The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-02-14
Practice VS.. Preaching.

greatest contempt for the good things of this
world, that really possess such feelings; it is
not always the men that make the loudest
professions of love for the principles OF the
christian religion, that make the longest pray
er and wear the longest faces, that are in reali-
ty the best christians; it is not always those
that say the most about their humility and
elf-abhorrence, that are in reality the lowly
in heart nor is it always those who vaunt the
most about the principles of humanity that
are the greatest philanthropists. We have
often seen men who, from their talk, you
would suppose cared nothing for the treasures
of this world, striving as eagerly for the things
that perish and clutching with as firm grasp
their bags of gold as the most sordid miser
who processes to worship no God but his
money bags, and to seek no treasure beyond
the confines of this life. We have seen those
who were free to confess their unworthiness
in public assembly, incensed in 10 small de-
gree when their neighbors have been inclined
to believe their own testimony. And we have
seen those who have made the greatest profess
sions of humility manifest the utmost pride
and the haughtiest dispositions, showing con-
clusively that their professions were hypocrit-
ical, or were cant words which they repeated
by rote, and to which they attached no mean.
ing; and who has not seen men, whom one
would suppose, by their words, to be possessed
Of hearts OVERLOOKING with sympathy for the
&c, IS Cool o1
and eloquently of the wrongs of the slave and
the miseries of the poor in other lands, but
who manifest but little sympathy for distress
at their own doors Who has not seen men,
who are eternally dwelling on the all-power-
full effects of love and the duty of exercising
it towards our fellow men, out never mani
fest the least particle of it themselves, whose
words are always bitter, and whose actions
show no regard to the rights or feelings
of their neighbor: Now all these things
afford no argument against religion or the
cause of reform and humanity-argue moth
ing against the great body of christians
and reformers--but they should be borne in
mind in order to prevent us from being de-
ceived by the pretensons of every hot-headed
fanatic or hypocrite that may lay claim to
omnipotence in judgment, to all the purity and
all the philanthropy that exists. They should
teach us to study men, and endeavor to dis
cover the real character and motives Of those
who attempt to lead us, ere we give ourselves
up to their direction, since for want of this
precaution thousands have been led to en-
brace wild heresies in religion and useless alb
stractions in politics and reforms, to give their
support to measures tending to defeat the very
object tn ey profess to have in view.
We were led into these remarks by noticing
an anecdote Of Eugene Sue, who writes as
warmly in favor of reforms as some of our re-
formers in this country, and we doubt not as
sincerely as some of them. though his love for
men seems to go no farther than mere words,
stopping short of deeds. The anccdote is as
follows
"Not many months since, Sue used to visit
almost daily one of the most fashionable ladies
of Paris, Madame de -, and hold forth
in her richly furnished boudoir on the condi-
ton of the poor. do you ever relieve their
distress: :" asked Madame de -, at the
close of one of these harangues. "To tri-
Aing extent" answered Sue "but though my
y;Fts are small, they are always cheerfully be-
stowed--I give one fourth of my income in
aims, That afternoon, as he left the Cafe de
Paris, where he had been eating costly din
ner, On apparently old woman. clad in rags,
nprayed for charity. "Go away" was the stern
repiv. "But am starving-give me single
COPPER to purchase bread with" II will give
you in charge to police officer, if you thus
annoy me. "You will !" said the begsar
land vet, Monsieur Sue, you are the man who