The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1856-01-11
!. THE BANNER.
,e EAS34G WIssga
FRIDAY MORNING, JAKEARY III /, 1856
For the Weekly American Banu
Cnmvassing Motives.


Creation IS a strange chaotic mass. Here We
find mystery on mystery. innumerable, yea inf
nite vet Of all these my steres man Is the elm az
the grand point of their elimination. Endowed
with mind capable Of iiinite improvement, with
soul immortal; 10 al save his Creator, these are.
;ncomprehensible. Yet, with all these wonder-
rul principles either he misuscd them, or there is
in the nature OF great m .jority cer'an Proui
denttai pcculsafitses The more reasonable Of
these conclusions presume is, that man deprayed
as he Is and surprisingly wicked, rather abuses
his faculties, than that his Maker Instituted in
him primarily this. That some are more prone to
evil han others. IS unloubtedly fact, and from d
slight Foaenoss p l||c heginning. BY 9 coutinaed
license procec
bad TO ~ 49,
labyrinth, there Is e.
probationers ~ "a l6bjeet to an alIloy -. |lI!!-
tude of temptations. each varyiIg in the magni-
tude Of its criminaity, and its power to lure us;
and from each and every one Of these no man
perhaps is free. And Of all these perhaps there
are none 50 low, so debased, so shameful, as the
professed eanvasser of the motives Of his fellow
man. Yet such We find in every community aud
invariably where such are exist private dissen-
sions and an entire absence of social enjoyment
The object of these moivc-canvassers it is dill
cult task TO divine. We Invariably find, in our
intercourse with the world that when mande-
parts from aconsciousness of strict moral rect.-
tude, it is occasoned from some seeming policy,
| from peeuniary or selfemolument, or to satisfy
the cravings Of vitiated appetite. Here then
we perceive his object cannot be policy, pecuni-
ary advantage or selfcinolunientr for who In bis
right mind could believe that he could raise him.
self in the estimation of Others by tracing every
action of theirs to some sinister motive? Could
he be viewed in any other manner than despi
cable mcnial and q fawning sycophant? Then hi.
object must be satisfying the cravings of vtiatcd
passions. He therefore is reduced to selfish be.
Ing, attempting to rise on the downfall aud de
lstruction of his more honorable companions
Companions into whoscsfriendship he has ingrati
ated himself by such vile means, and this too b,
appearing their frmcst friend. The canvasser o
motives is not merely menial, q syeophant, bu
he adds to this meanncss the guilt Of tho traitor,
Can thercsbe crime baser than this, incident I,
fallen man! But this is not all. He soon be
comes despised by every one.s He can find n
congenial soul to associate with, he Is an Isolate
character onthe theatre Of life, uncared for an
unpitied. He judges all men by himself, an
fears to seek sympathy from any, and consequent
" cannot, or the same thing, will never be n
claimed, until with the goadiBgs of remorse, th
tings Of an accusing conscience, his basc-hor
lsoul assumes the gnrb of immortality, and sink.
by the retribution Of an ayenging God, into eter
nal torture. and his body the encaseHent Of sue
soul,
,lnSinks into the vile dust from whence itsprung,
: Unwept, unhonored and unsung.'
Can there be any who would not shrink bac
with horror from such life, and such an .epitap
( upon their tomb. And, since it isequaly as nj
! natural for man to cast his principles in such
mould, as il is to cast them in the mould of vii
ltue aud benev volence, and 50 great difference
ltheir final reward. Doesitnot seem marvellous
Emysterious that any one Of Gods reflective crea
lures could prefer the former TO the latter cours
So, this essay end as began,
4 That all is mysLery; aud the greatest. man.
II