Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-11-12
Freedom of Thought.


claim the truth. Such men deserve our
highest admiration, for it is truth, and
a lamentahle truth, that mankind are
prone to stone to death their own proph-
cts, while they raise up monuments to
those Of the past generation.
Those who have given to the world
the most sublime of truths have, in
their own day, received the greatest
censure. Years roll on, and their de-
pendants acknowledge them as benefac-
tors, and award them that just, desery
ing praise which while they lived was
denied them.
The funeral Of Socrates was hardly
celebrated ere his tickle minded country
men repented their rashness, ac-
knowledged his innocence, revoked his
sentence, and put to death his accusers
Harvey, even by his most intimate
friends, was regarded with distrust-he
was altogether 'stoo speculative, . "too
theoretical, and his enimies saw in the
publication of his tract on the circula-
ton Of the blood, nothing but indica-
tions Of a presumptuous mind, which
dared to call in question the revealed
authority Of the ancients
Calico was threatened with death if he
did not declare his assertions in regard
to the motion of the earth to be false.
Robert Fulton, even in enlightened
America, was branded as a lunatic.-
And Prof. Morse was commiserated by
his friends for being misled by the alb
surd idea of an electric telegraph b.
1t has proven too true, in all ages and
in all countries, that he who advances
a great and new idea will meet with the
opposition Of thousands who judge with
out examination. And yet have not
all these great men received this re-
ward? Was that soul-inspiring con-
seriousness of having done their duty,
of having given to the world the living
truth to them, as nothing? Did they
not feel their souls rise within them and
hear a gentle voice whisper words Of
Appreciation !? .a8
10 him who loves the truth because
it is good this high neral feeling is
alone a sufficient recompense. Az, yet
he receives more unborn ages will rise
up and bless his name, they will cherish
his remembrance and could he speak
from the tomb, he would say Il am.
fully rewarded
These were men who dared to think
for themselves they believed in the
divine right of independence Of thought.
Not content with the vast amount of
knowledge which they could CLEAN from
the works Of others, they studied the
great volume Of nature, and here they
discovered the falacy oflong reyerenced
ideas
The iron-shod steed which now thun-
ders across our continent, and bears our
produce from State to State, which
shortens distances and promotes our
happiness, once existed but in magma
ton $ realm. The thunderbolt now
chained, bows to the wish of man and
speeds along the telegraphic wires to
bear our thoughts. The mighty ocean,
once barrier never crossed, has now
become the world $ highway, and nations
having friendly intercourse with nations
paves the way to common brotherhood.
Such are the products Of free I'M
trammeled thought, once considered as
the illusions Of weak, unbalanced
brain. How sinful then, for US to cry
that mortal man who dares express an
opinion differing from our own There
are truths yet to be discovered, laws to
be found out, which, were they pro-
nounccd to-day, would bring down up
on the discoverer the contempt and
ridicule Of the world Under fear of
this, who can tell how many bright
schemes have died within the breast,
how many lofty intilects have smother
ed the glowing fires within them and
passed off the stage Of life, to be for
gotten? 9as
Sir Herschel once said, "The charac-
ter Of a true philosopher is to hope all
things not impossible, and to believe
all things not unreasonable. One Of
the most daring, noble thoughts Of man
is summed up in the simple sentence
s,All arc created free and equal" and
though this proclamation has caused the
tyrant to start from his very seat and
quake with fear, though while whole
nations armed themselves and cried,
"Down with the wretch who dares pro-
claim equality" 1t was truth none the
less. When the deep and earnest
thinker beholds man whose locks are
white With age, bow before a new born
babe and say, 1T is Of royal blood
designed by Deity to rule" he turns
away to mourn. Such use not their
reason. The earnest thinker turns to
nature; he marks the sun, the winds,
and gentle dews they favor not one
more than the other, All nature seems
to say Equality. The humble born can
rise to fame, receive just and honest
praise, while royal life, giving way to
selfish pleasures, may go down to just
oblivion None rule by right divine
save those whose riperj judgement should
command respect, Upon this truth
Il Il