The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-28
Sterling Integrity.

day. Behold, here witness against me befOr, the
Lord, and before His anointed whose have taAen
whose have taken or whom have l Gefrauded
whom have oppressed or of whose hand have received
any bride to blind mine eyes herewith and will restore
it you.-l Sam. xii, 2 3.
Such was Samuel's address on the heights
of Gilgal where he had assembled the tribes
for SauPs public Inauguration as king 1t
was glorious testimony to the justice of this
appeal, when the shout of an assembled nation
echoed back Thou hast not defrauded us, or
oppressed us!
Can we, each of us, say the same? Can we
stand up before high heaven, whatever our sit
uation, Or circumstances, or profession, and say
with an honest heart, These hands are clean
[ have never defrauded my neighbor or wound
ed his character, or sought to exalt my own on
the ruins or at the expense of his / have
never stopped to do an underhand deed, or be a
party to clandestine transaction that cannot
stand the light of day! | may be in humble
circumstances wealth, or position, or influence
may have none. | may be poor, the victim of
designing men ; but, thank God | have good
conscience. This volume of my inner life cor
responds with the outer. Every leaf may be
read fiud the blot if you can.'
There are volumes in this worlds strange
library which have their splendid exteriors-a
binding gilt and embossed but on opening
them, they are tattered aud worm eaten they
cannot bear inspection they are to be looked
at, not examined. When opened they fall tc
pieces, like the dust in the mummy.case! 0
rather have the outside cover poor-the bind
ing tattered-than the leaves soiled with mer
f camille depravity and william fraud rather the
scanty meal and the frugal dwelling than th
banquet with its every piece of plate Showing
the reflected face of hungry creditor, and tn
music Jared with the whimpering cry of tn
/ defrauded orphan
Y If there be character which we would, NOR
y than another-like the enchantress at the cav
: of Endor-conjure up from the invisible worl
: as grand pattern for the times, it is thi
great Aristides* of the Hebrew Common
wealth-this venerable impersonation of old
world honor and integrity. Would none COW
er in guilty shame at his appariticn Woul
no knees tremble if the shade appeared in tn
> shop, the warehouse, the market-place the ez
y change? We have plenty of Sauls nowadays
men Of brave heart, and fiery impulse, an
warrior spirit, all ready with the greaves {
e brass and spears of iron. We need more
n the Samuels who, with the moral armory
= probity and honor, will save their countr
. from q sadder invasion than that of sword an
~ bayonet and from a more humiiating ard d.
e basing ruin.
Avoid-and young men especially--ayoi
d all base, servile, underhand sneaking way
n Part with anything sooner than your integrit
y and conscious roctitude flee from injustice
# you would from viper's fangs: avoid lie
r, you would the gates of hell. Some there al
3 who are callOus rs to this. Some there al
e who, in STOPPING TO mercantile dishonor al
y baseness-in driving the immortal bargain
P think they have done a clever action. Thin!
are often called by their wrong names d,
- picity is called shrewdness, and wronghea
n edness is called long g-hoadedness evil is callC
e good, and good evil, and darkness is put fl
Q l9ht and light for darkness Well! be it S
of You may be prosperous in your own eyes
e, you may have realized an enyied fortune; yC
d may have your carriage and plate and servan
: and pageantry but rather the shieling and tt
n crust of bread with good conscience, tha
the stately dwelling or palace without
Rather than the marble mausoleum, whi(
glds and smothers tales of heartless villain
+ and fraud-rather, far rather, that lowy hea
e Of grass we were wont often to gaze upon
s. an Old village churchyard, with the simpI
, : stone that bore record Of cottar's virtue
q Here lies an honest man
t There is nothing more sad than to be carrie
e like vessel away from the straight course {
l. principle; ; to be left stranded outcast thin
If on the sands of dishonor q man bostering hin