Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-03-18
Lying.
And nil who told it added something new,
And oil wbo hoard H. made enlarpements tor

And all who heard it, made engagements, too.
Of all the vices, there is none more criminal,
more mean, and more ridiculous, than lying. The
end designed by it, is very seldom accomplished;
for lies are always discovered, at one time or an.
other; and yet there are persons who indulge in
this vice, who are otherwise of good principles,
and have not received a bad education.
Lies generally proceed from vanity, cowardice,
and n revengeful disposition, and sometimes from
n mistaken notion of self'defence.
Some, unfortunately, through early habits, have
acquired such a propensity to lying, that they cam
not avoid it, even when it answers no purpose;
nor can scarcely speak the truth, when it is their
interest. Others who d. not indulge in gross lies,
are much addicted to what may be termed refined
lying. They represent the outlines Of a fact, but
give to it coloring, calculated to leave a wrong
impression. This is 2 mode of lying more perni-
cious than the other, and equally disgraceful; and
both are equally beneath any man who has the
slightest claim to honor.
But there is a kind of lies, which not only
stamps the character with disgrace, but fixes upon
it a charge of cruelty IL mean the malicious lie,
told expressly to %injure, and without any motive
arising from necessity Or ~self.love.
He who tells a malicious lie, with a view of in
juring the person of whom he speaks, may crafty
his wish, for o while, but will in the end, find it
recoil upon himself. AS soon as he is detected
land detected he most certainly will bel he is des-
pissed, for the infamous attempt; and whatever he
may say, hereafter, of that person, will be con-
sidered as false, whether it be so or not.
If q man lies, shufies, or equivocates. flor, in
fact, they are all alike) by way of excuse for any
thing he has said or done, he aggravates, rather
than lessons the offence. The person to whom the
lie is told, has n right to know the truth. or there
would have been no occasion to have framed q
falsehood. This person, Of course, will think
himself i'll treated, for beings second time affront-
cd for what can be a greater afront than an at
tempt to impose upon any mans understanding?
Besides, lying, in excuse for q fault, betrays fear
than which nothing is more dastardly, and unbe-
coming the character of q gentleman.
There Is nothing more manly, or more noble, if
we have done wrong, than frankly to own it. 1t
is the only way of meeting forgiveness. Indeed,
confessing q fault, and asking pardon. with great
minds, is considered as 4 sufficient atonement.-
81 have been betrayed into an error" OF, 81 have
injured you, Sir, and I'm heartily ashamed of it,
and sorry for il" has frequently disarmed the per-
son injured; and, where be would have been our
enemy, has made him our friend.
There are persons, also, whose vanitylesds them
to tell a thousand lies. They persuade themselves,
that, if it be no way injurious to others, it is
harmless and innocent and they shelter their
falsehoods under the softer name Of untruths.-
These persons are foolish enough to imagine, that
if they can recite anything wonderful, they draw
the attention of the company and If they them
selves are the objects of that wonder, they are
looked up to Us extraordinary persons. This has
made many a man see things, that were never in
being, hear things that were never said, and a.
chieve feats that were never attempted; dealing
always in the marvellous. Such may be assured,
however unwilling the persons with whom they
are conversing, may be to laugh in their faces,
that they hold them, secretly, in the highest con-
tempt for he who will tell o lie thus idly, will
not scruple to tell n greater, where his interest is
concerned.
There is another sort of lies, inoffensive enough
in themselves, but wonderfully ridiculous:
mean those lies suggested by a mistaken vanity,
that i. feat the very end for which they are calcu-
lated, and terminate in the humiliation and con-
fusion of their author, who is sure to be detected.
These are chiefly narrative and historical lies, all
intended to do infinite honor to their author. He
is always the hero of his own romances; he has
been in dangers, from which nobody but himself
ever escaped he has seen, with his own eyes,
whatever other people have heard or read Of: he
has had more bonnes fortunes than ever he knew
women; and has ridden more miles post, in one
day, than ever courier went in two. He is soon
ulSCOVereu, anu as soon becomes tue OBJECT Of
universal contempt and ridiculc.
The prudence and necessity of often coucealing
the truth insensibly seduces people to violate it,
1t is the only art Of mean capacities, and the only
refuge of mean spirits. Whereas, concealing the
truth upon proper occasions, is as prudent and in
nocent, rs telling o lie upon any occasion, is infa-
nous and foolish.
Remember, that, though truth be sometimes
troublesome, it is always honorable. 1t has this
advantage, too, it needs nothing to help it out
1t is always at hand, sits upon our lips, and is
ready to drop out before we are aware, whereas,
n lie is troublesome; it sets a mans invention on
the rack, and one lie needs a great many more, to
make it good. 1t is like building on a false found
alton, which constantly stands in need Of props,
to keep it up; and proves, at last, more ~chargea-
bic, than to have raised a substantial building, at
fist, upon q solid foundation. Add to this, the
linr is the last man to know that he is found out
apd is in 'Hp disgrace, for years, before he is a
ware.