The sentence “Abstain from all appearance of evil” is an imperative statement. These types of sentences usually do not have a subject and their structures consist mainly on the bare verb alone. The main purpose of an imperative statement is to give commands. So, in this sentence, there is no subject and it is commanding somebody to abstain from doing something.
When Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President of South Africa on May 11, 1994 he made his historic "Glory and Hope" speech. The speech was so-named because of the opening line.
He calls the raven a prophet, a thing of evil, and a fiend
As a Native American myself i would say,
The new US Government was careful not to antagonize the Indians and sought to treat them with mutual respect. This is evidenced in early treaties where the term “Red Brothers” was used to convey this sentiment of equality. By 1800 interaction between the Indian and white settlers had become quite common through trade. Many Indians traded for household goods, traps and tools. The US became concerned about the cultural differences and sought to improve the Indian station in life by providing education. The United States no longer feared the Indian but rather took a paternal position toward the Indians and the treaty language reflected this when the Indian was referred to as “Our Red Children.”
