The Cedar County advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Iowa) 1853-1856, 1855-11-07
Narrov.uindsd Opinions.

Once the English notion OF French.
man was that he was vain, boastiul' ana
lived on frogs. About the same PERIOD
the French idea Of an Engishman was
savage who ate raw beef and went 10 oeo
drunk. The Chinese, to this day, talk
of Europeans as "ou,side barbarians. II
is d common thing for stupid English
Doors, who cannot pronounce their MOTH
er tongue correctly, to open their eyes IN
wonder Mt hearing Americans talk Eng
lish better than themselves. The Congo
negro who has picked up al old cooked
hat, or worn.ou. pair Of old pan'aloons'
looks down with contempt on his less
fortunate neighbors. Even in civilized
society the same narrow. minded con-
tempt of those who eat, dress, think, OF
live differently from ourselves, is an every
day affair. The fine lady who sports
camel's hair shawl, turns up her nose at
the woman who wears an ordinary blan-
ke,. The exquisite, who worsh'ps his
tailor, sneers at the man with an uniash-
ionable coat. The would-be aristocras IS
shocked to see his people eat a dinner
without soup or fish, to drink wines out
of the esta blished order, or to mix cream
in the coffee with which they conclude
the repast. =.
But to persuade themselves. in this
way, that they alone are right, and that
all others are wrong is weakness which
men are guilty In proportion to their lg-
norance and consequent prejudice. lie
who never travels, and much the more
he who never reads, remains all his hle
the prey to such notions. 1t 10 by NIX
| ing with our fellow.men, it is by visiting
foreign countries or informing ourselves
accurately abou, them, that we lose the
narrow. minded opinions, which led Us to
dispise those who live in a different
manner from ourselves, speaking diff.
ferent language, or worshipring diff.
iersnt way. Human nature is substan-
tally the same in all climates A COM
mon inheritance Of JOY and grief, Of good
and evil shared between those OF the
mos, apparently opposite character.
For the Creator has made all men in
the language Of the Holy writ, one lin.
cage and one blood. The negro who
adores his Fetish, is the brother Of the
white man who, bows the knee in GIL
dsd chapel; and it is less diversity OF
blood, than difference OF opportunity
which has made one christian and de-
graded the other to heather. 10 i, wise
or humane therefore, to dlspise those
less fortunate than oursslvesf Ought
We no, rather to pity than to scornl
Would il not be as well to remember
that Jus, as we look down on these, other.
may look down on us1 Or that the On
npresen, Judge. if he did unto us As we
do unto others, would mete out our mar
row-mindness the same want OF charity,
with which we measure what we think
ignorance or inierlority.
The Pharisee in the temple said TO
the publican stand aside IL am holier
than ,fou.' II it was only in little things
that men spoke thus to their nslghbor,
nov, if j, was only In regard TO the
trivial matters 0: dress, eating or man.
ners, this narrow-minded sef-suilic ency
wauld be comparatively small ofance.
Blu: when men dlspise others FOR the
accidcn, of their birth, or for a differ
ence in religion, the CRIME becomes high
treason against the common bond Of hu-
man brotherhood. II vas not so tina, OUT
fathers acted, III tier expansive love oil
humanity, in that maiured wisdom winch
was world comprehendIng, |, WAS sc
the great and good have ever acted. A
generous charity for interiors, and rea
diness to elevate them TO a higher stan.
aara, have characterized ali OF when
The world was worthy in every age.
l. is much the aim Of large heart
and expansive intellect 10 DO free from
prejudice OF birth, race or religion, as i,
is proof Of narrow-minded bigotry 10 be
gu l.y OF the other.