The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-11-12
Independencc,

Reader, you have just as much right TO or
pose all the world as the world has to oppose
you. There is not asingle consideration that
ought to induce you to yield the least Difference
OF opinion TO all the rest of mankind, which
does not equally obligate them to yield to your
opinion. IL you have satisf Glory evidence
That your sentiments are true, you should mair.
tain them, although they are entertained by no
other individual, land that too with the same
zeal and assurance as if they were endorsed
by the erudite and authoritative And why
should you NOT /? Are you not yourself? Do
not you exercise your own mind Do YOU use
another's brains? Is the majority less liable
to err than the minority? Is it any more pro-
bable that what all the world declares tue, is
in fact so, than it is that the honest declaration
of single unprejudiced, calm and Jealous
thinker is the truth? We say not-and ssert
that the multitude, with all the preiudcial in
fiuences which prevail, is more apt to err than
is the INDEPENDENT man. 1t is foolish mock
cry for any one who pretends to think, to RELY
upon the dictates of the so-caled learned and
influential for his notions OF truth,-we saw
notions, because such an ore can have moth
ing but notions-he has no conceptions Of
what the truth is. And yet how much /, the
world governed by authority? There is hardly
single principle of metaphysics carried into
practice which is not either supported by the
authority of the past, or If not so defended. If
has been established only by long and vio-
lent warfare against that authority. See two
dlvines discussing tn merits of their respective
tenets;-they search through all the oldest IL
braries Of the world to find some books tbat
that are buried in the dust of centuries. that
will furnish argument-the argument of an
cient opinions,-as though that which was
first promulged were true because sanctifed
by time. There is nothing in fact more hu-
initiating than such course as this,-it places
us in an unfavorable light as to our indepen-
dencs Of thought. How is it? The man of
this century adopts blindly the views of those
who believed the earth flat, and fixed in an u,-
movable position, and that the sun rose in the
east and set in the west, without any satisfac-
tory conception whence he came in the morn
ing, or whittier he went in the evening while,
did they now live, they might stand upon We
nice and behold the Earth rushing on in her
annual course around the sun, and farming her.
self over every twenry-fouI hours-or he
might leap astride Comet and speedily make
the journey Of the skies, seeing as he passed
the magnifcence Of the mechanism of the
universe. Away with such mode of deter
mining the truth! No one ever knew any,
thing which he DID not cognise with his own
faculties,-and the. least reliance whatever
upon what Others believe and advocate only
renders our own knowledge less. We do not
speak against consulting others on any uues
ton, for this is frequently of great advantage.
Books written by truthful parsons awake some
new thoughts in the minds of the reader and
start new trains of refection,--and the same
benefit is derived from an interchanging of
sentiments between inquiries after truth. We
should, however, be able to avoid being i'm
posed upon in this respect, eitherby books or
friends. We hear and read the opinions of
Others, and the danger is we may make them
our opinions through blind and thoughtless
confidence; whereas, were we thoughtful and
cautious, we should perhaps readily detect
their error, and discover thereby the real truth.
This reliance of which we speak Is illustrated
by an anecdote DIR. Rush relates of a celebrated
divine of his acquaintance The was preaching
with power against the new tangled y no.
lions of the times, and in the heat of the con-
treversy declared, 81 rather cling to an old
error than adopt new TRUTH
But We Go not only derive much of our thee.
logy from the writings of ancient commenta-
tors, but our common law comes, in a great
measure from equally reprehensible sources.
The rules and usages by which we administer
justice were in the main established when the
feudal despotism held the people in chains,
and when Lord Bacon, in accordance with the
spirit Of the age In which he lived, took brides
from his clients ia enormous amounts, and
when aristocracy in its most odious forms
CLEANED from the judgment seat, and cruelty
glared from the halls of justice. We have. it
is true, somewhat bent the system to suit the
present, but it still bears deplorable evidence
of deficient independence.
We have therefore admitted to our columns
= series Of articles which We believe will prove
valuable accession to our paper. They APP
Dear under the initial H. -
Let every one, then, examine for himself,
and not adopt doctrine till he has reason to
support it. It is time for free thought aud
free speech to abound. Let every one ma. :
fully contend against what he considers error,
although it be adopted by all others. We give
the writer referred to the benefit Of our opin-
ion that he has the good Of mankind ir view,
and their moral elevation.
A FAST JUDGE.-His Hon. Judge T. w.
Claggett Of the Des Moines aad Lee District
Is putting the lawyers parties litigant, and
the Editors through at an unheard Of rate
The former he has fined all round in one case;
he fixed the bail at 10000 and in another a,
$4,000, and Mr.. Durham Of the Hawk Eye.
he caused to be arrested and brought before
him for contempt in publishing an article in
his paper rejecting upon his course. Oae of
the oldest attorneys at the Burlington Bar, re,
fuses to practice before him, and there is talk
Of impeaching him. This latter, however, il
surmised TO be coveted by tho Judge, on tn.
supposition that 1t would make a martyr Of
him. Mr.. Durham has and merits the sym