Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1859-10-20

From the Springfield Republican,
PREACHINGS UPON POPULAR PRO-
VERBS.
RI TIMOTHY TIrcoMB
"selfloyc is mote in every mans eve"
"If you love yourself overlnuch, nobody else
will love you at all.
If sleep. sleep for myself; if work know
not for whom"
"Thc way to be admired is to be what we love to
be thought"
There is class of men in every community
that, more than any other class, desire popu-
larity, and less than any other class gets it.
They may be men of pleasant address and
honorable dealing, but there is something a.
bout them that rrpels the popular sympathy.
If the people were to be questioned as to the
reasons of their antipathy, they would, i'll
most instances, End it difficult to make an i'll
teigcnt answer. They would say with Tom
Brown:
Il do not love thee Doctor Fell {;
The reason why cannot tell
But this alone know full we'll
do not love thee, Doctor Fell
The unfailing heart recognizes all unworthy
and repulsivc element III these men, though the
intellect may fail to comprehend it. Now, if
the intellect will make direct inquiry, it will
find that these lovers of populsrity are SUI
premeIy setish--tbat they love themselves
better than anything, or anybody else, and
that all the popularity they long for and seek
for is demanded by their selflove. They are
not men of generous impulses, but Of cool
pains taking calculation. If they make gift,
it is for purpose. A policy that has its
center in self over-rules all their actions.
This element Of popularity i'll mans char
acter is very little understood. On locking
about us, we shall find the popular favor be-
slowed with comparatively little reference to
personal character. Many man, known to
be immoral, will have troops OF friends. while
multitude Of others, of whom nothing bad
can be said, will have the affections of no man.
These facts show me how closely, side by
side, the better intutionS and instructive judy
ments of the world stand with abe central
principle of Christianity The world, no less
than Christianity great human heart,
no less than the true gion--demauds that
men sLa be unselfish before they receive per-
sonal affection and favor. Religion asks for
more than unsclfshncss, because it lays its
claims upon personal character and personal
devotion, but it starts at that, as the initial
point. The world asks that man shall be
generous from natural impulse, and not from
any special principle, or policy. 1t is often
that these impulsively generous men are I'M
pulsively vicious, yet this does not always,
nor often, repel even the good from sympathy
with them. We love some men in spite of
ourselves. Our Judgment condemns them, our
religious feeli ,gs are offended by them yet
the one elem mt of good which they possess re-
ceives our adm ration and our homage, and we
return their cordial grip and greeting impul-
sively, and protest only in secret leisure.
All of US love to stand well with cur fcl-
lows. We thirst for popular esteem, and re-
joce in popular good will. This desire for
popularity is universal, though it has its birth
in widely various motives but it is never sat
is6ed when it is called forth by and to gener-
Gus natures. The whole world loves Florence
Nightengale, simply because she unse!i<hly
sacr feed the ease and comfort of luxurious
home, for the purpose ministering to the wants
Of the sick and wounded soldiers Half of
the worlds admiration of Jenny Lind grows
out of her characteristic benevolcnce. The
rough fireman who braves the dangers Of a
| burning house, to save the life of some help
less inmate, is regarded as hero, and we toss
up our caps as he goes by us. The man or
the woman who, from generous impulse, risks
danger and death for others, or who from a
similar impulse, becomes the subject of suffer
ing or Inconvenience that others may be bene-
fitted, compels the homage Of every coguizant
heart.
If we love ourselves ovcrmuch, nobody else
will love US at all. We cannot get the worlds
esteem without paying for it in advance md
even then our sacrifices will avail nothing un-
less they are made without reference to the
object Of gaining popularity. The world has
aud insight into motives, which easily detects
the calculating element in all benefccnce and
oil generous doing. 1t is the native, impul
sive, matchmaking generosity of a deed that
kindIes our admiration-the doing good with
out reference to consequences that inspires ou1
love. We demand that a good deed, to bt
the subject of our admiration, shall be thu
spontaneous offspring of an unsetish chival
rous heart. The meanest man in the worl(
admires agnauimity-the stingiest uncalcula
ting generosity although he may feel himsel
incapable of their excrcisc-just as q ma,
physically weak admires q commanding per
sonal proves, and coward deed Of dar
ing. So the tribute to generous, unselfsh
gallant doing, is universal.
A thing which is so good and admirable il
universal human Judgment is certainly some
thing which demands careful cousiderat ton
especially ms it abides the secret of this uni
versal'y coveted good will. The world de
clarcs that selfshness is mean, and unselfsh
ness, generosity and magnanimity are nobl
and admirable. This decision cannot be al
tered, and ought not to be. A man who's
plans have reference only to himself is con
temptible man. We neither love Lin no
trust him. The man who says-"if sleep
sleep for myself if / work, l know not 70
whom" is man whom all hearts despise-iu