The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-10-19
THE LAW OF TRANSMISSION.

The problem which most effectually
battles mankind is the one which bears
upon the failures and successes of hui
man life. Of course in many cases the
reasons are SO obvious that the simplest
mind can comprehend them, but on every
side there start up exceptional cases
where all human Judgment is at fault,
and we are tossed on a sea of "whys'
and "wherefores."
We see two men starting from the
same point to the same goal, their out
ward conditions the same, and both
equally able apparently to bear the heat
and burthen of the way. One drops,
spent by the way side, whilst the other
reaches the victor's crown without inju-
riOus effort.
We cannot ignore these things. We
deal with them sometimes in one way,
sometimes in another, but there still re-
mains a strong reserve force Of doubt.
The Pietest says crvently-"Iti is simply
the will of God, that of two men equally
worthy, one should succeed and another
fail" Bat another will reply-"The
will of God manifests itself in fullest
harmony with His laws of the Universe.
These laws are fixed, immutable as the
law of gr~avitation which brings the fall
ing sparrow downward instead of up
ward"
The believer in chance says-"It is a
blind law of some inevitable necessity,
developed by accident. Had the man
happened to move aside, he might have
avoided failure, but he CHANGED to be in
the laundering path of the iceberg, and
it crushed him."
Modern psychologists, however, cry
Eureka over their own solution of the
problem. Instead of looking to the man
himself for the cause of his misfortunes,
they go back to his p%rogenitors, and to
some early strain of blood, which goes
down from generation to generation,
poisoning and enfeebling the blood, OF
character, and leaving them without the
stamina necessary for success.
Without going the full length Of these
philosophers we believe there is a deal
of truth in their position. Nature furn-
Gishes us with analogous cases, and nature
is a shrewd, though silent reasoner. The
fruit tree bears according to its kind,
The growth OF the bad species may be
green and luxuriant as the best, but in
fruiting season the quality is decided.
and we know the stock whence it sprung,
The Individual traits of human beings
repeat themselves through a succession
Of ages, sometimes growing weaker, and
then unexpectedly cropping out in un-
Fexpected times and places.
Of course, this is rather notifying to
men who think they hold the strength
or weakness of their lives in their own
hands, and that they make, or mar, at
their own good pleasure, and by the re-
suits of their own actions. Others, too
who make a scapegOat of Destiny, and
drive it forth into the wilderness, laden
with countless sins, are not willing to
cOncede any point which takes from
them their Over-weighted beast. Even
these very psychologists, with all their
belief in bloodtaints, and excusing many
crimes from evil transmissions, are fan
from depriving men of their accounta-
bilities. On the contrary, they make
them more OnerOus.
Men should study their weakness more
than their strength, as the Knight, who
before the battle, would soundhis armol
to see if, from the jar. there was any rift
in it. They should examine their strong
predictions, whence they came, and
whittier they tend, and in such cases
there would be fewer Caseso of lamentable
failures and blighted lives on record.
II a mans father, or grandfather, was
a drunkard, the more reason for him tC
avoid even a casual Indulgence in strong
drink, which, to another, would be q
harmless enjoyment. If murderer pre-.
coded him, any ebullition of temper
should meet with prompt repression
And so ON, and on, to the end of the
chapter.
Human life is an electrical chain Of
linked causes, and the touch applied a,
one end is felt sensibly at the other.
4 @#tN%&E ~ +" -."