The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-02-28
Popular FalIacies.
DoNALDsoNv1LLE, Feb. 23rd, Isl

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EDITOR CHIEF:
| Dear Sir-I have often thought of thank
ing you for your occasional complimentary
reference to our st. Joseph's Academy. That
have not done SO before, must be attributed
to want of time rather than to want of will,
or want Of appreciation of your very 1auda-
BILE and talented efforts to make the CHIEF,
a chief exponent of liberal views. You know
| me well enough, to understand that do not
use the word liberal" in the too generally
accepted sense of Indifference to right or
| wrong. Far from it. g In omnibus, caritas. ;,
is good old maxim. " In da5iis, h6ertas,"
is good too, and is not destitute of the in-
dorsement of antiquity; but 9 In cSsentiis,
nRitas," makes, if possible, more forcible
appeal to our assent. In combination of
this trinity of apothegms, the much-abused
and much-misunderstood word, Liberal, .
would doubtless find its true expression.
And it is with u conviction of this that feel
prompted to make my sincere, though, per-
haps, comparatively valueless acknowledge
ment of the Donaldsonville CHIEFS legiti-
mate exposition of liberal sentiments.
The CHIEF processes to throw light on
dark subjects; and az far as circumstances
have permitted me to observe, judge that
it is faithful to its profession. Popular er-
rors abound. To dissipate them. or even to
endeavor to correct them, is to labor in the
cause of truth. Can the sprghtly columns
of the CHIEF admit eoadjutor in a work SO
praiseworthy Yes Taken for granted
Well =" LIBERAL" liberty" independ-
ence," are fine-sounding words; and if truly
understood and properly applied, would pre-
sent man to his fellow man, in his real mai
esty. But when we find those congeneric
Terms boisterously issuing from the mouths
of men who have no conception of their right
significance, and no care for their suitable
application men who tread lifes stage in
mimicry of every heroic action; who are
oseillating between truth and
error; and, when interest is thrown into the
scale, adhering TO error, and yielding to the
suggestions of moral cowardice when we
find such men, repeat, loud in their alb
eral {" professions, how can we avoid the con-
ciusion that the whole thing is " mockery,
a delusion, and a snare"l
In life's drama, TRUTH is the peryadinp |
action. Truth should permeate all its narts |
There is no phase of human life outside of |
Truths influence; no human emergency in |
which it may be legitimately ignored. Truth |
8 not mans creation. No man can be liberal /
with what is not his. No one can divide and
Truth according to his caprice or
ancy; it is indivisible, and man has no in
lerent dominion over it.
When, therefore, my friends and Casual
who claim credit for an easy
md convenient "hberality," tell me that
hey " literally" permit me to accept what
conceive to be truth, and to reject what to
he is error, answer that owe them NTH.
ng and that their claim to merit Is mad
nissible.
Can our pseudo liberals understand
his Can they apprehend that as between
IAN and man, there is no concession on one
de- no obligation on the otherl Furthermore.