The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-08-22


4 where some one spoke favorably ofss,mofa y
+. fiotnns. The person who did so was stroi,.
ger to the Deacon, and knew nothing OF his
family history.
Moral falsehood, You adsbetter sa y. !, wa !
half.rudely uttered III liesD Deacon.
"No, . said the person % when III Is Was nd.
dressed, .'moral fiction s;lor. rather, imagina.
~ histories, in which Ne sec, as 1t were, the
hidden impulses Of the heart embodied IN liv.
ling action; ard thence are able more truly to
sympathize with our fellow.men',.
"Sheer8nonseDse!' eplied the Deacon 70
wire-drawn apologies like that will do They
cannot make a lie the truth. IL IS lyinr. III.
lying! und you can make nothing else out
llof it. HI
"What is a lie7' was aakcd.
Anything that is not true. X
s.And uttered with an intent 10 dcceiye?n
"Certainly." 81
Then, a fictitious history, written with in.
lteliigent skill and regard 20 just principles,
/ is not lie, for it is u true picture Of hulnnn
mature, and seeks not to deceive any one. The
endin view is to do good. and the means EN-.
/ Ployed injure no one. nor yiolate . single law
lofs the Decalogue.
| Is not lying a violation of the Decalogue?'
said the Deacon.
I'm what commandment isit forbid1en?',
:. !hou shalt nat bear Use sOitness against thy
neighbor.
every we'll. Now, i wiell TO Illustrate mo.
raj truth, and bring il directly homo to The
minds Of the people. know that principles
! only have power when they influence our ac-
tions: and that when seen in their ultimate Of
fects, their qua lityis more fully understood.
! But hayc no pertinent example to hold up to
the people; or. il Il.aye, tho doing 50. by drag
| ging forth persons, or families, and Directing
| toward them the public eye, would result IN
| far more harm than good. {, therefore. ina.
| CINE series Of acts, from causes in the mind,
| introducing actors, of course, and carrying
them on through variety of scenes. all legi-
timately resulting from the principles that GO
vern them. Now, if, in doing this, | am care.
full to show the difference between good and
evil, and as carefully refrain from presenting
vice in any attra ctiTe form, but rather make it
repulsye as it reully is, am guilty of bearing
false witness against my neghbor? AMI gull.
ty of moral wrong?"
''Y GU are guilty OF having given utterance
to what is not true; and your can't maks-any
thing else out of it, argue as you will. replied
Deacon Prescott, dogmatically.
pardon me for disagreeng with you said
the person. "Jf have presented false views
of lie: if have made my story unnatural and
Improbable, and given it, at the same time,
power to mislead the mind and deceive it in
| regard 10 the legitimate tendency of either
true or false principles, then have been gull
ty OF uttering what Is untrue; but not other.
wise. There is no attempt TO deceive on my
part. No one doubts that my history of life,
or my representation OF a passage in life, is
composed history, and not literal detail of
what has actually taken place"
Every ingenious, but mere sophistry," re-
turned the Deacon. land as to the good these
things do, | always had my doubts that
mead: while the harm stares US in the face ut
every turn ading Of this kind cnervates
the mind, and iaakcs it unfit for sober rehec.
ton or active duties
",Io that will by 10 means assent, &C.
neral principle" was answered to this decla-
rat ion. "A bad novel or tale will do more
harn, in tho world than u bad book Of phiioso.
ply; and the other hand, good novel or
tale will accomplish more good than grave.
moral disquistion, care not how true muy be
its teachings"
"Prepostsrous! Such a position is an insult
to the human reason," said Deacon Prescott.
"Oh no. Not by any means The moral
essay is cold enumeration Of truths, but the
fictitious history not anly declares the same
principles, but shows us their power in action.
It takes hold az our ~ npaI hies-it makes our
.tions." ss
Precious few such histories are there" said
the DEACON, IN I
.ithink II have something {. said the strap,
ger, resuming ssthat will illustTate what N
have said. i met with atouchinG little ftorys
to. DAY, mi, al fortunately bsvs Il Mits az,
! will. with Che permtsaioa the 6nys
read it, n tes., I. !.
Ali4yk.d for tbs sfSS ~ u . ga con and
hesdid not objectl 70 ~ being read. The story
was brief !. but Seafnests Singularly enough,
for hes individual who readn, knew nothing.
as :. heys alssasiE iniigssSd. Of the family
ofSa prsnt j lsSaI lis child. in
lconsequence Of her InarIying in dTect sopposiis
| tionst his wishes 'IiiSYtragY lS ~ has fath
| er's mind between pride a0Sd Non $bs;
tween thAsstern reas6ninR gita NM
tanned himsel /. y the fend0 III = li9t ~
ma d for HIS child, we're finely portray sH
the Deacon was startled Ct The pictuEe af ~
self soesuddenly and nnek psrtsdly eps sd|,p
| before him. He sat and listen MilhR m,ost
intense interest,". "a o him - IS 49,
but & vsritable history {os lscognj
ftruthein every line. ssss ss s5s assSsSa
From description syof the fStkSrz
Jog spirit,the writer next tuIncd4N4
lchild he had thrown from him M
Ihand, That she had 81 lien IL ths s. Il = = +
Iss ]. .as s e sa9, By + az u \
Loss 81 Is rent 81 fni M Us isES vS;s
upon TIN bosom 1Iere ha head ii Te11 4 ii'.s
lcon6ding lovS IA earl Of child.
Lhuod. He TOD M IA der INTO ma .ch ham her
here Slie sat IL b S}D1 y f. \. VII 70 ~ q =
M 81 apon viii She NC ,Sn sSfiS3 =
&ppeat - her la4ti 10 6ss s a. III into 6I
ilfeotionss s6S5 ASn 1e fhe M NJ
jENtipg and pllorg wing 81 q b % Y
Lee ,aa .as .sIr.'ssinsd a|es s s ss'1
Rutlt4 writer's end sin u 27
~, Va 10 ill tho ksxT5
ois TivenesSs