The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-12-15
Think for Yourself.

was the greatest thought that ever oc-
Cured to his mind. After rejecting
for few moments, he replied, i" the
greatest thought that my mind ever
dwelt upon, was that of individual res
possibility" The great New England
Statesman was right. In the scheme
of nature, nothing is more evident, so
far as our own species is concerned
than that, in the constitution of mans
moral and mental nature, the Great
Creator did not intend that one portion !
of the race should implicitly rely upon
another portion TO do its thinking. For
if such had been his designs he would
have vouchsafed the capacity to think
to only part of the race, while to the
rest would have been given the faculty
of beLiering. But how does the case
stand in point of fact! Are not the
powers of the soul, in kind at least.
precisely the same in US all! 1t is
true, thereis some difference in degree,
but even this is not so great as is
usually imagined. The natural facul
ties of men are not so different as is
commonly taken for granted. 1t is
energy that makes the difference be-
tween men, and not larger measure
of original endowment. In the ma
jority of cases, we are perfectly salts
fed that this is the case. 1t may be
almost universally asserted, that the
greatest achievements in the affairs of
men are attributable almost entirely to
the abundance of energy employed by
those who performed them. And on
the other hand, it may be affirmed,
with unequal approximation to univer-
salty, that the reason why SO many
fail in their undertaking, is simply
because they suffer themselves to be
frightened by seemingly insuperable
obstacles, and hastily conclude that
they have not the adequate amount Of
talent. Now nine-tenths of what il
generally termed talent, is nothing but
resolution and perseverance,, and these
are qualities which every mancan have
ifhe will only try to get them. There
is hardly any man who could not &C
complish more than he actually does
by putting fort the proper amount o
effort. Mr.. Locke most sensibly re
marks, that we are all born with facul
ties and powers capable almost of any
thing such at least as would carry u
farther than can easily be imagined
but it is only the exercise of those pow
ers which gives US ability and skill i
anything, and leads us toward perfec
ton. The great error, in regard t
this subject, is the idea which seems t
dwell in most mems minds, that a fe,
men come into the world endowed wit
superior order of genius, while tn
mass of our kind come provided wit
just enough of mental power to apprt
bend, and become the recipients of tn
ideas germinated in the brains of th
more favored few, A more gross, or
more misehievous fallacy never ha
lodgment in the human mind.
Wesay it is gross, because, whe
subjected to an analysis, it is not four
to have one single substantial ingrs
dent; and we say it is misckievou
because, directly to it is traceab
nine-tenths of the social, political an
moral evils that afflict mankind. Son
unhealthy brain gives birth to an e
roneous political, moral or religio,
idea. In the course of time, this id,
assumes the form of proposition, al
some man prominence becomes ii
champion of it. This man has Il
reputation of possessing superior ia
ent and acquirments; and, for this re-
son alone. thousands become his follow
ers. They never once think of exam
lining the creed under the banner
which they have enlisted themselye
to ascertain whether or no it rests upC
solid foundations. 1t is enough
them that such man, esteemed gre
by the world, holds it. They take
granted, that whatever cause this m,
espouses, or whatever opinion
adopts, must be true. LdziResS is
the bottom of this. 1t requires sou
tabor to think. Aye to think deepl
and probe matters to their bottom. "
muet work faithfully and CONSTANT
And this is something weare all aver
from doing.
u Il il stated that a Partisan h