The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-07-28

poses II complete hearing and deter
minatiOn of the cause. 1t is therefore
true, as general proposition, that when
habits are once formed, they are usually
broken to some good purpose; and the
possibility of contcnding even against
this invetcratc tyranny with success
justities, in theory, the giving of good
advice. The missionary may, by good
luck or good guidance, disturb from its
lethargy Of years some admirablcmotivc
in the bosom of his hcarcr that has
! never yet been energetic, far less been
hitherto thoroughly discussed and put
down.
The first essential to success in so
philanthropic mission is that the au-
thority of the person who gives the good
advice should be unimpeachablc. Be
fore he gets hearing he ought to be
able to show that he has a right to be
heard. In order TO obtain credit for
this authority, he must convince us,
first, that he knows something about
the subject; and, secondly, that he is
himself Il person who merits that re-
spcct which none deserve who do not
practise what they preach.
The casual Notwithstanding young
lady only, at best, pcrsuades those whom
she aSsails of the latter fact. ClCrgymcn
of an aggressive turn usually fail to do
much more. We feel that the gCntc-
man in white nCcktic, who is so urgent
in talking to us about the next world,
means well, and is Il well disposed per-
son !; but this only constitutes part,
and feeble part, Of his title to be lis
tened to. The thing he has to show
is that he understands what he is talk
ing about, which he cannot do unless he
understands good deal about this world
as well rs about the next. And his
= honest interference in our affairs makes
, him start at something of disadvan-
tagc.
1t is, prjmd .focie, doubtful whether q
man who takes it so quietly for granted
that he has something of Importance to
communicated is snOtdcticcnt in judgment
or good sense or knowledge of his sub
ject. Before very long, unless he is II
p clever fellow, the enthusiast puts him
self out of court. He has only consid-
cred the matter from his own point of
=, view, and has evidently never seen that
his own point of view is limited. Sup
posing, for example, that his hobby is the
wickedness of balls and theatres. If he
q thinks them wrong, he obviously does
+ not frequent them; and if he does not
q frequent them, he can scarcely know a'
= much about them as those who do. 1t
Z, turns out that his want Of familiarity
With them has led him from Il distance
y to cXaggerate their evils, and to neglect
n altogether the bright side of the picture.
h If he offers us, on the other hand, Il
: short and instructive narrative of the
\ deatl-bcd of pious washcrwOman, he
= places himself in an equally palpablo
dilemma. Either he thinks il will do
= us good, or he does not. If not, it j.
, absurd to offer it 10 us. If he docs, he
at once proves that he is ignorant
= enough to believe that the pious end Of
: Il washerwomun has some bearing on
r the religious problems thatprcscntth them
: selves to an educated person. And aman
e who can believe this is evidently little
better than mOnomaniac. 1t is pure
+ waste of time to enter into discussion
Y with him, and if we do so, it is for the
G sake of that courtesy and those very
o good manners against which his pre-.
: sumption is an offence.
f If, lastly, he repudiates these narrow
d and somewhat obsolete methods of fore
l. ing his opinions upon us, he still assume,
# the position of n teacher who has some.
e thing valuable to recommend to our no
= ticc. The position is an invidious one
Il and challenges attack. In ninety-ninC
Il cases out Of Il hundred it turns out that
It his assumption is purely basclcss. lie
V starts from premises which do not EN-
II brace all the premises that bear upon thC
II point, or he merely repeats over again
e what has been said much better by
n others, with whose arguments we arc
j. familiar. If the account we have above
given Of the process Qf conversation bC
il lapproXinlately correct, it is certain, ever
" if he is in the right, that the only seri
N ous chances he can have will be Will
re- those who are thoughtlcss or who ar
n, ignorant. We feel that he has no bust
re ness to take it for granted that we ar
4, either. ThOughtlessncss with the edu
al Gated is rare phenomenon ignoranc
e. can only be dispclled by one who
r better informed than ourselves. Iii
T. attack, therefore, amounts to an asser
of ton either that we are living in pur
Or reckIessncss as TO what is right, or to a
is assertion that he is better instructed 0
IF intellectual or religious subjects than w
m Either of these assertions is more {
ut less of crime against good sense an
n decency, and the man who makes it
cy an ofi-hand way to the first stranger /
at meets merits rebuff. Yet if the rebu
n- is administered he thinks it hard. IL
he intentions, he says to himself, were
le, good. The proper answer to this apulo2
Ia is, that though his intentions are goo
ms his ignorance or his cOnCcit is anythir
en- but good. Before proposing to teach Il
at world, it was his business to find OF
I'd. what the world already knew Rcli
in ion does not command any one to be j
norant, nor i ii an excuse for that Pha
We i,aical self.satisinction which is akin
of Ignorance. Ills religious feelings mi
; -, 10 ,ronuinp hut thpN no moro NVnrra