Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-09
NIB RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4. 1871.
The Need of Moral Courage.

The Need of Moral Cour"Acs
Some one may exolaim as the eye
catches the heading of this article, that it
il an old trite subject, better suited to- the
pulpit than the newspaper. My reader
1t is we'll occasionally to consider trite
subjects, old aphorisms and ancient pro-
verbs, in this fast and vacillating age, lest
the great elements Of human character,
that have been the foundations OF society
should be forgotten entirely, and the men
of the hour become craven towards IN tine
presence of the great problems they are
called upon to solve. Therefore no SUD
ject is inappropriate either to the pulpit
or the press that shall have the tendency
to recall men to their obligations to go
ciety or the race.
Moral courage, at the present hour, Is a
rare virtue, and great as it is rare. Ihe
time has been when the courage of thu
Geld was thought to be everything. TIL
oharge--the word of command--higb
sounding and clear amid the battles fray
the clash of arms--the roar of artillery
the thrill of the bugle's note as with more
than magic sound it bids the soldier dare
al for mortal victory. The actors in such
scenes beat with high hope and holding
it noble to die for noble cause, the de-
tense of great principle-the establish,
-, nfa onH
il and all honor to the man who falls.
But what is the courage of the battle
field compared with the moral courage
required in every day life. Stand alone !;
see friends scorn, hear distrust speak il
foul suspicion, watch enemies take ad
vantage of the occasion, laboring to de-
stroy; who would not encounter the
shock of an hundred battlefelds and lead
forlorn hope in each, than bear and
brave these things? The one is as the
summer breeze, the other as winters
stormiest blast Any common spirit may
summon courage to play the soldier well,
every day use fits him for it. But it re-
quires a man 70 speak out his thoughts
without the craven fear of other men as
he speaks to them-to dO-when like that
stormy blast in winter, on old ocean,
peace, honor, security, life, are threatened
to be swept away. In these latter day.
men seem to have lost their manhood and
become humble suppliants when even Q
little brief patronage or a few sordid dol
lars are to be lost by an evidence of mora
courage or the taking of an independent
position isrequired.
Who looking back in the past or for
ward to the hope of the future can hest
tate which to chose, whether a bringing
f4wnin1 manhood. or the manhood o
moral courage. The martyrs and men o
mora! courage, where are they Chrop
icled names in all hearts. The father
who died for liberty as patriots ignom
niously on the Scnff I'D. how are they con
sidered in the light of history Cherishe'
ss earth- honored sons. The good, whs
s,,oke the truth and suffered for its SAX. :,
where are they? The best and brightes'
first in orr thoughts and love. And ye'
what did they do to thus be remembered
L k6 aaen thy spoke the truth that acas IN
t'r1n Independently, not like cragen syco-
pants. This was their courage. If they
hal been silent, if trembling befol
tyrants, and in face of threatened injury,
they bad feared to tell what they knew,
to speak whst they felt, they would have
liv d aud died as other men. But they
had the moral courage to do all this, and
through their snfferings perishing man
was blessed, and truth lighted up with
new glory and power. 1t is to be feared
that the present generation of men,
Judged by such a standard, would sink
inIo oblivion, or occupy a small place
in history.
The present hour demands men of mo-
raj courage before everything else. 1t is
the only bravery on which humanity may
count for any real blessings. Moral cour-
age is needed in this days frat and last.
For while it nerves man for duty, il
roots out of his heart, hate and revenge,
and evil passions, making him wise amid
danger, calm amid excitement, just amid
llwlessness, pure amid corruption and in
dependent of dictation from those who
surround him. 1t is the browning beauty
of manhood.