Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-01-14

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man is good he wishes to be thought be
ter; if wise, more profound; if handsome
) more beautiful.
Thus men wish shadow, four times q
r large as their body. And a reputatio
, four times as great as they merit. Lik
banks, they have three paper bills for eve
ry dollar of bullion in their vault:
Laughter.) If man is worth $500, OO
he likes to be reported at million, and
worth half million he aspires to enjo
the reputation of more than millionaire
but the assessor brings him to bis senses
andthe subscription paper wakes him from
his golden vision. There are few men VII,
say it is my duty to make myself popular
and confess that to be their aim and OBJ
ject; they say it is nay duty to obtain in
Auence, and under this name they car
cultivate vanity and selfishness. 1t would
be base to say l will not set out in this o,
that cause for | should lose MY popularity
and so men say it is not my duty to impair
my influence. Let every man who nour.
ishes his influence and who is seeking ap.
plause under the cover of influence, probe
to the quick his motive, and see what de.
mon his deity is. Real influence does not
lie in other mems wills but in your own
strength. If man is true and has q
heart that dares speak the truth, that man
need never ask whether he shall be inhu-
cntial. He may not be loved he may be
hated, or feared, which is the parent of
hate, but as to influence, it is not with the
popular will, but with his own good heart
and good sword of truth. The weights
never ask any favor of the scales thou
sand pounds weight, thousand pounds by
force and not by courtesy. If one has
the elements of power within himself he
will stamp himself fupon other mems :uinds
without asking leave. Let him have cour-
age and magnanimous generosity of pur-
pose, and he will have influence, and let
him abide in that magnanimity when storms
come as when the sun shines, and he will
never lose it.
Meanwhile, how base it is to see men
thirsting for applause, running round ia
king good things as dole, and reputation
as charity-paupers Of public sentiment
Under such course of conduct men salye
their conscicnces with the term prudence
Moral prudence is right judgment, and
an application of proper principles to prac-
tice. Prudence in mora! things is always
coincident with rectitude, so that if he
knows what it is, he always knows what is
prudent. Real prudence never sneaks and
says an untruth; it is frank and fearless
and never insinuates what it will not say.
What shall be said of that slippery, artful,
venal quality SO prominent in the hall of
legislation, which substitutes the love Of
applause for the love Of right? That is
no: prudence.
This distraction becomes toucl,stone in
itself between reputation and character,
for neither you Or |, my friend, can give a
man character. 1t is sometimes the case
that We are applied to by those who do US
service, and arc leaving our employment,
to give them character charity which
they sometimes necd-but which is utterly
out of our power to give them. Laugh-
ter) They can give it themselves, and
nobody else; we can give them reputation
but not character. We can none of us
take away mans character. No hand
bnt the hand of God Almighty can do that,
but we can destroy his reputation, and that
is all. 1t is happening every day that
men lose their character for the sake of
keeping their reputation, and that, ap-
prehend, was meant by Our Savior where
he speaks of men " losing their lives, that
they may save 1t, and saving their lives
that they may lose it."
Whoever does mean thing for the sake
Of popularity, whoever neglects to do right
for fear of blame, in order to arrive at a
creditable reputation, is like shin plaster,
passing current until presented at the bank,
and then good for nothing. daughter }
A man of truth and honor is always dis
cernible in times of turmoil as we'll as in
times of quiet, and though he be shorn of
reputation, yet nothing can detract him
from his character. 1t is as abiding as
the mountains, and after ages shall take
their observations and departures from it.
Without entering upon further prelimi-
nary discussion, l shall proceed to show
that the characters of all men will be found
included in their classes. First, all who
have one single faculty SO fully developed
that it gives direction to the whole mind.
Second, class in which groups Of facul.
ties are visible; and thirdly, that curious
class which comprises men Of many and
complex characters.
In the first group, then, We are to place,