Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-03-09
Cultivation Of Thoughts Preventive Of
Crime.
BY u. G. EYANss-.,..,.,

to think and will to epnApl hef
thoughts. If men sufsfF heif aHm
passions, propensities, ind emotions,
to carry them beyond thca4imits of
common prudence, it is because they
do NOT, keep their thoughts apder, sNnb-
lection to the viii. If We permit our
thoughts to rove and wonder at ram
oudinhhy)dfectiol. :whstlst motat
or-intelhgent,-we-will- hsxe- a-iais-sp-.
probation of the aeatss,~hich has led,
and is daily leadinsr"many men Of
fine mental and physical Structure to
that horrible end 47ihe lgalltws.,1' This
may be proved from the fact OF our
penitentiaries and iails. being Chiefly
composed of those who spend their
time in mental and physical idleness.
There are other extremes which
uncontrolled thoughts have been the
chief cause of producing, even with
men of moral and intellectual culture,
according to the amount Of tetnpta-
tons or excitement to be fought
against King Solomon g uncontrolled
thoughts were not proof against the
temptations which other men Of inferi-
or mental ability, and Tess wisdom,
hykeening thsiilr; thoughts under SUI sub
serviearcs o the will ~ found Little Ivr
no difficulty TO completely sabdne: ID
BY meditatApg upon some subject
which God never intendedgwe should
understand Of By tying, to, reconcile
facts. upon false premises, which ,lsI
certainly impossible IT,, during the.
process Of. this study, we become be
wildered, or lose ;, control Iof our,
thoughts We are apt" to become sxci.
ted and look upon this excitement,
as not excitemeuto but athe, solution
Of the problem, or accom- plishment Of
the object SO long and earnestly
sought and, just in proportion to the
control Of our thoughts, Or strength Of
mind. will BE- the amount Of excite
Inent required to taks" from us, all
po sa4s scr .,o. ouf faculties fQt We
time being Il 1t does not follow that
the loss Of our faculties for alb short
time will always take a false direction
A great deal depends Upon the condis
ton of The mind previous q the. loss
alluded to, bntas. dignits " aqst inI;a-
riably sacrificed, and reason ignored,
it becomes d, weakness which no, man,
who desires,to pass for 1i.pas, should
sutFer to overcome him. 7'iF - haas
10 Thus if Is evident that .oar thoughts
are useful to us only when properly
Republication kept in asubservieuee to
the vii, '',",pt. course, #. ws,,arf MI
ling to think and act wrenz,s there, is
no remedy on EARTH to 'gnsr1 asai'tst
the. extremes Just cond-mned, We
SHOULD never go CONTRARY tv,WAaa c.,p-
science dictates; but 1t '1oea net fol
low that, BY going according e. our
conscience, we will be always right
Our coincidence is cur belief, educa.
ton, and if it 80 happens that We have
an erroneous belief, eur Conscience
Will dictate accordingly But as we
cannot act contrary to VIA. 1e be-
lieve without being hypocrite, we
should, as rule, always 60 according
to the dictates Of our conscience and
consider ourselves on the right path
and from this path we should not suf
fer our thoughts to depart.
Perfect command over our thoughts
cannot of course be acquired in a day !;
it requires time, care and watchiulness
We should arrange our ideas in prop
er order, think over them systemati-
cally, analysing and considering each
part Of subject separately, and then.
in their relation to each other then
considering them as a whole This
course, properly and carefully pursued,
would strengthen the faculties of
realization, and thereby dsetroy the
poison of controversy and make this
world more agreeable to live in. 1t
would act as preventive of crime, i"
spoken of in an editorial of the Jour-
nal, Of the Oath ult, and, in few
years, we would see institutions Of
learning established upon the ruins Of
| prisons which now 30 greatly and fear
fully disgrace our land 1t is hoped
that the day is not far distant when.
by the cultivation Of our thoughts and
proper use of our reason. the end al
luded to, will be brought to psrfec-
ton. There is sentiment in man by
for more controlling than this low,
external threatning, only calculated
to stir up mans animal passions. -