Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-05-16
For the State Sentinel.
The Whip that Whips us all.

ed frun dung what would do. A whip is ever
hanging over our heads which threatens Us, If we do
not pursue that particular course Of duty which is
prescribed TO We all have parts allotted to
us, in this great drama of life, and however disu-
ereeabe those parts may be, it is better for play
them than rebel and il is better to adhere to them
alone. without attempting 10 play the parts OF others,
and thus introduce confusion IN the great perform
ance of the world.
| The who does not know his place, and
presumes to occupy another for which be has
pacity, is to feel the smart of the impending
whip, and nften blames the administrator, for the
severity of the application. aud not unfequenily in
! free countries like ours, mediiates revenge
There is great cat of many tails that hnngs over
! the world. and threatens every one, Of every rank
from The President duwn the ngger. Ii does not
conhne lis moral administration 10 the human family,
for IT extends to every inferior animlte creature.
They all kept in their respective places by the
law of Pline which governs the world, and are
ell stimulated TO the activity Of their respective na
lures by the hopes and fears peculiar to themselves
| They must do or suffer--as the grammarans say
hctive or passive. The whole species of whip, may
be divided into two classes physical and moral, each
of which may be subdivided into infinite variety
There the vulgar cat-o-nine tails for nggers and
bad boys, there headaches for drunkards, dyspep
sia for careless eaters and drinkers, prostratnn of
strength for the dlssoute and Abandoned poverty and
gs aud perhaps prison. for the foolish and vicious
All these are physical whips, and there many
others besides. Niggers being under the whip Of
the primitive formation, free from the jurisdic-
tion Of many of the other whips, that higher civil
ization nufactures; but they eman-
| cipated, the whip of poverty cracks its lash
their heads. aud is just merciess the leather
| thong, and but little more intellectual, for the
brute creation is subject lis influence. A dog
| without master is low spirited animal, and SD is
an operative out of work. Cats that have home,
are very vagabond looking, and seem to know it
We cannot get rid of the whip of pauperisn. until
we substitute in its place hi cher order of whip,
that will prove eecual. though less degrading,
as a stimulus TO action.
Moral whips of higher order than physical
1 whips, and they fully into operation,
tIl The physical whips laid aside Loss of char
acier lss of caste. loss of respect and affection
moral whips and the sharpest and most cruel of all
whips is scandal. The law Of honor established
among gentlemen, is evidently very effective law,
as far il goes. II keeps men in order. The free
and independent spirit Of men who have neither the
whip Of cords, Of poverty 10 fear requires to be
controlled by some powerful ngeni, it will
become outrageous. But il must not be- forgotten
that the laws of homer amongst gentlemen. have
hitherto been maintained by the powerful influence
Of the pistol-a species of physical whip which
proves, that the gentleman with all his pretensions
to refnernen has not yet arrived at the moral sphere.
A large portion of his nature belongs to the mere
brute physical depa rtmcnt. and be- kept
der by brute fear. Th"se who are ruled by the ps-
tol are the lower ranks of gentlemen, The higher
classes are far above and beyond that fear. They
are incapable of saying or doing anything which
provoke 10 The use Of physical force, or brute vo.
lence They are purely moral and intellectual, and
have other whip but that of conscience and pub
lie opinion. When a man has once mounted 10 this
sphere, the moral whip Is Just influential with
him, the leather whip is with the slave, the rod
with the schoolboy. IL cannot however be admins
tered by man, unless that man be backed by the
whole of society, or armed with series of pungent
and irfeversitle truths.
1t is the great moral law of truth and integrity 10
which the true gentlemen appeals. and he dsdains
TO suffer that law to be administered by any indlvd-
ua whatever. Still he at tie climax Of man.
kind, has the whip administered and he feels the
lash most acuiey. As no portion of society can dis
pense with the whip, the fair must necessarily
ad0pt one nf some species. II nay be imagined that
they would the most gentle but the fact is that
| the whip to which they most commonly have
course, is scuuda the sharpes of all Il often lash.
es the innocent whom condemns unheard, and
whips upon hearsay. The propensity to this
whip is powerful in both sexes, but The genler sex
are dcxierous and enthusiastic in It's applca-
ton. the reason is that they forbidden The
Of The physical whip, and therefore are almost excu-
sisely confined to of the moral one. Hence
the exquisite and passional excitement with which
the fair sex move about, and crack their whips in
each others society and al each Others expense
Muny peupe condemn scandal absolutely, as if il
were an unmtigaied evil. do not. Ii is the great
and ladies' prudent, modest aud reserved IL controls
the passiuns checks and restrains their inordinate
license, and fiows US the hooks and corners of
civilized hfe where liberty forbids the constituted
authorities of mere criminal government to watch
over actions. Still there something vile about
scandal bsause the motive that prompts to il is gen.
eruy bad. IT is valuable ordination taken as a
whole but each individual scandaist is prompted to
indulge in 1T, frpm vicious and ofier a malicious
desire Of circulating evil reports, and blasting the
reputation of others. All profcents in the great
school of scandal it Of those easy accomplish
ments which nature teaches gratis, and therefore it
is base and vaueess to the practitioner; but still
is useful whip to society at large. The purest
and most perfect Of whips is that of conscience and
vino is governed by that is the best of all
men; for he has the witness, the Judge and Tho ex-
ecutloncr within himself, and if they be severe and
relentless in the performance of their duty. neither
opportunity nor privacy can suggest any temptation,
to his well goverened will disciplined, well castga-
tec mind There are but few such men in the world
perhaps. but where there is such man, he has been
well whipped all his life. aud still he fears the rod
and him who hath ordained ii. Without the rod
there is goodness developed. Both men and dogs
are trained by IL. and without ii. all disso-
lutc, rude and perverse. IL is useless talk about
dispensing with it, The only question for every one
is simply this. What sort of a rod is best adopted
for you. What is your position in the morhl, intel
lcctunl and physical wurldl What can you feel
What do you understand! Do you require eath-
er whip, pistol. the fear of povertyl Or do
you require the tongue of scandal! Or can you be
| left to the dictates Of conscience!
IL depends entirely the answer to such questions
what sort Of discipline is good for the man. the
man the child. JOHN CRUISE.
A NICE DISTINCTION. Person. Of the Lit
erary Gazette, objects to be termed poct-ess. She
srys she never wrote any she poetry Very good,
Mrs. =. just and delicate distinction. Genius has