The Georgetown news., 1856-03-20
Public Opinion.


OF a.l the attributes Of untrammeled liberty
free I" speak free to think free to act, ac-
r"rding ia the dictates of our own reason.
[ pom little reflection, such an idea will
prove to bc the greatest fallacv ever en-
braced hv the human mind. We are groan-
III" under tyranny, compared to which
the subjects Of Russian tespotism are free
men. We presume t0 say that there is less
oi Individual freedom in the United States
tLan III any other country in the world
Every individual, high or low, rich or poor.
l. The verie-t slave that ever existed only
at the will oGan imperious and cruel mas
ter We say every individual; there NAV
he some exceptione--hut if there are, thev
are like angels visits, few and far be-
tween.
How true il Is, tLat, in all the various
grades of society. thele are Int very few
who dare to think and act for themselves;
aLd thai TOO upon questions and subjects
where The RIGHTS and interests of the great
mas are moi directly at stake. In our
country il Is becoming altogether too much
the fashion for individuals to allow their
nechbors t. think for them. John Smith
doe, rot follow tie dictates Of his own iudg-
neut. bat allows himself to he guided alto
eether by the Judgment Of Jones and Brown.
John Smith dare not assume the responsi-
biiity oi having an opinion IN any subject,
until Le discovers what kind If an opinion
viii best suit bis ne;-hbors, Jones and
Brown. SOFT is all through. the ,Joncsos,
and Browns. and Clarks furnish opinions
lor the g:iGaLce ut their Geighhor-.
1t has become TOO much habit amongst
u. when Il course Of action i, proposed or
a liEe ct policy Is suggested. before adopt
iGg it to inquire "Iiow does so-and-eo like
IL" or. how Will it hc received by What
d'ye-caIl-em:' our own individual sense of
right ard wrong i i mere secondary con-
liberation. We are becoming 50 democrat
ic that We cannot think for ourselves, but
must allow others to thiuk fer Us We are
50 afraid of Public oi,iui n thai We dare
Hot harhor thought or ii We barber it,
dare not express II until we tirst assure
ourselves whether that monster tyrant,
Public Opinion. viii tolerate it. If this
tendency, now very prevalent, is not soon
checked, instead ot being nation Of free
men. We snail hecome nation Oh slayes;-
we shall be subjected to the very " Norst kind
Of slavery. that which eu-Iave> tic Mind to
matter.
The phrase = o1 0ep"f,. Io'- Dc,,' is re-
ceiying almost TOO literal an application,
and shouId we think be substituted with
20. Couuant.c. lot H." Tie practice
of allowing others to think for US. tends
soon To degenerate all that is ncbl, in man,
and reduces him lrom reasonable and rea-
soning being. To mere pnppet that con-
torts and cyrate according 1" the hand that
pulls the string.
Our public men are too APT to allow their
notions of right and wrong to be governed
altogether hy what they consider to be the
notions OF the majority. This we consider
altogether Wrcng. Every man was created
with perceptive and reasoning faculties dis
tinct from his nei@hbor. aud by nature ey-
ery man is endowed with an Inherent right
to the free and undisturbed possession and
use of his own judgment, and his own ideas,
even if they run counter 10 the whole world.
1t is no argument to say, that because a
majority think that such thing is right,
that it must of consequence be right. On
the contrary. ii is more reas, nabie to sup
pose, that the majority generally are wrong.
as at least one half never take the trouble
to think for themselves. Int allow others to
think for them.
We think ii our public men would more
generally b. governed by their individual
senses OF wright and wrong Ill acting upon
questions that come up for their considera-
tion, rather than stop to inquire how it
would he received in this quarter or that
locality, the public would be the better for
their labors. Although Public Opinion
is most unrelenting tyrant, it is, if posi-
bic, more caprieious than cruel. What is
vice, in its eyes, to-day, tomorrow becomes
virtue: and the actions that meet its ap-
proval today, tomorrow receive its most
bitter censure. its very capriciousness,
therefore, should warn Us not 10 give any
heed to its mandates. nd let it be the re
solve Of every man through life, to follow
the dictates Of his own conscience and judg-
ment, careless IF the opinions OF Others, aud
then if he suffers for his error, it will be an
error Of his own iud gment, aud not an er-
ror forced Oh him by others.
Sonora Herald.