The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-06-17
Saturday Morning, June IT, 1866.
True Courage and Proper Will

tials in the attainment of any grand result
All virtue, to possess any real value, to be
made available for any useful purpose in
society. must be coupled with large de.
gree of courage. What we call enterprise
implies certain amount of courage, aud
this courage. where enforced by intelligent
thought, concentratively directed to q
given and soeci6c object, eau. hardly help
being successful. That enterprise.is cou.
rage, md that courage implies intellect, is
suggestive of distinct argument to the
pride of people; since, in performance.
we grow to q consciousness of elevation in
our aims. aud capacity in the execution Of
our projects. We are required to be bold
and resolute even to attempt what we deem
to be necessary to our safety or prosperity:
But there is more essential courage,
where we have to begin our work of pro-
gress by effecting reform in our morals.
We are required, FIRST, to make just con-
fession Of our own deficiencies 1t re-
quires no little manhood to declare our
humility; and absolute daring is necessary,
IN the case of a very vain people. to per-
suade us to the admission that We only are
just what each man secretly knows him
self to be. And he alone is prepared to
think wisely who kno ows himeelf honestly.
We should pray to God TO know what we
are, and for the honesty to forbear all
false appearances; to know what we are
good for, and to implore the strength to
do it. And all this, as the times go. calls
for a more than ordinary degree of cou.
rage. The race has been SO long living in
the market place, living for the eyes of
others, and putting on false appearances
that it is no easy matter to get rid of the
habit of doing so. What our neighbor
thinks of US liz really of no sort of conse-
quencc. 1t is much more important that
we should he able to think gratefully Of
ourselves. And to do this, all that is ne
cessary. perhaps is perpetually to ask
ourselves what God shall think of Us. To
reach a wise humility, We must be at down
the usurpiDg vanity. Very few of ue IA
few seasons ago. at least.> were willing TO
admit that ou: neighbors could excel us in
anything. We were not TO be outdone in
any respect. A continual struggle was
going on in society to maintain certain
social appearances, even though at the
peril of all our securities-nay, to certain
ruin in the end-in the families of thou
sands. How seldom did we hear the ad.
mission that we could not afford the
extravaganza pract;ced by our weather.
neighbors. Who confessed his inability to
do th;s-buy tha1 To achieve this con
quest, enjoy that luxury; strive in any
field of rivalry, whether it contemplated
the vanities of personal or household
display, the contest of dinner and ball
giyingfdress and carriage, or the more
audacious ambition which carried tho
BOBBY to the halls of legislation, and ele-
vated the ass to his own shame in the seats
Of sagest councill The vanity which
prompted these passions and follies ran
through the whole circle Of society, till
few remained honest enough to be and to
appear only the creatures that they really
were: having courage superior to pre-
tension, and manfully shrinking from that
miserable cowardice-for it was cowardce
which could not 60 alone on its own
merits, and lived only by a perpetual lie.
You may trace all our present misfortunes
TO three of the subtlest devils that were
ever sent out from hell for the destruction
OF the race. Let US call them gene rails
far more potent than any that ever gra-
duatad at West Point-GeneralI J ignorance