The Richmond palladium., 1856-05-22
SELF GOVERN MENT.

He who can with mastery key unlock th,
door OF his heart, and however sigi = Il how
ever strong and forcIble It's impulsse ebbings
stay its troubled OF ulaIdened thIobbinss. AM
say hitherto shall We come but no farther, ;
las achi we'd conquest far surpa sing tie
the triumph-tEe honor Of conquered worlds
His trophy is a wreath from the garden @
Cod twncd by angel fingers.
Self conquest - sought by few. attained
only by the brave and true. Bat in this is
involved Jwo fylI consideration; We must first
thoroughly and fully understand our own
nature and disposition. be able to read all our
deficiencies; and secondly must acquire
>ihe power 10 supply these deficiencies
Mas consciousness teaches him that there
are puissaut aud natural powers within his
own heart; ali sufcen, to quei the most tur-
bulert sea, of human passion. and bring them
subservent to reason, and that their most po-
lent agencies are only manifested when bro't
into requi,ition by emergency. He who has
read single page III human nature, must
know thai not only daily, but hourly, reason
should stand on the watch tower; that, SO
prone to evil is his degraded nature, every mo-
ment requires guardian care. Here he may
see the need of curbing raging passion, there
the necessity OF calling forth more frmness-
and again lie may have to contend with host
of evils. all the darker powers of his nature
combined and arrayed in one formidable pha-
lanx. against which, apparently, Heaven 5
host might contend in vain. But man, with
his finite yet infinite strength. can repel the
darkest rebellion and bring his widest nature
into compass, SO that under almost all ciEcum-
stances he may preserve sell possession. But
how is he to bring about this self-culture, this
secondary considera.ion-that Of bringing all
forces. beth moral aud mental, to blend their
co-opera We agence, into common unison TO
form harmonious whole. Durability Of pow
and beauty. calm. siIe-t. Vet irresistibly
s:rong. He mu, fis. learn he order Of 'ure
for her laws are direct from OmuiScient Wis
dom. S.if government cannot be obtained
IN moEion., an hour, day, but IL re-
qures months aud years OF patient watchful-
ness. BY degrees, by slow measured advance.
tnent. by repeated and severe spirit struggles
in which If The Ii tht OF divine truth gain the
lea~t asc ndcncy, already he Will have made
lighter tie succeeding contest aud viii even
taa,ly accomplish bis noble design. But so
ga lua nay be this reformation that a. times
he may despair Of entire conquest, vet every
moment he Is firmly and stcadfa>tlv rising Spi-
rally upwards. and MS efforts like bread east
upon the waters viii return even II i: is after
many days But can all obtain SELF posses
sion? Can he whose intense pas>ion-fires
seem atljmes. not only to consume all within.
but his very being? Can he acquire the power
10 stay sarh ws-Ecsias flames? To bury
such sou. destroying heat? The uu!enlahle
answer Is man caA .'ag al LIS htrceSt fires
ana untamed PASSIONS INTO complete SuhJec-
lon; Tor Eternal J"-.5%e could noi IA high IN
hnie mercy have placed man here benighted
by dtrhHe>N and cNH rronvHs' '~S without
holy coaA.erac'iag power. s'rong enough To
conquer all ,b, malignant demon, tha. are ever
lingering near 10 mar liz fal! mess
Bat ma" cannot conquer s-f without the
assistance Of high agency. There must be
an entire reliance ou God e'e lie can accom-
Pltsh the great design Of self-s"vcrnment. for
Il Is a grand in is a.talaErR,s as l. j. noble
in its omnipoent power. lis one of the Vi
tai agents in the happiness Of the family circle.
one of the strongest principles in the soci,l.
c4vil. moral and reil-t'ds world. True. self
soreromc"t may sometimes Seem humbIing
and suoduIng. Vet the greater the evil over
come. the deeper. the fuller the succeeding
joy. and although it may Fraly seem m ordeal
heated seven tines, Vet fater not but enter
with confidence with faith. and at your Sye
VIII stand angels. bright a. those that guarded
the children OF t''i when the tyFant's viniic
tive lire> burned bu; could not consume Ia
hae We eanno; be happy witho1ti, We NAV
gal e7 riches from the depths ii science: CLEAN