The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-05-20
COMMON SENSE.

Ono OF the things nnrftu IN TINS
our day is more IL an article common
~ denominated common sense. 1t is
getting TO be very rnrc. 1t Is the
scGccst and most uncommon commod-
ity among us. We want a school, and
academy, a college an institution Of
some sort, where comn'Dn sense can
be taught theoretically and illustrated
practically.
The sources of common sense, like
tho sources of common atmosphere,
are so abundantly provided, SO very
common THAT - hive overlooked its
value entirely There is nothing which
nature has SO lavishly supplied to us
as tie mir We breathe or should breathe.
for 'n the breath is the life And yet
ono half of our people arr trying in
all possible ways to keep It out of
their mortal bodies; while moiety Of
the other half are constantly killing
themselves in their Efforts to initato
and poison what little they do breathe
8c the lady, otherwise coed look
ing in that muIderously tight dress;
and the gentleman with a cigar in his
otherwise dscontlv slaped mouth
And the water we drink, on should
drink, is distilled for ms from exhaust
less fountains The clouds above US.
the lakes and rivers. and springs, and
strcamlets among us, and the illiwta-
bic ocean around rs, sufficiently attest
its value and importance.
But, alas, it is common And hui
man beings must, forsooth, rack their
brains, and destroy half the grains and
fruits Of the earth, which God inten-
ded ion our puest nourishment and
highest development, to concoct an I'M
common beverage. Hence rum, gin,
brandy, wine, cider, etc, have supplied
Natures drink, and consequence
brought ruin and desolation upon
half the human race.
And our common sense, MS the
common air and the common water
has been literally cast out o. the syn
aeogues, to make room for something
uncommon Our common brains
and common instincts are combined,
cribbed. confined, repressed. distorted,
perverted, retroverted, so that every
thing IN us and of us shall be III some
way unnatural, uncommon.
Our buildings must each be construc-
ted on different plan; not two gen
tlemen can dress alike; the ladies not
dress similarly; and the sexes must
have nothing like a family resemblance
in any Of their multitudiuous habili-
ments In short, common sense must
be turned ont Of all respectable socie-
ty, in order that very uncommon odi-
ty, eccentricity, or montrosity may be
entertained and glorihed. We Will
not worship the true God because He
is everywhere present at all times; He
is too common. But viii make gray
en- images. and torture ourselves with
the vehcmence and violence OF our
unnatural and false devotion
Almost every person is born with
the clements within him and the in
fucnces around him, for achieving dis
tinction, for becoming good and great.
If individuals do not succeed it is
generally because they do not exercise
their commensurate capacities They
have fallen into the prevalent false
staa,iard of judgement, and have
learned TO estimate the value of things
by their scarcity This should not be.
The commonest things are through
out all Gods domains, the most yalua-
bic Our truly great men are always
our common-scnsicnl men. And the
same is true Of our truly good women.
All really great and good persons are
those who cultivate their own minds,
and apply their own powers and per-
captions TO the things, the realities
around them, without relying passive
I " ON the brains of hers In this
way they become Us, i, thoughtful,
active, and self-relant Their entity
becomes more and more indiyidualized
and their individuality tends more and
more to an independent personality
They are in the order of Development,
progress.
Remember Franklinl He is ON
type, our model of a common-sensc
man. Few men are so well known
in history. Very few are SO often
quoted. Scarcely one has made q
deeper impression on human society
Yet he was not greatly distinguished
in any particular line, He never was
a general, as Washington was; he was
not a philosopher like Newton; nor a
motaphysician Ike Locke. He was
neither distinetively, but he was all
collectively He was great in little
things His greatness consisted in a
correct appreciation Of the relations oi
common things. He was not great on
great occasions, but great ON all oc-
casions. He was ever ready to turn
the little acts and incidents of life to
practical account He possessed an
uncommon share of common sense,
and this was the secret of his distin-
pushed character, his worldwide rep
utahon, and his extraordinary inhu-
ence.
Ears oS Horses. 1t is good sign
for horse 10 carry one ear forward
and the other backward when on a