Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-03-29
FREEDOM.

1t is commonly supposed that how
ever great the necessity for strength
the other faculties, the eiU Is
the only II that ought to be subdued.
The evils of self-will, when in excess,
are so glazing as to lead many worthy
persons to make war against the faculty
itself rather than the abuse Of it, and
to desire to see it suppressed rather
than trained. The truth Is, that the
will is the handspring of all that makes
life worth living for, and were it pos
sible to crush and break 1t, as some
seem to desire, the result would be a
great calamity. Each Of us Is con-
scious of a separate existence
and feels an impulse to pre-
serve individuality. The conscious
ness Of being a free agent involves
a natural repugnance to becoming a
tool In the hands of others; and a GER
tain freedom of acting for ourselves is
as necessary to our development into
rational and intellectual beings, rs
light and air are to the life Of the
plant. In theory we all admit this, yet
in practice we are constantly denying
it. In the domestic phase o fthe word
freedom (which, perhaps, mor than
any other affects the happiness Of man
kind, we are seldom content to accord
to each a fair share of his W will,
without which he cannot fully develop
his powers, or unfold his charac-
ter. We are fond Of imposing our
own peculiarities, tastes, habits, and
opinions upon others; and the
firmer our faith that they are
good for ourselves, the more
strongly we insist that they must be
equally good for all. forgetting that it
is only as they are the results of per-
sonal conviction and voluntary choice
that they can afford happiness or con-
fer benefit. This petty tyranny is
often engendsred by an excessive and
unchecked exercise Of self-will, and it
Is lust here that we may learn to place
its limits. Tyranny and slavery are
evils even in their mildest forms, and
they each foster the other. Where
abnegation Of the will is enforced,
there the spirit of domination gains
ascendancy. AS among savage nations
physical strength t~yranizes over phys
ical weakness, so eve in the most
cultivated communities the strong will
domineeis over the feeble. But as. from
our advanced standpoint in morals,
we have learned to despise the one, so
future progress will teach us to despise
the other, and he who r~ejoices in a
strong will shall rather strive to estab-
lish that Of others than to su6jugate
theirs to his own. He who would be
honored or loved cannot be too careful
to respect the privilege of others tG
freedom of thought and action. Ever
where service is justly required, it Il
sufficient that it be well performed
without interfering too closely into
times and methods, or unnecessarily
debating or managing details. Scope
for tue exercise Of personal peculiarly
should ever be afforded, and worl
will always be better done, if il
has In it that element of. individuality
All relations of life have something
of service In Them, and we are al
hourly submitting to external contro.
OF various kinds. But whether thai
control Is gallirg or agreeable, whether
it is bondage or liberty, depends moi
upon the amount Of labor or sacrifice
involved. but upon the degree of vol
untariness with which it is rendered
Even In the training of children, there
Is danger Of \ too constant surveillance
and too minute management, irritating
the temper and enfeebling the will
In youth, the will, If not needlesSly
thwarted, is usually disposed to yiel(
to wise and kind guidance, and a mos
important office Of every parent an(
teacher Is to properly cultivate the viii
of the child. by frequently e%ntrustins
him with choices and decisions purely
his own. The will to do right cal
never be too strong, and more youth;
fall into temptation and yield to sir
from the lack Of the power of resist
ance than from any stubborn deter
mination to do evil. Much Of the
Happiness or discomfort of home life,
also. depends upon whether a spirit o.
liberty or of dictation prevails. When
each member Of the family insists upon
~legislating for the Others, and imposing
his or her own ideas or fancics upon
the rest, turmoil and discomfort will
reign. but where the will of each Is
only cxcrted in its due sphere, where
the spirit Of independence is restrained
by that of affection, where rights are
fully acknowledged, and personal indi'
viduality sacredly respected, there
we always find u happy and united
household.
The conclusions of science are as
variable rs the mutations Of politics,
than which nothing seems o UNI