The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-04-19


bur common acts and intents up 10
common siandard-a standard established
ou the immut'ble principe Of truth and
right? All this may sound 20 many ears
as little more than an abstract assump.
ton. Let the experiment for once be
tried, however. Of getting along without
such an abstraction. and see how wretch
edly it would succeed! For what we a.
gree TO call idealitied, and sometimes even
dreams and illusions, are butthe pilh and .
point of ever-enduring realities, without
which, business, society, education, COM
mercs one with another, labor of all kinds,
would be soulless and dead. The human
race could not live long thus; it lives 10
inspirations and ideas, Or dies. The very
man who boasts the most oi his practical
ity, forgets what telling words he thus
employs for the lmpalpsbe distractions
that have always informed and controlled
him. 1. . a =
The fatal mistake men commit 10 this,
as in other respects, is in thinking that
any private and selfsh advantage may
ever be got at the expense Of the common
interest. 1t cannot be, 10 the very ma
ture of things. Wha, concerns. one con-
Germs all To abstract from the common
stock, is to steal from ones own self. To
think you may chea. the general law OF
its operation, while every body else must
be rigidIy held to it. is to look for mira
! cles that will never be wrought |! IS
= vain 10 hope for any pardon for transgres-
sion Of this sort; it exacls its. hard bu,
: sure penalty as it goes along. What ;
man thinks he silly takes from another, h
: takes only from himself. The rest can
|. not be cheated, without his being cheate
= too. Perhaps he has no accusers 10 drs
e him up before tribunal of law, or eve
1t Of public opinion, for his shortcomings
> but lie knows his fault himself, and hi
l. thoughts will rise up 10 lie perpetual wi
nes:es against him. They may not piic
n Lis conscience for long time either; br
~ they do abstract the currents of his lift
of force. and to that degree they are wreaE
I'd ing costly and terrible revenge.
he Aud this matter Of personal force
at longer a mysticism to him who had lear
ke ed to read The true spiritual law of his |
to ing-deserves far more attention than
q. has ever vet received. So much Of it
wasted, absolutely thrown away, sunk
- the ocean Of nolEngness! There is
bo little economy of that energy and streng
l. Of which Divinity itself is So nice a calc
a lalor! We pour forth our lives for RAFT
7. and straws, and have rothing left W
~ which to 60 upon grand and worthy |
h, derlakings. Triaes draw off all our fire.
1ho est energies. and great things wait val
MD upon our feeble and faitering endeavor
int Il is because, in the first place, W.
Of not behold things as they are beca
one our perceptions need long and patti
Dck schooling; and, secondly, because we
Be. not able to see objecls in their right
tile latous. This making up the slate in
and is a highly important piece Of busiu
md All depends on the estimate We place
doe this object or the other one, what clas
,ali- motives we allow precedence and rul
for our acton, and how skillfully We are
|, ed 10 combine our aims and plans. In
or q .ense, We make or mar all icr our
out selves. 1t is truly astonishing, and
de- ly makes person oi sympathy and Sc
t be bill ,y lremble, to think in wha' head
of manner the million plunge along thro
mite life, and stumble out at The gate thu
this pens % the setting sun! No plans
tbe views. no arrangement of motives or .
the but all one grand medley and confu
sbut worse confound dl 1t is not life,
,ame such result as genuine discipline ca
,ape; no way be got out oft,
word And the largest waste of indivi
force occurs in consequence OF this
= ro headlong ignorance. Thus, TOO, our
,a.o point receives illus'ration-Ihat men
,rrt. themselves by seeking to deceive an
fraud others. 1t costs much large
/, noa penditure of force and genuine pow
: ,ho look after a lie, when it has been 81
.,o on its errand, than i, would TO suffer
u,.,s from any possible effects of teIlin
7, ia simple truth. In homely, but all the
that expressive phrase, sit costs more Il
ond comes to-" that is, the expenAiVen
to Of the eho''s "e -,
thout OF ia'seh0ou' nV
hon. is lar gre"'e' '""" Wv N""' ~
either begin TO warrant" 'r'@H
streets The Patagonians have a suPers
sis, to which has its foundation In un'ver
s; but ture, 100, that the valor OF every ic
he on. van9uish enters into their own
ng in making them all the stronger an
ID out. courageous for every encounter
an xCellent notion, considered ev'
srslv. but as poin. OF morals, ii