New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-10-24
lWrftten for the Creseent.l
A PEEP BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

by THE STRANGER.
Amitie-c'est etre frsre ct sosur; deux anes qu We
t0uehen ssas Sc eoniondre les sa sSists as Ia main
Amour-c'est j,tre ieux ct metre quun-un homme ct
une femme qui fondent ange. C'est lie ciel
lNotre Dame de Paris
These words of &c LaEsmeralda" are, as saws
another, &c tout un po5me" They are instinct
with pdfe philosophy as well and are largely
true That they are an epitome Of the whole
theory of affection, were too much to be said
To be brother and sister, indicites sweet COM
munity of nature-but not Of necessity the
highest friendship; for full often there exists an
ampler confidence and reciprocal charity be-
tween those having no ties of blood, than even
in this gentle relation. To assert for friendship
the most entire fusion Of soul, were to give it
province not its own. But the rapport" between
conjugal natures, all love aside, may be much
more intimate and perfect than mere touch
ing" The two fingers of the hand are alive
with the same impulse, and responsive to the
same will, though distinct enough and in this
phase the illustration is opposite.
Tully derives both "amor' and H amcitia"
from " amo' eliminating that these affections
are the same in kind though not in degree. The
Greek, ever more alive to the graoes of life than
the Roman, represents the highest affection by
word which is rendered both love" and
" charity" Thus the crowning Christian grace
is " charity" which is love itself These diver
sites of language, which might be multiplied,
evince diversity Of conception, though the cen-
tral fact in oil is the same. The ''Light Love
Life" inscribed upon Herder,s tomb, are brief
transcript of his bright faith We are told that
g" Love seeka contrasts; Friendship counter
parts"--and ,this is partial truth. IL is not
always like that binds like in friendly regard
or, if so, that likeness not seldom wears the
outward form of the greatest diversity. Con
trasts in seeming may, in TRUTH be correlative
and congenial in reality Humboldt suggests
that the great problem Of nature is sunity in
diversity'a-a cosinicai symmetry compounded
of infinite unlikenesses
From Plato down, sages represent love as the
great attractive force the bond of unity
| throughout the universe. 1t is the primal law
of life. 1t is higher law than-any expressed
| by the cold canons of philosophy; n larger logic
| than the sober deductions of reason Every in
fraction of this law is step downward and
deathward. So, too, as being rises in tho scale
of completeness, this excludes all other laws, or
absorbs and fuses them into statuesque SYM
metry, or rather into ruddy life Then and
thus each one rightly becomes ga law unto
himself" and the supremacy of the individual,
not of the general or abstract, is demonstrated.
Accordingly, hopeful dreamersahave always
fOreshadowed this glorious consummaton The
storied Atalantis reposes, it may be, in the far
g f,+,, h,t f,~ L--
its radent beauties have imaged themselves in
the visions of seers; through centuries it has
existed, an interior truth awaiting revealment
The Columbus Of this new world we recognize
not as yet, but we look forward to his coming as
confidently as good men of old awaited the new
dispensation. This shall be the readyent of the
fabled Astraa; the sacrament of universal
peace; the Inauguration of world -encircling
brotherhood; the millennium of reformers and
religions.
Thinkers on these themes too often chain
| themselves to preconceived theory or a fere-
gone conclusion; hence they insensibly mould
| their ideas in accordance with their favor
| lite dogmas, Through lack of courage, or
some felt necessity of dependence, they dstrust
their own impulses, seeking the security of an
established faith and daring never the heights
| Of intuition. But " nature, who permits no two
leaves to be exactly alike, has given still
greater diversity to the human mnd'' Each
separate nature has its own range, its own at
tributes, distinguishing it from all others; SO
that it cannot be entirely or truly measured by
any other Hence it were perhaps better to
disregard all theories upon these subjects--to
swear fealty to no set of opinions--to bow to nc
creeds. These are fruitful of false conclusions
often misehieyous in their working and results
Rather let us recognize these truths living as
they rise" and mark their beauty as they
| breathe around us.
have fallen upon gossiping mood, and will
desert this wide field to look at friendship pro-
per. mean not
| g Die away dreams of ecstatic emotion y
not the yearnings all too intense and deep fol
utterance, which fire the bosom as yet unknow-
ing of itself; not the wrapt devotion to a conf.
dante of . sweet sixteen p not the ardent flow
of after dinner feeling nor the nicely estimated
regard of your man of the .vorld-but a we'll.
founded esteem, living and lasting confidence
such that counsel and sympathy are mutual
lmpulSeS, WuiCu ButneiS strength aS III may So
briefly from years, and which makes glad with
its occidental glow the decline of life. Suof
friendship is rare, not impossible
Perhaps the old man Leius oyerstated til,
scope of this regard in saying ',Amicitia re'
plurimas continet;" but he uttered as uniyersa
as Roman truth in the same breath ssquoqus
te verteris praesto est; nullo loco excluditur
nunquam intempestiva, nnnquam molesta est
If ever untimely or ungrateful, the whole thing
must be mistake and no true regard.
Corydon-it was no blessing dispensed a
hazard, no chance attraction which drew us to-
gether and made rs friends As if anything
could have made us friends This mutual re
lance is born and grows, but is no more mad.
than the eye makes the light, or the car tn,
luxury Of sound. tits no more the work of care
full art than is the poet. The true bard, ,th,
high priest of nature must indeed learn much
He must watch the starry cirelings, and ehersl
intimacy with natures and the hearts mysteries
hskmust study the unwritten lore of the uni