American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-10-23
tFrom the Philadelphia InquiTerJ
TIE II HARSH AN d THE HASTY:


And cure the heart that long hath bled."
n friend came TO us some days since i'll ey-
dent trouble. lie said that few hours before,
he had been conversing and arguing somewhat
warmly with and old and respected neighbor,
and that i'll the heat of the controversy, he had
touched delicate subject somewhat harshly,
and had thus given pain without intending to
do SO, and he sincerely regretted and depored
the circumstance. The other evidently felt
the remark kcenly, for the blood mounted to
his forehead, and then he became deadly pale,
and for few seconds was unable TO speak
Seeing the error he had committed, and the
injury he had inflicted, our friend terminated
the conversation abruptly, and as he confess
ed, awkwardly enough, but the subject had an
noyed him ever since. What should he do?
How should he repair his error? He would
not Tor worlds have been the source of the
agony Of mind, the torture of feelings which
his unhappy remarks had unwittingly caused
but the words had been uttered, and his ankle
ty now was, to make reparation. After some
little hesitation, we persuaded him TO 90 imme-
diately to the injured individual and tender
manly and generous apology. This was
done in the proper spirit, and the dilemma was
at once removed. Cases such as we have hint
cd at, are constantly occurring. Men get ex-
cited while talking even upon ordinary topics,
grow warm as they become disputants, say Sc
we're things not intending them to wound the
feelings, but they frequently and heedlessly
introduce persona! matters, or topics capable
of being construed into insults, and thus anger
10 provoked, retortS are elected and bitter feuds
are caused. 1t is tho manly course on such
occasions, on reviewing all the facts as calmly
as possible, not only TO admit to ourselves the
points in which we have been wrong, but to
embrace the very first opportunity of making
frank, full and magnanimous atonement.-
Such policy is due by justice, honor and fair
dealing, and while calculated TO relieve our
own feelings, it will in great majority Of ca
ses, adjust the difficulty, and prove source
of sincere pleasure to both parties. We are
aware that it requires the exercise of high mo-
raj nerve, to pursue and act under this policy.
Pride and selfishness are ever at hand to inter-
fere, while the demons of mischief and of evil
are apt to whisper thousand excuses in palli-
alton OF our own conduct
Again, many persons arc prone to regard
the course alluded to as humliating; while
there is a vicious principle in almost every
heart, which endeavors to prevent the wrong
door from making atoncment, and indeed in
many cases prompts him to consider himself
as the aggreved party and TO act accordingly.
Beware! we say, beware of so fatal, so crmi-
nal deluslon. Error and crime must be ac-
counted and atoned Tor one day, and the SOON
or we relieve our minds and our hearts from
the dark shadows, the deathless memories
which will ever and anon rise and haunt us in
relation to past and unatoned sins, the better
for our own repose, for the enjoyment of the
present, and the hopes of the future. And
yet, how few there are who cannot, on looking
back, find some unsdiusted account. How
few who cannot remember some harsh word
the utterancc of which caused 4 pang at the
moment, and the recollection OF which has
been permitted to rankle and tester ever since.
How rare are the instances to which indvidu-
ais have endeavored to make reparation for all
tho offences committed against relatives, friends
and society. Who cannot, in tho quiet of his
own chamber, in the silence Of his own closet,
in confidential communion with his own mind
and heart, point cut some instance in which
injustice was done, deceit was practised, or ad-
vantage was taken' The error or crime, we
know and admit. We feel that in the record
of our years, as written in the great book, the
false and vicious conduct alluded to is register
cd in dark and accusing characters-that still
the work Of atonement of restitution, of sa-
tisfaction, nay, of iustice-is unfulilled. This
we confess TO ourselves, and occasionally, too,
we enter into an implied contract with con-
science, to commence the good work at an
early moment But month after month-year
after year is permitted TO pass by, and still the
dark record is allowed to remain The ghosts
of our evil deeds continue to haunt us; we
feel that we have erred, we know that there is
duty still unperforned, and yet such is the
weakness, the folly, the infirmity of human ma
ture, that old age, death and the grave fire.
quently steal on, and the errors and sins OF
youth and Of middle life, are unatoned for
Have you, gentle reader, any sad account oil
this kind registered against you2 Have you
said or done aught which YOU know to have
been wrong, and which you feel in your better
moments should be undone, as far as may be
by peniteBce and reparation. If ay-postpone
the act of apology, of reparation-of duty,
and of justice, no longer.