The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-12-19

SiS "Ht ifoSIitutcS W q ieCc pt'sSfO Vi oth-
or mems ideas, that divine energy which
was meant to be fountain of thought
itself. 1t serves as bondsnnan where it
| ought to reign as master. This base
subsection of the mind to outward inf1u-
ences is tho death blow to all originality
in the individual and to all advancement
in the community. The faculties which
fostcred and strengthened by exercise,
would open untried avenues Of thought
are cramped and dwarfed to accommo,
date already existing boundaries of
knowledge.
In every department of lite we may
behold the deleterious effects of this bon
dage Of thought. Opinions like gar
ments are cut according to the fashion.
To every arbitrary standard supported
by the authority of a few great names,
society bows with all the humility Of an
eastern dcvotee. No matter how palpa-
bic the inconsistency, or how glazing the
absurditv men fear to destroy or reform
that which is protected by socety's ia
boo, and then the interests of the whole
world may wait, but the landmarks
which authority has pla ted aud which
society venerates, must not be removed.
For these and many other evils that
weaken and corrupt society, there is n
common cause and common remedy.
They vii originate in tho undue vonera-
ton that men lave for one another and
for the arbitrary laws Of custom. Pub
lie opinion is made tho ulti nate test Of
truth, and tho law of precedent is prefer
ed to the law Of common sense. Thus
every system of error is almost impreg-
nably fortified against attack By the num-
Der of its adherents and the antiquity Of
of IFS origin. The remedy for these
evils is to be found in adopting cor
rect system of mental Developments
Mankind has been divided into three
c!asscs-those who think for themselves,
those who use the thoughts of Others, and
those who do neither the one nor the
other, the two later constituting the
great mass Of mankind, and vet every
step IN human progress has i, en- the
work Of SOME one bold thinker, for it is
by free and independent thought alone
that great and simple truths are reached.
These when published to the world
become common pro ,,erty. Though they
may be distastcfuI and even repu.siye at
first, they are sure to be adopted to pop
ular use and finally to be cmbo died in
the life and character Of people.
The question for every intelligent man
TO decide, is, whether he dare think for
himself, or whether he will be contentcl
10 follow in the train of some party, sect,
or leader. In other words whether he
will stand upon his own individuality
! md have a character Of bis own, Oh will
be blown about BY every winl Of doc
trine, shifting as often as he is brought
in contact with other minds. In either
case there are difficulties and objections
It hard to rouse the sluggish powers
Of the soul to energetic action. 1t is on
y by patIcntand unwearied labor, that
those faculties, by whose mysterious
working thought is evolved, can be arous-
ed and brought into action. And on
every hand n thousand aIlurements offer
themselves to tempt us from the weary
course of toisome study and reflection,
to the far easier ore of reposc and credul-
| ty. 1t is difficult, moreover. to shake
off the effects Of false education and deem
rooted prejudice. 1t seems at first i'm.
pertinent to question the high authorize
whose appearance is so imposing.
We are shocked at the irley erent
spirit which seeks to destroy idols wor-
shipped through SO many generations.
Men are astonished to learn that opinions
long revorenced as absolute truth are but
the views of some other man as Impcr.
feet aud unreliable rs themselves. The
power of prejudice too, is stronger than
the love of truth. We become pledged
to this OF that side, and then farewell,
candor and investigation.
Bat if we would preserve our individ-
ual identity and employ our whole force,
if we would develop ourselves naturally
aud thoroughly, we must occupy to some
extent the position of a doubter and qu9s-
toner. We must be ever ready to in
yestigate whatever we are called upon to
accept. In this way the peculiar gifts OF
intellect. wherein men most differ, are al
lowed to brir g forth their natural fruits,
life becomes an earnest lealitv; the
boundaries of thought are widened, and
the experience ofeach man is SO much
added to the sum total of human knowl-
edge.
This habit Of self-reliant investigation
may however be carried too far, and in
stances are not wanting in which the re-
suit is the vice of intellectual pride, or
even worse, of univeral skepticism. To
guard against these, se,f,reliance must be
tempered with degree of se!f-dstrust.-
We must be careful not to fall into the
same errors we condemn in others
There is hardly any subject of humun
interest concerning which doubts cannot
be raised. In fact, the great business of
life is to solve the problems it presents.
We should endeavor to draw aside the
veil of mystery and darkness that ob-
structs our view and never rest satisfied
with the gratuitous assumption that the
limits of human intelligence have been
reaehed-ever willing to confess our own
ignorance, but never admitting that all
further efforts must of necessity be in
vain.