American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-20
ANOTHER RIeuuOsD IN TEE FIELD.
When great men sickasi into a

When great men sickafi INTO
rrurient lon ging to carry some weak I
point, they invariably resort 70 silly
arguments; and when some law
yers, not so great, voluntarily
thrust themselves forward to bolster
up a douttful case, their iii st object
is to confuse the minds CT the III
rors in order that their tallacieS may
ass ume the sem GLANCE Of truths
Some such motive must haze moved
the sapIent .jurist who presIdes over
the editorial columns of the Oko-
Iona Southern States to emp OY fnil
column of his learned journal in
/ the endeavor to mystIiy Il simple
I proposition of ours, and one that
really does not merit tIthe of the
Importance he has been pleased TO
bestow upon il. y few words OF
unpreten,ling English have thus
been made 10 involve IL problem IN
ethical philosophy that the com
! bincd wisdom OF the universe would
fail to solve. NGrdbile dictg! in
proof that no LIVING man could ac-
compiish so difficult Il mental feat,
this sceptical editor has brought
forward III solemn array, long list
of dead philosophers aud scientists.
who, were they living, would lee in-
l. mi.
ting the hidden meaning OF a few
commonplace words. What was
his object in startling us with this
formidable array of great names we
know not, unless it WAS TO assure
US and his readers that his research
es had not been confined to Black
stone, Kent, Gritty, Greenleaf,
Story and others: for the theories
of the former have no more Apo
sitenesS to our article than would
the writings of the latter to the
theory of Optimism. 1t his object
was merely to exhibit an intimate
acquaintance with such learned au-
: thors, he might have extended the
list by adding Plato's Phndou, the
writings of the Emperor Marcus
Aurelins Antoninus, and the dis
sertations of Wof, the worthy dis
cip.e of the famous German phiios-
opher, LeibnItz, whose honored
: name closed his list of learned au
thou tiles.
: 1t is sometimes the case that q
: mau, in the attempt to confuse 9th
t ers, gets his own faculties So thor
= oughly obfuscated as to in yolve hi,
: meaning in Obscurity. Such is The
+ character of the article before us
/ Ii the learned editor really know:
: what he desired to convey, he ha:
T. certainly been unfortunate iii sta
y ting propositions which are beyOn,
Il the reach of ordinary comprehen
= sion. Tosay that some of his point!
r are not sufficiently lucid to be full,
# under stood, would be Il fatal admis
l. sion, one, at least, that we are no
!, willing to make. The ponderou
IT battle axe of Richard Cour de Liol
e was not less heavy and crushing il
e its fall. because It's glittering ape,
II was wreathed with choicest roses
" the scimitar of Saladin was not les
e potent and deadly in its thrust
e because some curious artificer q
$ Damascus had wrought upon it
e keen and polished blade strange an,
'e cunning devices; nor are TIE dart
u of irony sped from the full culver q
a the Southern States less "crue
y barbed," because they are lit u
Il ard marked in their flight by grace
l. full and gentle words. But We mus
u be permitted to say to the worth
D. writer, that private opinion is nc
y, public law; that passionate rhetori
'' is not reason; misapprehenslon no
o. logic, nor is caustic satire cOmmO
e sense. That neither the good of til
TO party, nor of the State, require
1t him, and such as he, to Impugn th
rs motives of Il man who is fully a
lie patriotic as himself, and who
Is equally interested in the genera
t. welfare of the country. The hon
Vi ored gentleman who has been mad
," the victim of his wrath may Surviv
it all, but whether we shall be $
III fortunate as to escape the ObScurit
'e in which his wonderful criticisl
d. was designed to enveIop us, is
- question for the future to determin
ne Par 'pori referO.
IF "GsEisY LIES TaE HEAD" ETC.
II La I1a..a..a all A