The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-06-01
Paaca.


man. lForsako thesh labynnthine paths of
Woe and lconfusisn that stretch out into the
shades Of dark and impep ding eyils.-rever,
decriving, ever sedueing, forever prompting,
hrimpnlscs onward y tley level tt.wni ii
The icantines Of eternal ruin Exciting ambi-
tior Icy dreams af power. grandeur and hap
piness IS one Df the most effective anares Of
The enen,yief man.. All the awakening of
ambition restless. nnnacless, longing scizcs
the soul-ra slistaste .fuf the ordinary nvocn-
tions OF life arises, Ia whisper which they
call the prophetic voice of Fate. tells them
that they shall be great. shall wield the scelrs
ire of power, and sway the hearts Of their
feliow-m BY the strength of their mighty
genius. This is pleasiDg argument, and
few can resist it, This gratifying idea is
subtly insinuated into tho willing minds of
many men. and the struggle for power en-
sues. 1t pervades the minds of those who
really possess the elements of such greatness
as may still be sometimes found amid the,
rubbish. the canker, and the mould of this
fallen and sin-polluted world, and they 70
forth-4those truly great ones--to perform
truly great works Churches rise around
them. Learning i sought fsr,; found and
established. Gods blessed sun shines upon
p land of freedom. tcenling with good gifts
to a people content to be ruled by wisdom.
Strong cattle graze upon fat pastures Hap
py homes send forth the voice Of gladness
on the joyful winds Of evening. The hill
sides are green with grain, and the valleys
rejoice with their treasures of corn. The air
is replete with the songs of those who make
merry, ,.and bright streams laugh and sport
thraagh the mill wheels of tireless industry.
With hearts swelling With fervor to ac-
complish great purposes these great ones
push onward and upwards with eyes placed
upon glittering mark, far above the petty
wrangIings of the self-absorbea multitude
With hearts ennobled, and minds expanded,
all minor considerations and selfish desires
drop away of themselves, or arc cast of as
clogs, from the natures of the truly great
Self, self, the idol of the world is by them
forgot in that race-good is their object.
and glory comes as consequence, and the
true patriot reaps harvest ot golden ap-
probation from the world and the need of
swell done" from his Lord and Master.
To seek for and to develop good is the
natural task of Genius and Talent, and
when this is not the case they are misap-
piled and will produce mischief; however
brilliantly they may succeed for while, in
the end they will prove bane to the world
and snare to themselves.
When that "still small voice"comes to these
really great ones with its momentous mean
ing, their hearts, in fear and trembling, bow
down at the footstool of Omnipotence, and
the quaking spirit asks 'what wilt thou have
me to do Z" and the Master Spirit gives them
peace, and binds them to works of peace
and sends them forth into the world to
seek peace and ensue it" The dulcet song
Is warbled into the eagerly attentive ear of
those who arc not great, and who cannot be
great because of the inherent narrowness and
smallness oi their natures, and these are the
most mischevous of all the instruments of
Satar. Too weak in their sense of right to
yield to right, with no endowments to secure
power but the desire to govern, and failing
in that, become desperate and deter
mined to prevent that that they feel
themselves unable to perform; the work
of ruin and anarchy begins. When the
consciousness of inability to realize their
fattering dreams is forced upon them, the
Evil Ono suggests revenge, rule or ruin
becomes placarded in their natures and with
hearts inflamed with bitterness they rush
into the busy world and its peaceful ways
become disturbed by them. The baleful
light of passion ilumines whatever they
look upon, their souls become stained with
human blood, and sorrow, and lamentation,
and bitter woe, and hateful discord, bring
trains of attendant evils to the scenes of
their wicked operations.
Prejudice-cold, stern, deaf Preiudice-sits
n queen at the festivals of gore-she gloats
in the wall of the bleeding hearts, and laughs
at the tears of Love and Grief
Fho fuids Of her rsy.i rslles aox dawn
into n crimson stream, aud yet she says to
her dcluled subjects, :. nsrc blood, ye have
hut begun my work, ye arc sluggards, all
up, up, ye do but play" The work goes
bravcly on, the sun of oppression glares
fierccly on the heads and makes faint the
hearts of the people, and the rcapers garn-
or their harvest of blood. The sun at
noonCay is dmmed with the smoke of
bnrning hemesteads. Lean kline Craze
where corn should grow. Gaunt, hol-
low-eycd beggary lines the wayside with
dropping forms of appalling ghastliness.
Decentralization holds cnurt at the capitOls.
Poverty stalks abroad and numbers his chil-s
drcn by legions. Truth. Honesty, and Indc-
pcndencc flee from the baunts OF men,
Vice, Corruption, and Hypocricy shamclessly
enter the churches and pollute, by kneeling
before them in mock piety, the very alters
of the living God. Turn, turn, oh man,
from these ways The world is cngrossing,
but stop for an hour and think Look in
ward at that mystic thing so hard to look
at in true light. the deceitful and dcceiv.
ing heart of human nature; if men would
resolutcly battle against and subdue the
powerful and ever active evils then they
would find comparatively little in the outer
world to struggle against.
The times are exciting, let us strive to be
calm. The times are troublous, let us seek
peace-the peace of conscience void of
offence.
Let us have Peace. Let us have real peace,
not a mask of peace worn, like the false
prnphet's veil of silver tissue to conceal
hideous face deformcd with evil passions
and foul purposes-not the shroud OF peace,
miscalled robe, spread before US to conceal
the sword, the spear, the cannon and the
ball; but let US have genuine peace; born
of amity-frmly seated on principles of
right-crowned with good will and hearty
fellowship. a ~
Let us have the peace, the sweet, the
abiding, the precious peace of Jesus.
| REBEccA BLEsoE BUXTON.