Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-01-24
THE LOVE OE TRUTH.
Translated for the Neps, from tho Italian
Of Silvio Pellco.

Translated for the Neus, from tho Italian
Of Silvio Pellico.
The fast Of our duties is 10 love truth,
and have confidence in il,
Truth is God. t. love God and to love
truth are one and the same.
Be determined always TO wish for what
is true, and do no, lie, yourself be dazzled
by the false eloqlence Of those morbid and
gloomy sophis,s who employ their whole
industry in casting disheartening doubts
upon every thing.
Reason is vain, nay, becomes injurit US,
when it employs its powers in combating
aud discredil,ng truth, and in sustaining
unworthy theories. When, for instance,
from the Ills with which life IS chequered,
it infers with the logic of despair, that life
is not blessing or when, from some ap-
paren, disorders in the universe, il refuses
TO recogn Sc any system of order or, be-
cause it finds b, dies to be- mor,a! and pal
pable, will not believe that the mysterious
Being which says" L. can be spirit and
immortal or, finally, treats as dreams the
distinctions between vice AMI virtue, and
looks upon man AZ a mere animal, totally
bereft Of aughi divine
If man aud nature are really sovile
and worthless, why lose time in philoso-
phsing Better pu, an end at once to
such an existence X ason could counsel
nothing else.
As conscience, however, tells every ono
to live the exception OF few weak minds
proves no,hing)-ss we live to pant afer
happiness-as mans happiness is felt to
consist not in degrading and confounding
himself with the worms, but in nobly as
plring after Gcd-it is clear that the only
right use Of reason is 10 form lofty idea
Of mans a,tainable dignity, and to urge him
to aspire to it.
With this conviction, lie, US determinedly
banish from our minds all scepticism, Gym.
cism, and degrading sp"culations. Let j.
be duty with US to believe the good, the
beautiful, the true. To believe, we must
have decided will to relieve We must
conceive a strorg affection for the truth.
I, is only this affection that can gre en-
erpy 10 the soul. The man who allows his
principles to be unsettled, enfeebles his
mind.
To faith IN all Just principles. unite de-
termination TO be ever yourself the express
sion Of truth, in all your words, and in all
your actions.
The conscience OF man has no repose but
in truth. The liar, even though he escapes
discovery, carries his punishment in his
own breast. lie feels that he has betrayed
a duty, and tha, he is self-dsgraded
To escape the vile habit of lying, there
is bu, one way-to make it point never to
tell lie. II you allow an exception to
this rule in one instance, there can be no
reason for no, permitting il in two, in Fifty,
and 50 on, withou, limit II is in this wa
,ha, many gradually contract the habi, Of
inven,ing, exaggerasing, and, finally, OF
eliminating.
The times Of the greatest corruption are
those in which disregard for truth is mos'
prevalent (; for the disirust is universal, pos
oning the relations Of f,,her and son then
are prv,es,s,ions, oa,hs, perjur'es. multi
piled without number I; then, in the strife o
opinion, whether religious, political. or ut
erary, are facts and intentions unscrupu
lously invented, for the purpose Of black
enina ones adversary then prevails tn
n.,ion. that all means re lawful, when ,h'
ob;ec, is to pu, dow IN opponent ; the
do men hunt about for stories agsins, 9th
ers, and, when they have discovered them
though their falsi,y or frivoIiiy be glarinp
bend all their Efforts to sccredit him, mag
nifty them, and simulate belief IN ,hem.-
Those who wan, simplicity Of heart a.
ever prons 10 believe 10 the dupliei,y Of 9th
rs Ie, ons who 10 die rl'''ns to ,her