The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-31

The deepening woods the fading trees,
The grasshopper's last feeble sound,
The flowers Just Weakened by the breeze,
All leave the stiffness more profound.
The twilight takes deeper shade,
The dusky pathways darker grow,
And silence reigns in glen and glade,
While all is mute below
And other ewes as sweet as this
Will close upon as calm day;
Then, sinking down the deep abyss,
Will, like the last, be swept away,
Until eternity is gained
The boundless sea, without shore,
That without time for ever reigned,
And VIII when times no more.
Now nature sinks in soft repose,
A living semblance of the grave;
The dew steals noiseless on the rose,
The boughs have almost ceased to wave;
The silent sky, the sleeping earth,
Tree, mountain, stream, the humble sod
All tell from whom they had their birth,
And cry, "Behold God!'
CoHscIENcE.-An ancient writer, Brochmand,
presents us with the following description of con-
science: at is kind of silent reasoning of the
mind, whose definite sentence is received by some
affection of the heart, by which those things which
are decided to be good and right are approved of
with delight, but those things which are evil and
naught, are disapproved with grief and Sorrow
In short, we may consider conscience as the judg-
ment which mankind constrained to pass on
their own character state, and actions as subjected
unto the judgment of Superior Being. No one
is bold enough to deny that the depravity of human
nature Is universal and total extending to all man
kind, and to every power of each individua yet
there is principle incorporated with the powers of
the mind-the principle Of conscience-which tes-
t6es that the Creator has not left himself without
witness IN any sltuation or among any class of
cety. The prerogative of conscience is also great.
When permitted TO exercise its authority, it inves-
ugates and weighs whatever takes place in which
the individual to whom il belongs is an agent and
il passes its judgment accordingly, whether in re-
ference TO the actions of the life, the words of the
mouth, or the secret thoughts of the heart Impair
TALLY is the invarable rule by which it exercises
Its authority. IL approves and censures without
respect of persons any extrinsic circumstances
II il ready to do its Office in the bosom of the
prince as in that of the peasan-in reference the
tyrant who sits on his throne, as well as to the
slave who bends beneath his yoke. Its Judgment
may be rejected. It's sentence may be laughed TO
derision variety of self-deceiving excuses may
be made, and many apologies may be advanced, TO
justify the conduct which it condemns. But these
by no means destroy the impartial rigor with which
II has delivered Its sentence. This prerogative of
Judgment possessed by conscience is no less re-
marketable for It's comprehensions than for any other
quality by which IL Is distinguished. Its discrim-
mating power is not confined to the passing mo-
ment IL tenaciously retains the history of the past
il solemny anticipates the prospect Of the future.
The transactions Of the present, indeed, are those
which most succeed in defying the authority of
conscience, in battling it's power, and in overwhelm-
ing its ren1onsrances, amid the tumultuous noise
of violent and discordant PASSIONS but though APP
parenily verpowered-though its awful voice is
drowned in thin confusion-yet when the anarchy
Of the passions shall subsde, il will resume its e-
climate authority, and exercise its high preroga-
i've, by connecting the history Of the past with the
events OF future life.
The benehce Of the poor man cannot be so ex-
tensivey blessing to others as the benehce of the
rich man, but II may be quite as intense blessing
TO himself
Moral REFoRM.-Every species of moral re-
form ought 10 begin with ourselves. We must
first have done something before can justly find
fault with others for doing nothing There is no
man so low high but he may do something
IN this department He mfy make some sacrifice
other, having moral tendency. He may give
up some dirty and expensive habit; he may aban-
don a rude and indecent manner of speech or be-
havior; he may adopt cleanliness of tongue If he
cannot afford a cleanliness Of outward clothing, and
by doing so, he can begin process of reformation
which entities him to help from the benevolent and
the public-spirited. This at least shows the will
10 be improved, and il also shows that the man is
not conceited TO think others alone in of
reform, and himself not. The rich have as much
need Of reform the poor but II is after different
fashion. They are often as dirty in their minds as
the poor in their clothing, and dirty-minded rich
will never be Of much service as moral reformers.
They are also selfish the poor. They spend
all they can get upon themselves and their plea
sures. They think their money given them by
Providence merely to decorate their persons and
parnper their oppetiies; and whilst they spend $50
or eco in giving dinner to their rich friends, they
declare they will be positively ruined and brought
to beggary by yearly rate of $50 for supporting
the poor. Much moral guilt Of this description is
contracted unconsciousTy by the rich, who all the
while abuse the poor for their filthy and immoral
hsbts-which habits, as they aver, render all at
tempts TO ameorate their condition perfectly futile.
The truth s little effort has yet been made to anne
liorate the general condition Of society no great
self-sacrfce on the part OF rich or poor has yet
been made--but each looks TO the other to do,
without doing much himself Selfsacrfce is al
ways well pleasing, and has always, If judiciously
conducted, Q good mora effect on the party for
whom il is made The rich can do much for the
poor as they are the governors Of society and the
possessors OF property.
IL Genius miserable, Is Genius a fatai g.ft Oh,
miserable philosophy that can so construe IL Ge-
MUS is the faculty Of creation Of admiration, OF
love II creates, from the merest dross, spirits OF
beauty which haunt the soul through life. II peo-
ples the world with lovely forms, exalted hopes
skywerd sspir1ngs, ana everlasting Joy ana De-
cause the sensibty, which is its condition, subjects
il TO petty snnoyances, annoyanoes unfelt, or not
so keenly felt, by others-because its enthusiasm
carrie. il oftentimes from the path Of prudence
and because the punishment which follows all error
is not for il suspended, but falls upon an ordi-
nary nsture--because, with the precious faculty Of
giving an utterance TO all its pains and pleasures
Il sometimes breaks forth into low plant, or bit
ter irony, or wild despair, and, in those moments
curses the very Of all it's greatness; because,
we say, these things are found accompanying ge-
MUS, like shadows Of its glories--s genius, there
fore 10 be called fatal gift; Ia il not genius great
majestic genius, in spite Of ali The sun "kisses
carbon" but is not less the sun. Genus is the
happiest, as il is the greatest Of human faculties
n has no immunity from the common sorrows Of
humanity; but il has one glorious privilege, which
IL alone possesses--the privilege Of turning ts sor-
rows into beauty, and broodIng delighted over
tbem, The greatest that ever breahed has said
.,sueet are the uses Of adversely,
Which like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet precious jewel In his head"
pu, Il IL only genius that extract the jewel, ant
,,.lk the path Of life illumined by ITS light,
IrrSrycArIos The word identification ex
rr,.,es large class Of the operations OF similarity
- - UgWr