The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-04-12
AN A ID d R e S.S +,
D'iirertd before tie Richmond Library As
'oeiotion. March 2ith, 1862, by 4. J.
HoJIs.
FREE THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION.

Although encomiums upon our father
are familiar as household words. yet, in viz
lation Of the general rule. their familiart
does not forbid reiteration. The America
heart swells with gratitude and nation;
pride when reference is made to the Rsvc
lutonary patriots. This is especially tru
now, that we begin 10 estimate our Iibertie
by the blood OF husbands. brothers An
fathers. Doubtless. if Davis despo;isr
were fully upon US, we would more keenl
realize the value Of our institutions; yet, "
have so many sums Of their value, that
viii take century to cast up the account
The great drama Of personal. political an,
religious freedom. is set for the stage of thi
western world. The characters have beel
cast by the Great Disposer. How rapidly
the scenes do pass! Whether tragedy o.
comedy shall be the end, under GID, W,
have the choice. Or whether the las
scene. with hope. shall inspire the down
trodden millions. it is for US to say.
We need not congratulate ourselves upor
having powerful government. as regard:
physical force. Nor half million army
nor a three hundred.ship Navy. These. il
is true. may be turned to freedoms account,
to guard and defend the citadel of liberty.
But it the head be designing and the Ma
tion's heart corrupt, Instantly they may be
made the instruments OF the viles. tyranny.
Oar institutions. if upheld at all. must be
supported by the leads, hearts, and hands
Of the peopls. This is more demon strably.
true. Of our government than any upon the
face OF the earth. The humblest peasant
has . voice in the election of tie officers,
from the lowest to the highest. Not a sn-
gle law can be made and perpetusted with
out his consultation. nor any lin, Of State
policy pursued. unless he holds one end OF
il. This power extends also to the church.
Generally, he may elect the clergyman
10 celebrate his nup.ials. or deposit his loved
ones in the cold tomb. or break to him the
bread of life. 1t is not wonderful then. that
il has been SO often asserted. that Intelligence
and virtue lie at the foundations Of our So
cial and civil systems. This being true.
and we will make il our postulatum. how
can We be prosperous and happy. and our
civil institutions be secure, without Free
Thought and Discussion? In vain may we
search the world for an intelligent and vir-
tuous people. who do not freely think and
Investigate. BY thinking. We become pro-
found. by discussing. we impart that pro-
fundity to our contemporaries and posterity
Our collected wisdom becomes foundation
upon which the next generation may build
30 generation after generation may rear the
pyramid Of truth. until the last. from the
slvated apex. shall fraternixe the two eter.
ninea
- hrnuoeeannle1lnuy nuyasssst-nGscussfon
= - 0sssrslly gusfded, il is not to be |
denied that upon this subject. as all others,
there are extremists. 1t would be hard to
mention anything to be used. that may not
be abused. We are free to confess that
ara mi ~ lie e
what is commonly called free thinking, GER
iainly an abuse OF a great privilege, but hap
py Is that man. who goes not to the other
extreme, and thinks not at all. 1t takes
o skillful oarsman to steer between this Scylla |
and Chary bdis He must listen. neither to
the Syren songs Of ease. in carrying an
empty brain, nor Righteousness, in drunk
emily reeing over the confines Of rule and
reason.
That class Of men who vaunt themselves
free thinkers, and tina, they are 'the light of
the world and the salt of the car,h," and are
not to be hampered by the views and feel
ings of others. frequently deserve the judg-
ment. given by sensible men, of the live
secesh. who boasts his ability to whip five
Yankees. Does he naiter himself that he
10 the only progressive in the world, it is be-
cause he has resurrected few old ideas,
thinking. in his blissful ignorance. that they
are original. Does he boast that he reasons
before he acts. for the most part he acts
without reason. Does he look with con
tempt upon the faithful followers of the
lowly Nazarene, he himself is contemplate
in the eyes OF eighteen centuries and the
civilized world. DIes he boast himself free
from the supers,itions Of religion. he is
slave to unsanc,ifed passions and appetites. |
Does he imagine himself a Goliath swas-
gering in his self-conceit, ere he is aware, |
he may fall by a pebble from a stripling's |
sling. All such men. while they think
without restraint. and glory in the freedom
of thought. are, doubtless its worst enc
mics. Because they lead many into ruin.
by their plausible theories. Also. by be-
getting the opposite extreme. Becoming
disgusted with the course OF such. seeing
that their promises 10 redeem the world by
their free thinking principles are abor,ive;
also, that they only perform the fools task
tearing down. but not building anything;
We arc apt to return to ancestral ways, and
content ourselves with past achievements:
in short, not to think at oil. Both the un
thinking and free thinking are found in al
most every community. Ii is to be feared, |
however, that the former largely outnumber
the latter, although one of the latter will
engross more attention than many Of the |
former. This is 50, principally, for the reason
ths, dull clod Of dirt commands not the |
notice Of the dashing meteor In the one
case. there is a similarity OF the one clod |
to acres as far as the eye can reach In the
other. the meteor in its hsshy and dazzling
passage, is ia striking con,ras, TO the steady, |
beaming star. May We not Justly assign
places in the scale OF honor and in,eliectusl |
~, to the unthiaking. free-thinking aud
thinking correspondent to the attitudes Of
the clod, meteor and star? So i. appears to
me, for the man who lives bu, thinks not.
had IS well been made monkey. He is
shOrn Of his claim TO dwelling place in the
world of mind. He is closely allied to mere
matter. and like it. is at the mercy of extra
Deous influences. True. such men live and
move. but their very mobility makes them |
the supplest tools for evil. in the hands OF