Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-05-27
Reliability.

the Importance of reliability as feature
of character. The subject is one that
cannot be too frequently discussed
Scarcely week gees by, without fearful
4 illustrations of the folly, nay, the crime
4 of unrcliability. This is especially the
case with the young and the inexperi-
4 fenced. They have little knowledge oi
the world, and they act throughout
I loosely and rashly. They forget that
iaS..ss- .-to--Yins for themselves a
name and a. reputation, and thus they
trihe with their word, they neglect their
engagements, and they violate the truth.
The consequences are lamcntable.-
An individual who begins life in this
way, will soon become distrusted, sus-
pected, condemned. There is nothing
like reliability in friendship, in business,
in commerce, and indeed in all the
transactions of life. Let this important
feature of the mind and heart become
FIRMLY established, and the salutary eff
fects will be seen in thousand ways
A few years since an individual on COM
mencing business, had occasion to ask
favor in the form of loan of lew
hundred dollars of a friend. 1t was
granted, and at The expiration ofthc ap-
pointed time, it was returned. Some
months after, the young man became
involved to a slight extent, and found
it extremely difficult to extricate him-
self. Herepresented all the facts frank
ly and without disguise to his former
friend, who Immediately proffered assis-
tance, stood by and sustained him. The
result Was, that he passed through the
frey ordeal, and is now in highly pros
porous condition. The friend, when
the second application was made to him,
availed himself of the opportunity to
give a word Of advice. lie said that he
had found him true to his first engage
ment, and therefore reliable man, and
he had faith in him. But, he continued,
IF you had failed on that occasion, or
had even quibbled or equivocated-I
would have suspected your integrity,
and have governed myself accordingly.
Be admonished therefore, in all your
future transactions. Never deceive one
who has befriended yOu-never impair
confidence that is hcrished-ncver, if
possible, violate IN engagement" And
this is the real philosophy, not only OF
commercial life, but of all the transac-
tious between man and man. The in
dividual who is not reliable, can never
be trusted on any occasion. He is his
own worst enemy, and will often deceive
himself Many persons arc in the habit
of postponing the discharge of duty
from day to day and from week to week,
because the tlsk is painful. Thus, even
from absolute necessity, they are com
PEELED to delay the payment OF loan,
or to violate an engagement they neg
lect to seek out the party aggrievcd and
tell them the truth. They thus attempt
to cvade or avoid the responsibility,
whereas they only deepen the injury
and make the matter worse. All are IL
able to disappointment and misfortune,
and it is impossible at all times, to con
troll our actions. But we cannot at least
explain the matter as fully and clearly
as possible. and thus eXonerate ourselves
from any wilful or wanton violation OF
duty. This is ever the case with the
reliable. They feel sense of their re-
sponsibility, and they would not COM
NIT any act calculated to weaken the
confidence that is felt in their honor, in
telligence and character. How broad
is the contrast with the uncertain, the
evasive and the unreliable! They can
be depended upon at no time and under
no circumstances. They are ever will
ing to promise, but rarely ready to per-
form They labor under some moral
obliquity of mind. They cannot ap-
preciate the power and beauty Of truth.
/ They falter and fail, when they shoul
be firm and resolute They can be de-
pended on at no time, at no place, and
under no circumstance. Their moral
constitution is defective, and they not
only annoy others, but they injure
themselves.
The force and beauty of reliability
cannot be too highly appreciated. With
out it, the human character is sadly de-
fective. No man can be honest who 1t
not reliable. No man can be trustful
who does not keep his engagements and
fulfil his promises. How many cases
of ruin have been produced by viola
ton of this virtue? The most cautious
are liable to be deceived once-nay,
twice But thereafter they will avoid
the unreliable as utterly unworthy, and
never to depend upon. The error, too.
prevails widely. Its real character and
its evil effect are not sufficiently recog-
nized. The trifing the inconsistent,
the unsteady, and the infirm of purpose
are among the reliable. So, too, the
heartless and the unprincipled. The in-
} dividual who coolly promises what he
never intends to perform, and thus KIN
dies false hope, is not only hypocrltlcai
but he is base. In brief, the quality OF
reliability cannot be to carefully cultiva-
ted. 1t is admirably calculated to adorn
and embellish character With it,
many little infirmities will be overlook
: ed: while without it. even the highest
: virtues will lose much of their force, in
r fluence and power-Fennsy'romta En-
> quircr.