Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-07-31
Martyrs to Mistake.

Mankind can hardly DC 'oo WV"
minded, that there was once mar
named Socrates, between whom ana the
legal authorities and public opinion o
his time, there took place memorable
collision. Born in an age and country
Astounding in individual greatness tins
man has been handed down TO US by
those who best knew both him and the
age, as the most virtuous man IN III
while we know him as the head and pro-
totype of all subsequent teachers OF VIZ
tue, the source equally of the lofty IN
spiration of Plato and the judlcious utll-
i.arianism of Aristotle, 81 maeStrt d. col
Or che sanno," the two headsprings OF
sthical as of all other philosophy. This
acknowledged master of all the eminent
hinkers who have since liyed-whose
anne, still growing after more than two
housand years, all but outweighs the
whole remainder of the names which
makes his native city illustrious-was
xut to death by his countrymen, after a
iadicial conviction, for impiety and i'm
aaorality. Impiety, in denying the gods
,acognized by the state: Indeed his ac-
,;1ser said he believed in no gods at all.
anmorality, in being, by his doctrines
..nd instructions, "corrupter of youth
In these charges the tribunal, there is
nvery ground for believing, honestly
;ound him guilty, and condemned the
Snan who probably of all them born had
deserved best of mankind, to be put toI
$; cath as criminal.
Let us add one more example, the
a,ost striking of all, if the impressive
eess OF an error is measured by the wis
-'om and virtue of him who falls into it.
If ever any one, possessed of power, had
grounds for thinking himself the best and
most enlightened among his cotempora-
lies, it was the emperor Marcus Aurelus.
Absolute monarch of the whole civilized
world, he preserved through life not only
ste most unblemished justice, but what
.yas less to be expected from his Stoical
breeding, the tenderest heart. The few
'ailings which are attributed to him, were
i On the side of indulgence; while his
writings, the highest ethical product OF
he ancient mind, differ scarcely percept-I
bly,, if they differ a, all, from the most
characteristic teachings Of Christ. This
nan, better Christian in all but the dog
matte sense of the word, than almost any
# the ostensibly Christian sovereigns
who have since reigned, prosecuted
Christianity, Placed at the summit of
all the previous attainments OF humanity,
with an open, unfettered intellect, add
character which led him of himself TO en-
body in his moral writings the Christian
IDEAL, he yet failed to see that Christianity
was to be a good and not an evil TO the
world, with his duties to which he was SO
;eepIy penetrated. Existing society he
knew to be in deplorable state. But
such as it was, he saw, or thought he
saw, that it was held together and pre-
vented from being worse, by belief and
reverence of the received divinities. As
a ruler of mankind, he deemed it his duty
not to suffer society to fall to pieces
and saw not how, if its existing ties were
removed, any others could be formed
which could again knit it together. The
new religion openly aimed at dlssolving
these ties unless, therefore, it was his
duty to adopt that religion, it seemed to
be his duty to put it down. lnasmuch
then as the theology Of Christianity did
not appear to him true or OF divine ORR
gin; inasmuch as this strange history of
a crucified God was not credible to him,
and system which purported to rest en-
tirely upon foundation to him so wholly
unbelievable, could moi be forseen by him
to be that renOvating agency which, after
all attachments, it has in fact proved to be
the gentlest and most amiabe of philoso-
piers and rulers, under solemn sense of
duty, authorized the persecution OF Chris
tianity. To my mind this is one Of the
most tragical facts in all history.-John
Stuart NIL.
Ga The physician who is advertised
to cure " all kinds of female weaknesses"