The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-01-05 00:00:00

Cke 3tourbribge Obstour.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1878.

PUBLIC OPINION.

Those who wear the proverbially transferable
laurels of popular favour and who command
the blind adoration of the thoughtless multi-
tude rather than the esteem of the thinking
few are generally attached to the old motto
"vex populi vox dei." The Church of England
however, seems to hold rather a different
opinion and even advises us—among other
things—to "renounce the world." Now if by
the world is meant the people who are in it—
as well as its vices and pleasures—how can
popular prejudice or popular tenets (which are
so often changed) be considered any longer
expressions of the "voice of God ? ' It is a
grand mistake to suppose that public opinion
is always immaculate and unerring when
universal history constantly proves it to be
otherwise.
We all remember the vacillating character
of the Athenians how they would clamour
for the murder of their best benefactors
and then idolize them directly afterwards
with all the earnestness of passionate re-
morse.
The suppleness of the French people is like-
wise often demonstrated in a similar manner,
the Parisians seemingly taking as much delight
in vociferating " vive ft7nzpereur " when
Bonaparte usurped the imperial sceptre as in
frantically applauding Louis XVIII, when he
was re-Called from exile and placed upon the
throne by the allied monarchs of Europe.
Even our sober English are not always con-
sistent or wise in their national demonstrations
and perhaps there is no people under the sun
who are entirely so, for look where we will all
over the surface of the world whether in
ancient or modern times we fight continual
revolutions and changes of public opinion.
Old doctrines giving way to new theories, fresh
truths illuminating the darh mid: treacherous
spheres of past beliefs, great dynasties
crumbling before the: power of greater rivals,
and objects commanding the pride of one
generation instantly withered by the contempt
of a succeeding one. These vicissitudes of
climate in the social atmosphere may however
be the result of progressive enlightment, and
all minor inconsistencies and retrograde move-
ments merely uxceptions to the great rule or
episodes in the general advance of evolutionary
amelioration. If this be so we jet know that
although " God moves in a mysterious way,"
He certainly cannot utter the mass of contra-
dictory sentiments which would have to be
attributed to Him were we always to accept
the " vox populi vox dei " theory, consequently
there is seldom any thing more in the vocifera-
tiona, the beliefs, and the laws and customs of
a multitude than what may be dictated by
human thought or formed by the machination
of terrestrial b.ings.
We do not wish by these remarks to advocate
a disregard of public " opinion" or even to
ridicule popular prejudices, such a proceeding
would only tend to establish bigotry and
despotism irnd make them cling the more
tenaciously to their favourite dogmas, think-
ing; theuFeives martyrs fighting--s indeed
they would I),—for freedom of mind and
body.
It is foolish to attempt to combat the power-
ful fallacies which surround us by any arbitrary
measures, for the man who stands up single-
handed against a multitude and oodeavours to
rule its wishes with violenc,), is like an infant
strugglinc, against the angry billows of an
ocean, arid must sooner or later fal a victim te,
his own rashness.
The common populous must be led by gentle
persuasion, exlp:e, and self-evident reasoni,:g,
not driven by reckless coercion and papal
tyranny or by harsh commands and precept
without prrecedent.
We niu-A learn to avoid the oft repeated
error of quarrelling with people because of their
opinions. Fair controversy ought never to
lead to enmity and bloodshed, and yet how
oft-it are th f!careat friends separated by
difference of sentiment upon any popular tpioc

and yet how often the world has to witness the
sad consequences of religious and political
antagonism. Europe is this day the scene of a
terrible conflict between two creeds. Christi-
anity is suffering a fearful disgrace at the hands
of Russian civilizers who are endeavouring to•
carry it into Otloatan territory at the point of'
the bayonet and make the peaceful mission of
its great founder a pretext for warfare, while
Mahometanisna is winning the sympathy of
unborn generations by the gallant defence of
those heroic warriors who are fighting' beneith
its banner and gainiug such • crowns of
martyrdom as will not easily fade in the
future. _ .

Surely the history of past and present ages as
well as the experience of every day life must
teach us all the criminal folly of pc:scenting
others for the glory of our own peculiar'
theories and of enforcing conversion with
arbitrary violence.
Inordinate passion belongs only to degraded
creatures whose intellects are unabl., to cope
with the superior intelligence of their ad-
versaries, and therefore the vanquished cehtro-
vertist often commits the fatal mistqke of
attempting (as a last resource) to defend his
favourite dogmas with brutal force, and give
vent to his anger and dis Appointment by bully-
ing his successful opponent. Great politicians
may secretly smile at the fluctuation and
caprice of public opinion, but they dvil[., not
openly deny its influence nor try to change the
courses of its mighty channels with any but
nnhostile means. Tho national sentimilit
though not always the voice of God is deserving
of a wonderful amount of defence. But we do
not approve of that mental slavishness and
narrowness of soul which characterises the
fashion—worshippers of the present day who
believe only what is popular, and who rettiu.te
their actions to a painfully scrupulous LLgree
according to what other people may generally
happen to think, say, or do ; instead of simply
using their own reason and being guided only
by just and decorous principles. Let us not
then rashly destroy our individuality by be-
coming mere creatures of fashion unakle to
think or act for ourselves. Such a condition of
cowardly helplessness is a clog and hindrance
to improvement, an injury to society, and
unworthy of the enlightened age in which we
I lire. . _

We love to see the exercise of a glorious
independence undisgraced by license on the one
hand or prejudice and thraldom on the other—
independence which cannot be shalien by con-
troversy or menaced by cowardice, but which
allows every man to uphold his own senti-
ments without fear of persecution hurl pur-
mits conversion to march wherever it chooses
without disturbing peace or using compul-
hsion.

This is the independence—which though
often converted is yet seldom posgeE,s,2d, but we
have said sufficient to arouse tle apathy of
any intelligent thinker and to bh a p prop,r,y
that public opinion of which we are the ex-
ponents.