Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-06-24
Diogenes, the Chief Of Cynics,
Searching for an Honest Man.

Salvador Rosa, in painting his fa-
nous picture illustrating the classical
story of Diogenes, has accepted the
modern version, which represents the
old cynic as searching for an honest
man.
Cynical as he was, it is hardly prob
able that Diogenes karped much about
honesty as, among the earliest of his
youthful transactions, was a swindling
operation, by which he debased the
coinage of his native land. To es.
cape the punishment for this crime he
fled to Athens, where he at once set
up as philosopher. In the original
of the legend of his search Laertius
says nothing about an honest man,
but represents Diogenes as perambu-
lating the streets of Athens, carrying
lamp, and exclaiming, j seek a
man" He meant, undoubtedly, by
the term, a person morally and phys
ically y perfect. 1t was a safe philoso-
ply to profess and useless search to
enter upon. The present-day follow
ers OF the old cynic are no wiser in
their aspersions or more successful in
their search than their old original
The "school Of Diogenes" forms We
ry numerous class in the present day.
There are to be found, in every socie-
ty, numbers of cynical men who go
about doubling virtue, laughing at
wisdom, and decrying manhood. But,
as general rule, they have not at
tanned to high character as philoso-
piers, and do not materially retard
the advancement Of the world Peo.
pie have come to regard them as
sort of inoffensive evil to be endured :;
and when one offends with expressions
of his doubts he is smiled at and pit
led as dyspeptic.
The chief circums tance, which the
general public recollect of Diogenes,
besides the incident illustrated by the
painting referred to above, is the ac-
count of his ordering Alexander the
Great to get from between him and
the sun. The incident has done very
great service in a moral way in illus
trating to youthful minds the impo-
tency Of the great ones of the earth ;
but it has also served to give a great
many false notion of the character
of the philosopher of the tub" In
the first place, he was a notoriously
dessolute youth and dishonest Young
scamp. lie had to fly from Sinope,
where he was born, for completely
in what we would nowadays call
counterfeiting. In Athens he found
himself very poor; and, making a vir-
tue of necessity, he proclaimed him
self follower Of Antisthcnes, who
had established school which
preached the ''magnifcence of power
ty," and the members of which prac-
ticed living little better and no clean
er than beasts Lewis has summed
up Diogenes'character IN the ''History
of Philosophy" IN the following words
- Poor, he was ready to advocate
the philosophy of poverty; an out
cast, he was ready to separate him
self from society branded with dis
grace, he was ready TO shelter himself
under philosophy which branded So
ciety."
He ridiculed and dispised all intel
lectual pursuits which did not direct
ly and obviously tend to some imme-
diate practical good. He abused litera-
ry men for reading about the evils of
Ulysses, and neglecting their own !;
musicians, for stringing the Tyre har-
moniously, while they left their minds
discordant men Of science, for troub.
ling themselves about the moon and
stars, while they neglected what lay
Immediately before them orators, for
learning to say what was right, but
not to practice it. On voyage to
Egin he was taken prisoner by pi-
rates, and carried to Crete to be sold
as a slave Here, when he was asked
what business he understood, he ans
wered-"'How to command mem
He was purchased by Xeniades, Of
Corinth, over whom he acquired such
influence that he soon received from
him his freedom, was intrusted with
the care of his children, and passed
his old age in his house. He died at
Corinth, at the age of nearly ninety
years.-Harpers' Weekly.
The Generous Man.