The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-09-06

COMMON SENSE. There is no sense so
uncommon as this, which is a misnOmer,
but it is nevertheless true. One reason
why common sense is no UNCOMMON is,
'hDt OrOple take it for granted that this
will grow without effort, and hence all
their studies are bestowed on books, on
science, or 0n the out,0G.theway- lines OF
thought and enquiry. They neglect the
modest violet at their feet, to grasp the
more pteSc.reioUs UowrYs at the tops oI
the trees, which they fail to reach, so they
get nothing. They have neither common
nor uncommon sense. ..
Nothing is really so important to men
in all the caliingS Of life as that sound,
practical Judgment to which we apply the
term common sense. This goes at par i'll
all channels Of trade, while that sense
which is iinical, learned, profound, and
remote from practical uses is available on
ly on rare occasions This sells well,
while your laboriously acquired cOnceits
are drug in the market. The instan-
taneous decisions Of unperverted reason,
as Webster calls common sense, are the
unSophiStcatcd prOmptingS of thought,
somewhat like tCe language of nature in
children. Crying to the little one in pain,
and laughter and hilarity to its Sportivc
moods, will come out as the occasion re-
quires aud to restrain the expression Of
either the one or the other, is to force ma
ture, and bring on constrained develop.
ment. Just SO with common sense views
of things; when they are supplanted by
great thoughts, lofty aspirations, or the
Disgusting influence Of things remote and
to most inaccessible, the man becomes q
mental monStrosity. People turn away
from him, andwonder what sort of a crca
ture he can be. He fOrgets that the ScnSC
which has in it qualities to make it com
mon, or to commend it to the unpervcrtcd
masses, is sure to find more buyers in the
market than any Other. aud that if h,
would drive brisk business he mus
keep it always on hand.
Common sense has made more great
men than book-learning. Washington
never saw the inside of college, and yet
he has left higher mark in the temple o
fame than any other man Of his age, be
cause he eXceltd in good common sense
Napoleon Bonapartc was scarcely better
educated, except in what concerns thea
of war, and was u man Of riratic genius
and yet his great practical shrewdncSS ol
common sense did more for him thar
anything else. lie was rarely ever bornC
away by passion or genius III Il manner tC
hide from his view the true relation o.
things around him, or the practical con
nectionS of cause and effect. AS Macau
ley says, mo man ever knew better thar
/ he what men and horses could do" CH
sar excelled as much in common sense III
in genius. And, indeed, no man was cvcl
truly great who lacked this quality.
/ Even in the ordinary calliugs of life, how
manleStly has common sense more to dc
with our success than any Of the rarel
qualities of character VI hat can farm
er Of genius do, in comparison with one
who takes a practical view of what his
business requires, and who prosccutes il
accordingly? Merchants may, indeed
now and then be made rich by venture
but if lacking in common sense to guild,
them in their new position, to know what
is fitting in the expenditure and invest
ment Of money, and to sober their idea.
on all subjects, they will just as suddenly
become poor again. SO Of ministers, law
yerS, physicians, and men who live by
their, wits; our experience is that the vii
most of all secure of success. is that o
common sense.-.N'er IOrk CHr0niclc.