Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-08-29
INDEPENDENCE.

The individual mind is the foundation of all
freedom. Nan must never allow the tyrannic-
al chains Of vicious habits, sensual appetitei
superstition, or slavish Difference to the opin4
ions of 'athers, TO take possession of him # ne
would b. a man. He should think and act for
SEnself n all matters, and never allow others
Mink for him, whether it be on politics, roli5
81 N9r occupation. The great mass Of men.
a." a., NO look up too much to those men, for
p'' =, Wand modes ofaction, whom the world.
and ar " f. qy wisdom, has seen fit to call great,
i.'u 80, enough to their own selves, their
aall the worlSs, for action. They forget that
own part to ac saose, Ina. every man t"n nus MS
please those WHO'S ,p "a. 80 SD IL HiHdtf
stands his own character, let those who are look,
ers on be pleased or nay. This is not right;
it 10 not manly; God never made man to be 9th
erwse than independently free agent. A
child always act independently from feeling.
from impulse; cold-heared selfshness has no.
vet taken possession of him--"he has not YET
acquired those sentiments which prompt man.
to inquire, not whether what he is about to dc
is right, but whether it will be popular and
salct"
TO be great men we must cease 10 be slaves
very of the mind--a slavery to the opinions Of
Others? True, we have teachers who arc pos
sessed of that wisdom which experience can
only give, who bid US look 10 those great men
of the world, and find in them examples to be
copied. But it seems TO me TO be deluslOn----
it seems to me that il these teachers acted with
the principles of Independence principles
which are inherent in every breast, and which
should cease to exist only when smohered or
shackled by ignorance or oppression--they
would bid US look at those great men with rev.
creme; analyze their characters, ascertain their
principles, and then, with the camness ofphilos-
-lophers, and the independence men, strike out
, a path in unison with our own leclngs-"thanll
. God for these great men, but say, 4 also am q
! man." "To be an imitator, is to doom ones
self to hopeless mediocrity;'' it is impossible
r for him to rise above the level. "Tte iEyentor
d did it because ii was natural to him, aud 50 III
! him it has a charm. In the imitatnr, some
2 thing else is NATURAL and he bereaves himself
t of his own beauty, to come short OF another
! mans"
In our age there is too little ofthat moral
courage which dareS write out the thoughts OF
men as they exist. We want that spirit which
will guard us against the smiles of flattery, and
the frowns Of censure, and then dare to act and
think as becometh men, let the world approve
those thoughts and actions or not. What could
Martin Luther have accomplished, had he not
been possessed Of that spirit which dared all
opposition, and which brooked all the insults
that were heaped upon HIM? What could those
patriots of the Revolution have accomplished,
had they not been possessed of that moral cour-
age, and righteous independence, which pro!
claimed themselves no longer the slaves Of 9TH
ers, but ready to act for themselves, in the splr-
liz of freedom? Men are too sensible to the
sneers of the world, to act independently, and
thus we see most men before they perform any,
great action, ask themselves not only lst rightt
is it ust2 but how will the world receive it?
And thus they temper their words and actions
to the world, and not their own feelings and
judgement This is wrong-slavishly degras>
DINGHY wrons-and he who acts upon it is the
slave of slaves.