The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-02-19
PUBLIC SPIRIT.
Il Lecture delivered Jan. 23d, 1852, to the
Young Men Of st. Paul, Minnesota, by Req.
J. G. REIHEIDAFFER
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.1

PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.J -
The subject upon which am now to address
you, is one of the greatest importance to socie.
ty: by this we mean. that it is important to
each individual member of society. When We
speak of society, of the Church. the country, or
the world, the idea in our minds is apt to be
vague and definite. We are in danger of view
ing these, rather as great bodies formed by
man, than as being composed of individual
men, women, and children. We admire splen-
did building, because of the beauty of its pro-
portions, the taste displayed in its architecture.
and its elaborate finish; but in such a view, we
do not take into account the separate materials
of which it is composed. We are prone to
look upon society much in the same light: we
admire nation for the power, wealth, and
grandeur displayed in its armies and navies,
and the magnitcence of it's wealthy cities, the
Church for its perfect organization, the pomp
of its worship, and the number OF its members.
without inquiring how far it tends to promote
the spirituality of the individuals of the body
ecclesiastic, how it provides for its poor, or
what tendency it has to fraternize all classes
in Christ, and thus break down, in the hearts of
its members, that spirit of pride which aims to
mOnOpOliZe Heaven as we'll as earth.
We stand upon an eminence, and look down
upon some great metropolis, thousand gilded
chariOts roll along its thoroughfares, forest of
masts fill its harbors, its levces are crowded
with busy thrOng of men. long rows of marble
fronts line its streets, its hundred spires point
to heaven, and its gilded domes throw back the
sun beams. and its fashionable avenues are
thronged with gay multitude. This external
splendOr deceives us, and we are filled with adj
miration of the great city. But what might
we behold on n nearer inspection: there are
here and there dark spots on that fair face;
blocks abandoned to the abode of vice and
wretchedness, streets through which respccta-
BILE people do not pass even at MONDAY, there
is poverty, filth and crime enough in the Gel
lars and dark lanes of that city, to make the
heart sick. and to cause the true philanthropist
to forget all its splendor.
We should learn to view society, as compos-
ed of individuals, each possessed of heart
strung to joy or sorrow, and ever vibrating to
the touch of the one or the other. That is
ever to be regarded as the most exalted public
spirit which aims to dcfuse its blessings, caus-
ing them to fall upon the individuals composing
society.
If there is in the nature of man one princi-
pie, whose cultivation, more than that of any
other, tends to elevate the better feelings of
the soul, and cause sunshine in the heart, it is
encouraging the heart to feel for the woes of
all who are mortal and the hand to extend
help to the suffering.
.'Tis not to pause. when at my door,
Answering brother stands,
To ask the cause, that made him poor,
Or why he help demands:'
Commend me to the merciful man, and will
show one, the pulsatons of whose heart are
felt throughout the whole city
Man is made for society: God said. at the
first, it is not good for man to be alone. He
needs the society of his fellows, and the moral.
physical, and intellectual proceeds of combined
action. Through society. in all its forms, we
derive the majority of our blessings. Its cor
ner stone is the union of the hearts of two
friends.
''Fricnds few earth and therefore dear.''
a friendship in which one holds up his fellow,
or lifts him when lie falls! Young man you
need friend! 1t is not enough that YOU have
no enemy. but find a friend a man whom you
can take to your heart of hearts, to whom
you can bind yourself with a cord that even
the bony hand of death grapples in vain to sew
er.
more enlarged sphere for the action OF
this principle is the family, which it is the in
terest of all to make the prolific source of So
cial blessings. From this starting point, socic-
ty expands, as wide as states and nations, and
is the creating power of all forms of govern
ment, and all associations, which are only its
instruments. AS the utility and efficiency of
these depend upon the amount of true public
spirit they cmbody, and as that public spirit is
the aggregate of the public spirit of the indi-
viduals composing these societies: it must be
apparent to all, how important this spirit is to
the happy existence of man.
The individual who lives only for himself
has no claim upon the esteem of society; he re-
ccivcs its protection. and partakes of its bless
ings, simply as an ungrateful beneficiary. True
government is so organized, and sustained
that he is compelled to pay, in cash, for some
OF Its benefits, but he pays only what he is
compelled. He sends his children to a school
house, the erection of which, he opposed be-
cause of the tax; he wOrships in a church that
Others built, and paid for: his wealth is ncrcas-
Gu ny the completion of enterprises, in
which he took no interest: he lives for himself
and makes self the centre. arOnnd which reyoIye
all his efforts; he never docs one act willingly
for the public good When he dies. the world
owes him nothing and his memory rots spccdi-
~ Had all men lived thus, the world would
still be sitting in the region and shadow of
death, and ignorance hanging like a pail over
the nations.
lie is public spirited man, who takes Vi
tai interest in all that relates to the welfare of
society, who has heart to devise liberal things.
and hand ready for the execution of such de-
wees Such a man is foremost in the promo
ton OF every good enterprise, he is the friend
OF the poor, of education, of the passage and
execution of good laws 4 protector of the
helpless, teacher of the ignorant and the
guardian of the orphan. Such is a friend of
man, pillar in society. and when he dies. men
miss him. and mourn as for a brother.
The exercise of this principle may be con-
iined In its action to particular localities or he
as wide in its sweep as the wants of the world.
Some connect themselves with particular socic-
ties, in which they render certain service. and
from which they expect in return certain bene-
hts They take great interest i'm these socie-
Ties, ana are ready to promote the welfare of
all who belong to them. Although this NAV
be better than absolute selfishness, yet in itself
considered it is not a high manifestation of pub
lie spirit Such should not permit this connec-
ton to abstract their attention from the rest of
the world; should they do so, it will contract
their feelings, and destroy the pleasure felt in
with man as man.
The Church is theatre for the exercise of
more or less public spirit. The Church is made
up OF different branches, or denominations. and
all who hold the fundamentals of Bible trutb
must be regarded as belonging to it. Each
branch OF this Church carries on its own work
IN Its own way, according to its understanding