Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-01-01
The Simplicity Of Greatness.

We have often been led to observe that the
pervading characteristic OF Genuine greatness Is
humility. The truly great man is never pre-
sumptous nor OstentatiouS. With all his WIS.,
dom, there is no pedantry; with all his virtue,
there is no prudery; with all his wealth there Is
no boasting display. His speech is simple as
wise his life understanding as pure: and his
habits all marked by pIainness rather than by
pretension. The innate nobility of the truly
great mind scorns the pomp and prctence Which
pass for greatness with the vulgar and undls
eliminating multitude. The practised dignity
of men--the studied preciseness ofspeech-the
decorum which seldom smiles--the gravity
which never jests--these palpable indices ofas-
sumed greatness, are held in contempt by the
truly great man. He is always simple and nat
ural--his language unadorned and manners
unaffected. Not the laborer in his poverty is
more humbe--nor the nntutored child in his
purity more unconstrained No man is beneath
his love and sympathy; and he fears no abase-
ment from association with those whose social
rank is less conspicuous than his own. In his
intercourse with his fellows, he never betrays
consciousness of his superiority. He has
elimination of worth in obscurity. His venera-
ton for manly character is impulsively shown,
but he has no respect for the conditions OF birth
and fortune, and no federation for that mush-
room greatness which grows out OF illustrous
mems graves, or for that which is more willing
ly recognized, springing from crowded Golfers.
In the worlds estimate of men, the preten-
sions of ignorance, and the opinionatlve pride OF
little learning, pass for more than the unosten-
tatious requirements of knowledge, and the et-
frontery of conceit wins the distinction due to
shrinking merit. The world should remember
that much pretence is the infalble sign Of lit
tie possession; and that the elements of great
ness in human character spring mp beneath the
shadows of life, and shun the G lare in which ar
rogance thryes. The person who by genius
or shrewdness, or good fortune, has attained
position above his fellow men, and seeks con-
stantly to impress upon observers the lmmeas-
urable distance between them and himself how
ever great his eminenee, is devoid the highest
attributes of great man. He has not the in
born nobility which is satisfied with sense OF
its own existence,--the magnanimlty of spirit
which is above the vanity of eelat,--and the
gentleness of heart which shrinks from infllct-
ing pain, or awakening envy in his humber fel-
lows. The aristocrat who suffers his wealth to
be barrier between him and less fortunate hu-
manity, however respected is but base mind
ed egotist The scholar in whose wisdom is
drowned his sympathy for the unlettered world
is more profound in his research that in his un-
derstanding. The man into whom is born
great soul, can never be separated by wealth
from the poor, nor will learning raise him above
an acknowledgement of his intimate relations
to those favored with less degree of mental
cultivation The quality of his greatness
which adds grace and splendor to more brill
liant attributes, is his unaffeated simplicity and
freedom from pride.-Port!and Transcript.