Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1873-07-17
klessi essiEDR|IRNMeI1
Towards New Truths cur Minds
shsulds always be in a Reccp-
tive Condition,


Some truths may lie there always and
mover be draw to the top by any mind
that now exists or ever will exist in the
coming future but many truths are daily
evolved from many minds and sown
broadcast over the world. Some of these
pearls of priceless value" are seized upon
and appropriated by appreciative souls,
but many, very many, drop back again in>
to these wells of darkness and remain for
long years because we do not cultivate in
our minds wide, far searching and un-
welcome receptiveuess. 1t is customary
it is fashionable and it is polite to sing
the praises of Truth, but people too often
like to put their own construction upon
the meaning of the word; they are too
seldom disposed to welcome or accept any
new truth which conflicts with the cher
ished opinions Of their life time; and all
new truths do have to come into the mind
as disturbing agents, oyerturning and up
roofing old ideas and old opinions. The
whole world is naturally conservative !
Almost everybody likes to be in the fash
on, to look, act and do as their neighbors
do, to float with the tide; therefore, all
are disposed to have faith in the prevailr
ing opinions Of the day, faith in the creed
and doctrines of the church of which their
parents are members, or to which they
usually 60. In politics they also follow
the lead Of their nearest friends, relatives
or guardians; true, now and then one
takes different course, goes astray from
the beaten tract, he is so organized that
some other doctrine makes deeper i'm
preston upon his mentality than that in
which he was educated, and consequently
he becomes q diabslievcr in the old and
adopts the new but ii is generally after
quite conflict with perceived ideas. 1t
is very hard for any of us to divest our>
selves of prejudics. To look at subject
unbiased by our former ideas and prsvl>
Gus notions, We are always striving to
make any Few truth that comes in our
way, chime in with all our old ideas. We
dislike the entrance into eur mind of any
thing toat jars and conflicts with the pre-
cious cherished store of knowledge which
we have been all our lives accumulating
and treasuring up. You have all remark
ed how very bard it was for Republicans
to accept Greedy as candidate for the
Presidency while he was standing upon
the Democratic platform-aDd neither
was it any more agreeable to the preju-
diees of the Democrats-who had always
so bitterly opposed him as an opponent to
their party--to now turn around and
sound his praise, and give bin the high
est t,honurs they had to bestow; yet the
man Greeley was so really good, was such
an embodied incarnation of real truthful>
ness that neither party could reject him
without trawplng truths they both loved
beneath their feet. Does not this fact
show that we all love truth and would al
WAYS welcome it, even should it come as
disturbing element, could we only be
assured il is truth Could ideas and
principles all be made plain and under
standablc, and everything become suscep"
tible of proof, then We would all believe
and think alike but as it is, we all see
the different sides Of question, 80 1t
never looks precisely the same to any Of
us. Our eyes, our minds, our precon>
cieved opinions, all differ so Owhere thing
is impossible of proof there will be differ
ence of opinion. We all wish to know
and believe what is true only; We all
wish to seem and do, that which is good
only; but it is SO Lard to know how to
decide as to what truth and goodness real
ly arc, that We are all the time fighting
and combating that which conflicts with
what we have hitherto accepted, let the
new idea be either true or false it matters
not, we all the same strive against it as
an intruding element. We are all Re-
publicaus for We all believe in the COM
mon interest of the whole people, that
"our laws should be made by representa-
tiyes elected and chosen by the people"
We are all Democrats, for We all favor
the extension of the right Of suffrage to
all classes of meu " and women(Ol Yet
from old prejudice each party sees things
in a contrary light-sees different ideas
in the words Republican and Democrat.
Should prophet come now into the world
and preach as much Of new good, as much
truths, as much of new reform, as We are
told that Christ did in the old time,
would not these new teachings and this
new teacher meet with much the same
welcome and same reception as those Of