--- a/mercurial/transaction.py	Wed Jan 16 11:14:51 2008 -0600
+++ b/mercurial/transaction.py	Wed Jan 16 11:32:25 2008 -0600
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@
     def __init__(self, report, opener, journal, after=None):
         self.journal = None
 
-        # abort here if the journal already exists
-        if os.path.exists(journal):
-            raise AssertionError(_("journal already exists - run hg recover"))
-
         self.count = 1
         self.report = report
         self.opener = opener