Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-05

IN d1Spa1f Dy many, bilt HHai-
ly it was proposed to man
who had much of the practical in his
mental structure Said he. Lets Try
try it." A vessel was brought. fill. d
to the brim, and live fish procured
and thrown in; when to the chagrin OF
the wiseacre, and no doubt to the
amusement of the waggish propounder
of the question, the water sp'0shcd
out. This story, though certainly old,
and probably fabulous, illustrates the
character of much of the specu alton
of our day and especially of the specu
lation which concerns itself about the
causes of the vast and terrible deteri-
orations which, it is assumed, our
morals have undergone within the last
ten years.
That war is great evil, we do not
mean to deny; that peace is blessing
greatly to be desired, and earnestly to
be prayed for, we do not now contro-
vert; but we cannot sympathize with
the doleful philosophy which we hear
at every street-corner, read in many
newspapers especially the religious
ones) listen to from too manypulpits, and
find in everybody's mouth--the theory
that condemns the present time as the
most corrupt, vicious and demoralizing
that our land has ever seen; which de-
nounces the days as degenerate, the
country as ruined, and society as alto
gether given over to moral disorgani-
cation; and all on account of the war.
Before people undertake to account
for such a state of things, let them
have sure ground for believing that it
actually exists. Few things demoralize
a man more than does the general as
sumption that he is already democrat
lied, and thus it is possible in this di-
rection, to do 27aischieUous foul sin n,
chiding sin. It is a remarkably honest
man who is more honest than he knows
he is expected to be, and what is true
of individuals is, in this matter, equal
ly true of communities. The moral
power of healthy public opinion. and
of the knowledge that such public
opinion does exist, exercises over the
average man an influence which socie.
| ty can i'll afford to weaken, or to ig'
more. Over the criminal, and the out,
cast of society, and over the large class
which fills the space between these
and the thoroughly honest man, it is
the controlling influence, and ever
over the very best specimens of the
human race, its influence is not to be
set at naught without peril to the in
dividual, if not to the mass Of society
Hence we frequently find it true
tnat the most acathing denunciation.
of the decentralization of society come
from the most thoroughly unprinci
pied men. 1t IS not pleasant for til,
surrounded by honest men, and hence
| H. 10 r1,l 10 Il, T.,
at large as Il grand swindling corpora
the salvo, that he is ouly robbirg tn
his neighbors. Few Ebertines believe
or profess to believe in the purity 0
woman, or in the coniugal fidelity o
man. To believe in these would be
source of constant selfreproach, an,
of inevitable self-condemnation
For reasons of this character, W
think it incumbent upon the critic o
the morals of a community, or of soci
ETY. at large, to make ont perfect
clear case as to fuct, | fore he pro
ceeds to moralizing about ca,tsCs: an,
we insist that the moralist who fails t.
follow this order in his investigations
is running serious risk of damagin
the cause of practical morality VIII
assign the war, or any thing else as til
cause Of effects whose very cxistenc
is predetermined, or of the extent @
whose existence there is, to say tn
least, little hope of correct estimat
with orr ligEt and our experience
The material for making up fair dc
cision is not at hand; and even if
were, few mind~ are in a sufficient
historical frame to sum up the evi
dence and pronounce an accurat
judgement.
This spirit of depression has becom
gigantic evil in our churches and a
intolefaLle ppisance to society: an
it is all the worse when we consider q
q rejecting man ought to do, tia
there is really no adequate reason 70
it. 1t will hardly benefit any body
and has already been disas:rouslv dis
couraging 20 many. No man need Iii
but once yet some people die q Moa
so1ad oic0ths in fearing one. Do no
talk mournfully at a sick bed, even j
the patient is very i'll; and if he is laot
then remember that your long fac
and gloomy words may make him SO
If you have utterly lost heart. thel
quit the field but don't make til
hearts of your brethren to faint eve
as your own heart. IF you car encoElr
age one 1Cca,y man to hold up hi
head aud manfully face the trials of til
day, for the love of heaven do it. Blu
if you cannot conscientiously do this
then stand aside. We wautno funera
iirGec il hand to hand battle.
+ g. HrDFS