Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-03-08
Lying.

, COnfucius said that the world could not
get on without truthfulness. 1t was the
most unfortunate error into which he was
ever betrayed. Viewed in the light of
to-day, it stamps him as a fecble-minded
old fOgy. Could he take out his naturali-
ZatiOn papers. as Il citizen of this great
republic, to-day. he would see that the
world not only does get on without truth
fulness, but would apparently come To
dead halt with il. He would see state
of society in which lying is the fixed
habit of men, their normal mode of utter
ance, their first thought, and in which
truth-teIling is a dissipation reserved for
rare moments, involving an exercise Of
the will and the reversal of the ordinary
machinery of morals. The old express
i've insult, you lie" has lost lis force
and passed out of use. 1t would be the
mere expression OF Il truism. Of course
you lie. Everybody lies. "YOu speak
the truth world be u remark much
more circulated to attract invidiouS attcn-
ton and disagrecable notice. Why is this
so. and how long since?
Lying was originally regarded as
. children'S vice. and has now come To be
the adults virtue. We expect children to
lie. and teach them To speak
the truth by logging. 1t is wo-
iiiiH NlCf. iob. IL II necessary 10 Tie
easy movement of society. The house
mistress is mot in" or mot WE'LL" when
the unwecOme guest is at the door. This
kind Of lying is called tbbing. and is Il
necessary ingredient of politcncss. II j.
when iibbing Is engraited from politenc,s
into politics and business that it becomes
we will not say wicked, but Il disturb
ing element. 1t is no worse than some
other national sins we have had.
Men no longer cane each others brain
ont on the floor of Congress. Under the
poets philosophy. We suppose it is better
for them to have lived and lied than never
to have lived at all. The North and south
now lie in harmony. The lion and the
lamb lie together. AS hate went out. w.
lnG came in. 1t was war staple. Like
emancipation, it was military necessity.
The unparalleled activity of internal and
external diplomacy. which is lying polite
ly expressed, and Of corruption. which is
the profit of lying. fixed upon us this sin
as habit. growing like intemperance
with its hold upon the system. disease.
thorOugh.going epiGemic. Men who
once told men tibS now swear falsely. Men
who were once expected to tell the truth.
now tell fibs, half-truths. indulge in un-
necessary denials of truth, fair to the ear
but frail under crOss-examinatiOn. fabri-
cate diplomatic letters of nicely iointed
falSities in the hope they will pass for
truth, and, rather than see their work fail,
boldly utter perjuries Of the eravest char
acter. We see business firms of the h.
est character swearing to false iI:,Jdlaora,
public officers. local, state eot,s 81 tta,,
placing their signatures tS 'oucm.la nr. r!
themselves have faIsihed; hewspapelS
boastiig "sja: j:as .'ac8laii2Mpss @ ia excrtinr
their high functions and abilities to bolster
the cause Of untruth: respectable attor-
neys lying to committees of Congress with
the utmost freedom and without the slight
est call thereto.
1t is live issue. God is the constitu-
ton" or among the people is vain
achievement, till we secure true recogni-
ton Of the decalOgue. Thou shalt not
lie" is the first plank to be laid down in
tbs platform of our political parties. We
doubt if it would secure show of hands.
What section of the country would be in
terestcd to ''put il in,' or what statesman
to have his name linked with its adoption:
How long shall we 'get on without
truthfulness :'-Sprhqfetd (Mass.) Re-
pubiicnn