog, ivot
se moe rtvovati samo na bojnom polju radi odbrane otadbine. Zakon slian ovome nije lako
nai i vrlo je svojstven moralnom stanovitu Crnogoraca.

Podgorica governor, General Martinovi, told me how some time ago, a Montenegrin from his
tribe had been sentenced to flogging. He begged for a firing squad instead, but justice was
unrelenting. The man shot himself. As a rule, suicide is almost unexisting in this country. In this
case, when it already happened, the prince and the people were so outraged by the cowardice
and immorality of the act, that the following law was made public: "Any man who takes his
own life or attempts to do so, shall be declared as dishonorable, and the one who commits
suicide shall be publicly hanged on gallows for twenty-four hours. It is unworthy of a
Montenegrin to take his own life, this may be decided only by God, and life can be sacrificed
only on the battlefield in defense of the fatherland". An act like this is not easy to find anywhere
else, and is very characteristic of the Montenegrin moral standpoint.