The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-01-20
SELFISHyESS.
From work entitled .sOur Ncigebor, b
WA

o1ns A0AA< A1o0'
From work entitled .sOur Nci;ebor, I" by
WM. MACK.
Ii is nccdful to distinguish between
sclf-lovc and selfishness. Self-lovc is
a proper affection of the human mind,
given by the Creator, and intended
for useful purposes. Not SO with the
other. Selfishncss is the pervcrsiOn
of self-love, a INDUSTRIOUS blot upon
human nature, the usurper of a goodly
principle. the prolific mother of irreg-
ularity, crime and woe.
L. Selfishness married mans noble
nature.
In his prilneyal state, man appeared
in his proper character. a child of the
skies. he possessed traits Indicative of
his high origin. lie walked abroad
in all the dignity of one, who had been
formed after the resemblance of Jeho-
yah. The manner of his creation, the
position in which he was placed, the
varied circumstances of his assuming
the rank to which he was appointed
all show, that he was being of an
cloud of indignation had not gathered
exalted order. "God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our like
ness and LET him have dominion over
the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
Of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth: SO
God created man in his own image
in the image of God created he him
male and female created he them"
Possession of Gods image and domin-
ion over the earth. however, were not
the all of his inheritance. The elevated
and elevating employment of converse
with God was his privilege. No bar
rier interposed; sin had not yet ocCa-
stoned the frOwn OF jehovah; the
nor begun to hover over the father of
our race.
The scene has sadly changed. Alas!
that man should have remained so
long out Of character. Still more Ia
mentable is the thought, If any shall
continue out Of character forever!
And what effected the change? What
could have transformed this offspring
of God? What degraded this digni-
fed being so low? 1t was the exer-
else of selfishness. Man was permit
| ted to love himself according to his
proper value, but not to MAKE himself
the supreme object of affection. The
assertion of the tempter, g Ye shall be
as gods, knowing good and evil" ap-
pealed to the innocent propensltles OF
the tempted; in an unguarded mo-
lpent, more attention was given to the
creature than to the Creator; and, as
a consequence, man fell from his eX-
allied condition. Through selfishness
the undermining process was perform.
ed; and in ruin lay the far fabric OF
human character.
.. 1t keeps man degraded.
Having lain him PROSTATE, 1t sits
as an incubus upon his powers, and
prevents him from waking up TO new
ness of life. Or, like giant in his
might. it has thrOttlcd its victim, and
the haplcss prisoner remains pinioucd
to the Garth. The slave of this de-
grading principle, man gropeS amidst
its basenes9.
When is il that shame crimSons the
cheek, because we arc human: Is II
not when some of the vilcst forms OF
mans degradation are manifest: Why
is it that VIC ever have TO weep over
ourselves and our fellOw-crcatures
Is il not because that noble nature
given us of God is marred, and In
stead of incense ascending from the
heart toward heaven, the repulslve
rites of the altar of selfishness are
prac.iced!
3.Itpreys upon him who INDUCES it
1t stints the powers of the soul. The
mental as well as moral faculties are
capable of almost indefinite expansion
and culture. In man is a capacity fol
attaining to heights almost without
summit, and of penetrating 10 depths
well-nigh unfathomable. 1t is selfish
ness which checks this upward flight
prevents these profound discoveries
1t chains man to a defined center
and, though there may be accessions
of knowledge, they must all revclye
around this one given point. In q
certain sense, it makes its cherisher
being of one idea; for, everything
acquired has to bend in alteration to a
single object, and all that can not be
made to bow is rejected as worthless
1. 1t narrows down the capacities.
1t begets littleness of soul, which
is truly despicable. Itdiminishes that
wherein it abides, as does an object
when viewed through the inverted
end of a telescope, making what
would otherwise be respectable in
magnitude seem well-nigh insigniii-
can't ;dwinlling down, asst the waters
Of some vast inland ocean were caused
to ooze through diminutive artificial
channel. Where selfishness reigns
unchecked, there You find the moral
dwarf. The individual possesses
traits, showing his connection with
humanity; but the scale, upon which
he is constructed, is of the embryo
order. The series is descending; and
did not some object occasionally
break the chain of diminution, the
position of existence woGld be bor-
dering upon invisibility. Vampire
like, it preys upon its victim, suffer
ing only enough of life to remain as
will be sufficient to supply its own
vOracious cravings.
). II infiicts injury upon others.
Were he who INDUCES this princi-
pie alone affected, its odiousness
would be greatly diminished. Not
content with his own degradation,
however, the selfish man is inclined
to make aggressive movements upon
others happiness and, ifunrcstraincd
by public opinion or the law of the
land. he revcls in his triumph over
others rights and in the bitterness
cast in the cup of his fellow-creaturcs.
Alas. that the page of history so
abundantly warrants this assertion.
Turn to any country; turn to any IA
ton, whose eXistancc was OF sufficient
duration TO present an arena for ac-
ton: and the desolating effects of sell
fishness may be perceived.
Behold EgyptS naughty monarch.
There was the possessor of the splcE-
dor and glory of that celebrated ma
ton grinding with oppression the nn-
happy Israelites, that his own magnili-
cencc might be increased. So bent
was he upon the accomplishment of
his selfish plans, that message after
message, and plague after plague, were
Intellectual. And, when horror-struck
because his land had become a sepul-
chre of the first born, he was induced
to comply with the request and COM
mands of Heavep, he seemed imme-
diatelv to have repented of his kind