The Republican journal., 1875-04-22

transgressors, does conscience lose the line
tone.
At the present time especially this demoral
ization of conscience is especially common ant
conspicuous. Old fashioned distinctions 0
right and wrong seem to have become obso
letc official thieving is looked upon as thins
to be expected and hardly at all disgraceful
The drawing-room and parlor are thought tt
need plenty of white lies to whiteWash them
and in tricking out political chambers not ever
the trouble of bleaching the fasehood is taken
The Misrepresentation and eaves-dropping
| Which in private life would be disgraceful, r
public affairs are regarded as only clever feats
IL the dishonest character of a scheme is eX.
posed, half of the people we meet seem to think
It sufficient Justification to show that it has ben.
ehted or will benefit the material interests OF
the country. Ii man is charged with abusing
his governmental trust by converting it into
an instrument of political partisanship, many
| seem to think it defense enough to show that
he is a member of some church in regular
standing, or once drew sword in the army
| Or if he is found drawing from the government
a fat salary for which he performs no service
in return, it is enough that he did good service
! for the party in power in the last campaign
| People begin to wonder if there is any such
| thing thieving or living recognized by mo-
| rality, or whether Congress has not sometime
| amended the ten commandments for the Amer
| lean nation, by striking out the clauses Thou
| shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false wit
| ness, thou shalt not covet," &c.
Such misleadings OF conscience the most
| alarming feature, at the present time, in our
| American life L cannot believe that it is all
| the effect Of miSlcd conscience. Too much of
! it, | fear, is owing to muZzled conscences-
consciences Wilfully silenced. Bent on the
pursuit of pleasure, place, or profit, the warn
ing voice has been forcibly made dumb, and
shut up as far away from the ear as possible.
Alas for them when they have made mute the
Divine Sentinel, and all insensitive the Divine
Guard. No more, to be sure, are they troubled
with warnings against sharp stone and slough
and precipice, but none the less do they bruise
| themselves upon them, and founder in them,
and fall in destruction into their abysses.
| Peace, rs well as safety, lies not in deadening
our consciences. but in developing them and
making them sensitive If we would know
! the right, we must keep our moral faculties
keen aud quick. We should train them till no
specous reasoning can deceive us, no example
or passion miscad us, no new combination of
duties perpleX aud confound US. Herein"
said Paul. do exercise myself, to have a con-
science void Of offence" Like every man of
high virtue, he made much of tender con-
science. Without 1t he could never have done
as he did nor suffered what We read Of No
benumbed, bribrd deludcd. or muzzled con-
science cOud do this. Paul rs Bunyan
beautifully says, ''was like the nightingale with
his breast against the thorn. That his heart
might Still keep waking, he would accuStom
himself to the meditation Of these things that
would begnt both love and fear, and would
always he very chary lest he offend his con-
science"
We sadly need in our country to-day higher
education and development OF conscience We
need a higher. standard Of integrity; more
scrupuous observance of both the letter and
the spirit of honest dealing. We are too toll
Grant OF frauds on strangers and servants. We
are too lenient about peculations and abuses of
| trust. We ought to have such cOnscicnces
among our business men that they would abhor
IL secret loan from funds entrusted to them as
| they would MURDER that custom house oaths
| should no longer be q jest; and that grocer's
\ coffee might be a symbol of purity, and not of
| adulteratOn. We ought to have in our public
men such jealous integrity that the good of the
! public should ever be considered before either
| party or personal interest; that jobbery and
| intrigue should be strangers to legislative halls
| and executive mansions; that no finger should
be suffered to reach nor glance to inger on any
private affairs that might influence their public
| action.
| such Is the vital Importance of educating con-
scicuce. Do you ask me now how this may be
done; First determine to do right, cost what
/ it may. Have an inyincible moral determina-
| ton. Seek not first the satisfaction o. the
senses, and that of conscience afterWard, rs the
| desires of the senses will allow but aim first
1 and last, with fixed resolve, to 10 your duty as
1 faithfully rs man can DO.
Secondly, seek not only to be faithful to your
| principles AZ theV are, but strive to make your
! principles what they should be- Attend to the
moral bearings and aspects OF things, and find
out what is right. Note the character of your
own dispositions and motives = be morally
| thoughtful, in short.
Thirdly, and lastly, re-enforcr your moral
n'rnnS" Wy h rArn@niti"" "t the divine rhara"7
1 ter Of conscience. When pressed by sore trial
and temptation, draw strength from the thought
that tnr great laws of morality are not mere
! products of utility, are not calculations of pru-
tlence, partial and changeable, but are immu-
| table and eternal laws, proceeding from the
bosom Of the Almighty the duty that they COM
maud, the daughter Of God; the conscience
that whispers them, a heavenly voice; disobe-
dience to it, an offence against the Most High
himself. Realize this mysterious and sacred
authority of conscience, lean upon the strong
conviction Of this divine sanction, and there is
no moral victory Impossible to you.