Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-09
MDRAL AMID RInlGlows.
From the Philadelphia Ledger
The True Philosophy Of Life.-Moder.

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Moderation is not only wisdom, but virtue. ,
How shall man live so as 10 length
en- his days, and at the same time to 10
crease his social and intellectual com
forts and enjoymer,sl This is ques
tion that possesses vital interest 10 all
and yet there are few who discuss il witt
thought, reflection, and philosophy
The multitudes live on, careless OF to
morrow, and as ;f they we're to live for
ever. call men think all men morta
but themselves" In youth, and when
life isfull OF excitement, this, perhaps
is natural. Then the present alone il
cared for, and the future at least has no
gloomy forebodings. Fancy colors evc'
ry,hing with rosy hues, and hope il
buoyant, the heart is impulsive, and care
and anxiety and responsibility have mol
yet influenced the mind and marked the
forehead. But when youth has gone by,
and the character 10 a certain extent ri.
pcncd and matured, the modes of life,
even with those who can afford to pause
and reflect, are not adapted to prolong
human existence, and to increase its 40.
cial enjoyments. Thousands and tens
Of thousands. perish annually who nigh!
by proper means, live for years and
years. They are the victims Of excess
and imprudence, and are, in fact, moral
suicides, They cannot master their pas.
sions, they cannot control their tastes.
thoy cannot restrain their appetiles, they
cannot resist the temptations around
them.
The true philosophy Of life is modera.
decentralization not only in eating and
drinking, but in all indulgences and ex.
citements. The head should be kept
cool, the mind should be kept clear, the
heart should be kept true, and the con.
science should be kept easy. These, to
very considerable extent, comprehend
the duty of man. They teach him not
only how to live, but they prepare him
for the close Of life. The ancienls per.
haps understood these things better than
the moderns. They recognized the init
mate connection between the mind and
the body, between the physical and the
mental man, and they endeavored to
make the two harmonize. They lived,
not for the day or the hour, bu. 90 as to
prolong human existence, and at the
same time make it agreeable. But in
modern days, all is excitement, and
everything is up 10 fever heat. We
leap, as it were, by telegraphic impulse,
flom one world TO another. Moderation
is ignored. 1t is regarded as ou, ofplace.
The young rush on wildly and reck less
ly; the middle. e.aged strain and exhaust
themselves in an effort to keep up, while
the old gasp and groan, and groan. and
sink into the grave. All live too fast.
The exceptions at least are few and far
between. Even enjoyment is made q
sort Of madness, and nothing will now
do but the keenest and most absorbing
excitement. And thus il is, that while
with all our Improvements and discove.
ries, with the wonderful march Of sci.
ence, and the many triumphs Of civil.
zation, the span Of life is rather dimin.
ished than extended. There are few
who linger on the stage at three score
years and ten, and the number, it may he
feared, is constantly diminishing. The
reason is palpable and plain. We neg.
lect or forget the experience Of bygone
sages. We disregard the teachings ofI
wisdom. We turn deaf car 10 the ad.
moni,ions Of even Death himself. The
philosophy of moderation is stantly
violated. We yearn, and grasp, and
clutch, and thus we strain and snap the
springs ofexislencs. How few are there
among the sons Of men who can prac.
tice a spirit of content! How few who
adapt their tastes and expenditures TO
their means! How few who pause calm.
ly at some critical point on the road Of
life, and determine their future coufso in
spirit Of common sense, not 10 say of
enlightened wisdom! All more or less
shut their eyes to the truth. All yield to
some delusion. All permit themselves
to be self.deceived. And thus it is that
errors are committed, that dilemmas are
encountered, that suffering is experien.
cej, and that much Of life itself is OK.
hausted. a '} us.
= ga sober life," according to an emf.
nent author, .implies moderation in all
things. Ii consists in moderate eating,
moderate drinking, and in the moderate
enjoyments Of all the pleasures Of this
worId-in keeping the mind moderately
and constantly employed, in cullivating
the affections moderately, in avoidingl
extremes Of heat and cold, and in shun.
ming excessive excitement either Of body
or Of mind" This is the true doctrine,
the real philosophy. But how difficult,
it is to practice! The rich cannot or
will not, for their means and temptations
are so abundant. The poor cannot, for
they often lack the essentials. and are
compelled to overtask as we'll the body
as the mind, in ordef to secure the actual
necessaries Of life. The middle classes
will not, for they are constantly seeking
and striving to be ranked among the
rich. And SO TOO the ambitious, the av.
aricious, the selfish and the vain. All
are absorbed by some passions or pur.
suit. All are discon,ented or anxious,
and thus the beauty, the duty and the
Of moderation are neglected,
Knocked at and violated.-t
In ordinary affaits, a daily account is