Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-03-27
CHARACTER AND INTELLECT.

tile CDIlulllOll VI u
pursuit Of happiness, in which all are
engaged, it is said the distance which
each attains Is definitely measured by
the amount of his sasacity. All sin is
but folly, and in proportion to the
clearness of mind with which this is
recognized will be the success Of mn
effort to abandon it. All goodness Is
wisdom, and where this is fully appre-
cfated we find virtue. According to
his idea, the guilty and the pure differ
not so much in the end at which they
aim as in the means they employ.
Educate the reason and improve the
Judgment Of the wrong-doer, show him
how greatly he miscalculates, how alb
surdly he fashions his means to his
end, and if you but succeed in thor
oughly convincing his understanding,
he will speedily abandon his vices and
rank among the good. This theory,
like many others, carries with 1t much
plausibility, yet fails in practical work.
ing. 1t confirms 4 mixture of truth
ana error. There Is nothing more
sure. nothing on which we may more
implicitly rely, than the truth that all
sin is folly that the first step toward
wrong is the first step from happiness,
and the deeper the guilt the more de-
| plorable will be the wretchedness.
Equally true is it that the highest wis
dom Of the intellect and the most per-
feet purity of heart coincide, that every
right action is rational aud judicious,
and that the path OF duty Is the only
road by which we may arrive ut any
true and lasting enjoyment. But 1t is
a great mistake to suppose that the adj
mission Of this truth, or Of any other
truth, will insure n good life, aud
equally erroneous to Imagine that viz
tue does not often exist without such
Intellectual apprehension. Such u
theory ignores n vital part Of man, his
passions aud affections, or at least
denies them much Of the supremacy
they are continually asserting over
reason, judgment, and ever self-inter-
est. Convince the miser Of the folly Of
boarding. yet you have not made him
generous; reason with the ~sensualist
on the irrationality Of his habits, yet
YOU have not made him pure expose
the absurdity of the swindlcr, still you
have not made him just. There Is
something in all evil passions that
battles the reason and triumphs over
the intellect. The natural order might
seem to be, first the enlightened under
standing, then the pure and good life;
or, on the other hanl, first the obscure
reason, then evil and dominant pas
,ions. But the phenomena Of charac-
ter cannot thus be read. 1t Is more
Frequently reversed. The true and
noble heart Is oftencr the cause of the
clear intellect than its effect, and de-
based habits AMI evil passions are fol-
lowed rather than preceded By clouded
reason and fllacious Judgment. 1t Is
certain that every work Of the mind
il greatly dependent tor its success on
virtues of the heart and life. The man
Of science could never enlighten the
world with the results of his labor
were it not for the pure love Of truth
that actuates his researches. Who
would trust his life to an unconscious
physician. be his learning ever SO
great; or commit his business to n
selfish aud mScrupulous agent, what
ever might be his abilities? Where
Interest, ambition or passion reign In
the breast. they darl;cn the reason and
obscure tie intell,ct: but pure atfec-
ton and just inten.~ "lcvatc the char
ac;er and dispel the clouds which evil
passions and unholy desires cast over
the mind. There is nothing which so
greatly hinders the impartial search
for truth rs selfishne,s. The excessive
anxiety for reputation darkens the
'car perception Of intrinsic excellence
al makes us so satisfied to seem, that
we have but confused notions Of what
we ought to be. Partnership blinds
mind to the good that exists In oppos-
ing affections, and throws 4 veil over
tho defects of our own. Nearly NIL
sOphistry ol argument and confusion
of Judgment may be traced back to
some defect Of the heart that prefers
the qualification of Il selfish desire to
the advancement Of truth. Habit
forms opinion far more often than
opinion forms habit ard it Is much
more common to act first and defend
it afterward, than to square our actions
by reason and principle. In all the
offices required of the judgment or the
intellect, 4 pure and uaseltish heart,
and an earnest determination to carry
out the right, are the first prerequi-
sites. He vino would discern clearly
must live properly. If then the heart
and the affections are the foundations
of orr mental growth, if all achieve
mcnts must be built on them as 4 sub
stratum, it should increase the value
We set upon their development, and
cause Us to place 1t far above any
merely intellectual process or outward
condition. Few possess wealth Of III
lect. but all may attain n wealth Of
heart, without which mere mental
operations are barren. Let lis ever
hold in the highest esteem the man,
whatever his external surroundings or
his mental attainments, who possesses
the integrity Of soul and purity Of
heart that gives ~clearness to his mental
vision, happiness to his life, and the
lower Of blessing others by developing
their best natures.