The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-09-23
FOR THE BANNER
WHO is TRULY GREAT.
(C'0uciufied. J


his station in life, let that station be what
it may, and to find happiness by bound.
ing every wish. The other, impcls
him to superiority, and calls nothing
happiness but,rap,ure. The one again,
directs him to think and act with the
rest OF mankind. The other drives him
forward nd exposes him as Il mark to
the taunts of envy, or shafts Of ignorance.
And in word, the little mind that loves
itself will act and think with the vulgar;
but the great mind. will bravcly deviate
if necessary, and scorn the beaten path
from universal bcnevoIcnce (GoLD-
sMlTH) Thus SOCRATES, the great and
noble Greek, whose name decks the
annals of his countries history, and sheds
honor on the land that gave him birth;
who, when in the hour of awful danger,
marched gallan,ly with sword in hand
to fight the battles ofhis injured country,
and in peace. uscfulIy employed in rea
ring and instilling the principles Of mo-
rality in the minds tender youth, bold
ly devia,cd from the beaten track. and
unlazzlcd by the splrndor Of others
reputation: he chalkcd out true path
to fame. He looked on and beheld the
towering forest and craggy peaks of
lofty mountains, and thus observing
mysterious nature, he discovered the pc
culiar adaptation Of all nature for the
different purposes to be secured. flc
marked the stormy cloud, as it rose in
awful gloom above the horizon, and
heard with admiration the deep majestic
roar Of distant thunder And in con-
temptation, observes the ruling hand Of
Providence, in fixing and guiding the
dcs;inies of man. Now SOCRATES, re-
voiving these things in his mind, and
mcdlatng upon them with the judg
mcnt of u philosopher. concluded that
such must be the works Of omnipotencc.
No longer could paganism rule his mag
unanimous soul, for "through nature he
had looked up to natures God" So
CRATES knew that God did exist He
saw him in the clouds, and heard him
in the winds. All nature spoke his ex-
istence, and who is he that cannot hear?
Actuated then, by the pure spirit of
magnanimity and of benevolence, he
taught the youth of Athens a strange
God-yet the true and only God-thc
maker Of heaven and earth and all 9th
erthings that exist Such doctrines being
considered corruptIons by the Hterati
of Athens, SOCRATES was summoned be-
fore the council to account for his teach
ings. Proud Of his fault, he stood with
out friends in the midst of his accusers,
mad with envy and fanaticism, and de-
clared with the firmness of stole, that
God did exist. Uproar and confusion
prevailed, and SOCRATES unjuslly con-
demned, died a martyr to the cause of
truth and humanity. AS if conscious
too, that ne had accomplished the end for
which heaven had designed him, he
drank the fatal draugh', and reclining,
drew around him his robe in calm resig.
nation, unmoved by the chill Of death,
he bid farewell to friends and foes, with
out blessing or curse.
Who then, does not admire the great
ness Of the philosopher, reared as he was
in paganism and supersition,-deprived
entirely of inspired truth! Envy and
malice stand confused in approving 81
lence. SOCRATES was great in his day
and generation, and may justly be
ranked with those Of brighter days and
brighter opportunities. But he stands
alone. None other of his countrymen