Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-02-26
EXCUSES.


There is an old proverb to the effect
that "the persoa who is good at excuses
is good at nothing else" An excuse is
a reason given for some delinquency in
duty. 1t implies an obligation uuful-
filled, and offers II ralliation for the
ofeuse. Thus every excuse to be valid
must have power to release a man from
such obligation. There arc many du-
ties that depend on circumstances. The
services due to relatives and friends
change with time and situation, and
though the relations of society stand on
definite principles, the application of
these principles to distinct rules Of
action MAJ vary through n long scale.
Sickness, calamity, other and para
mount duties, which had not been fore
seen, may thus absolve a man from the
performance OF certain duties which
would otherwise be binding. But the
habit of seeking pretexts for failure in
duty is very insidious in its nature and
rapid in its growth. Some persons
never write n letter without eScusing
themselves for not having written be-
fore. Often men procras,inate certain
known duties for want Of inclination or
energy to perform them, and then, to
make n fair appearance before others,
they search for plausible excuses, and
allcgc them rs the causes Of tho delin-
quency. Such q course, If analysed,
will be found to be the essence Of un-
truth and deception. 1t enfeebles the
motives to right conduct, and leads
men 10 seek how TO avoid duty, rather
than to perform it. In proportion as a
facility of selfjustiication is formed,
truth is sacrificed and moral feeling is
lowered. The spirit that leads to con.
slant appeals of palliatiou and miti-
CATION is always q mean one. A man
| who knows his faults and does not try
to hide them, however sinful he may be,
has at least the merit Of opcnness and
| frankneSs that wins some admiration, II
not respect, while the man who, living
and doing wrong, is pcrpetnally impos-
ing upon himself and others n small coin
of lies as excuses, exhibits u meanness
of character that all must dcspise.
There are obligations from which no
excuse can operate as n release. While
special developments Of patriotism may
vary with circumstances, its general
temper and spirit is binding on
every one, and at nil times. No excuse
can atone for u lack Of the essential
spirit of honor, fidelity or truthfulness.
Wherever an obligation includes funda-
mental qualities essential to the moral
being, no cxcuse can avail. Especially
is this true in those higher forms Of OBJ.
legation which exist in the relations oil
nan to the Divine Being. Here it is
commonly a spirit Of self-deception that
is carried on. The man who is forever
trying to frame excuses to his W con-
| science for not being what he knows he
| ought to be, comes at least to have his
moral sense confused, and his moral
Judgment perverted in respect to his
| own character. \ fair exterior may
often exist, while the power Of discrimi'
nation, with respect to inward habits,
is lost. There is in the nature Of things
no excuse that can for a single day
justify any one in living in the neglect
Of duty to God and man, which is the
essential spirit Of all religion. Those
who form their lives and characters or
the basis of That principle will have nc
need Of excuses for delinquency, either
to others or to their own conscienccs,
They may discover faults and errors in
themselves, but so far from seeking eI'
cuses to hide or p~alliate them, they will
rejoice to have their real sources opened
up to view, so shat they may be more
readily corrected.