The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-08-17
From Blaekwoei Magazine, De
PRAISE VS.. CENSURE.

Phadrus has an apologize which may
be thus paraphrased:
From our asek., xssa life ::.jssa<n.s:sssin',
Two sacks Jove. the Ftther suSpendsi
The holds our own proper sins,
The other the sins of our friends
The arsf Man Immediately throws
Out Of sight, out of mind, at his back;
The last,is uflder his nose,
He seesevery grain IN the sack.
No one can deny that animals in gen
eral, and men in particular, are keenly
susceptible to praise. Nor is 1t less
commonplace truism, that the desire
appreciation is at the root of those act
ions to which the interest of the so
ceties they are held to benefit or adorn
has conceded the character of virtue,
and sought to stimulate by the promise
of renown.
Yet, in our private intercourse with
our fellows, there is no instrument of
power over their affections or their con
duet which we employ with so grudging
a parsimony, as that which the most
pleasing and efiicacious of all We are
much more inclined to resort to its con-
trary, and, niggards of praise, are prod
igals of centure.
For my own part, I think that, as
word of praise warns the heart towards
him who bestows it, and insensibly trains
him who receives it to strive after what
is praiseworthy, and as our lesser faults
may be thus gently corrected by discip-
lining so ne counte merits to ~tro ger
and steadier efforts to outgrow them,-
so it is, on the whole not more pleasant
than wise to keep any large expenditure
of scolding for great occasions, and
carry abont with us. for the common in
terchange of social life, the argent de
pocAe of ready praise. Scolding begets
fear. praise nourishes love; and not on
~ are human hearts. as a general rule.
more easily governed by love than by
fear, bat fear often leads less to the cor
rection Of faults and the struggle for
merits than towards the cunning con
cellment of the one and the sullen dis
couraoement of the other. But let me
be understood BY praise l do not
mean fiattery: | mean nothing insincere.
Insincerity alienates love, and rots away
authority Praise is worth nothing if it
be not founded on truth. But as no one
within the pale of the law lives nabitual-
" with miscreants in whom there Is no.
thing to praise and everything to cen
sure,--so the persons with whom man
tolerablv honest is socially conversant
must have some. good points, whatever
be the number of their bad ones. And
it is by appealing to and strengthening
whatsoever is good in them, that you
may gradually simulate and train for the
cure of what is evil, that tend ency of
nature which, in mind as in body, seeks
to rid itself of ailments pernicious to
its health in proportions as its nobler re-
sources are called forth, and in its nor
NAL functions are righted by being invig
Grated.
A certain man of learning and genius
with whom 1 am acquainted being frus
trated in the hope of a distinguished ca
reer by disease which compelled his
physician to interdict all severer task
work of the brain centered the ambition
defined to himself in his only son, whom
he educated at home. To him, riIl ant
and quick, this boy seemed the most stolid
of ounces a friend to whom he com
49, 10
stroyed his last earthly hope, and embit-
tered the sole occupation which sustain
ed his interest in the world, said to him,
.. Let the boy stay with me for week,
and at the end of that l will tell you
what can be done with him" The faith
er consented When the week was over
the friend came to him and said, Cour-
age, your boy has one faculty. in the
YOU and myself. 1t is true that he can
i only learn 4 very little at a time, and tha,
I with a slowness and difficulty which
must be tenderly consulted But the
very slowness aud difficulty with which
he acquires an idea, inpresses that idea
lastingly on his mind, unless you con
fuse and etface it by sending another
idea to unsettle it before it be fixed. If
when he bring YOU his exercise of siS
lines, barred and bungled. you cry
Blockhead : and give him box on th'
ear, certainly you give him something L
remember which is not IN his lesson
Tf.,~
before him one idea at time-associat,
it with pleasure, not pain; he will keel
that one idea firmly, and that one ide'
will lead on to another In a word. new
er scold him for the slowness of his ap
prehension: praise him cordially for tn
tenaciousness of his memory. Instea'
six lines and blame, give one line am
, praise The father unused. Now yo'
mention it." said he, the boy has