The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-09-16
SCRUPLE>.


SCRUPLE>.
From The Saturday Review.
There are some things OF which we
sbonld have neither too much nor too
little ; and among these are scruples.
INSCRIPTIONS is a term Of just reproach
the interruptions man is dangerous in
whatever capacity we have to deal with
him, but the mar of scruples is net
therefore desirable as such. He may
be eligible and deserving, but we should
like him better without his scruples, for
nothing is a graver barrier in social mat.
ters than obtrusive scruples which we
do not share. Scruples are essentially
private things; when two people agree
together in an objection of IN opinion,
we view it in another light, and prob.
ably call it something else. Scruples
represent private judgment exercising
itself in small matters that 10, they APP
pear small TO common sense or to prev
alent public opinion, though they are
large and predominant to the scrupu-
lous mind. Not that scruples are indie.
pendent of the prevailing toned thought
in the world, but they are the means by
which some persons take their share in
it, and they constitute the originality of
a certain class of intellect--they furnish
an opportunity for that self. asse rtion
which is n natural object with thinkers
Of every class and grade.
or course virtue has scruples. The
minuter duties of morality have, we
may say, mn equal obligation with the
weightler matters Of the law but in
one case public opinion is accepted as
exponent and interpreter, while the
scrupulous conscience owns no law but
itself, and sees no further than the let
ter. Honesty of the straightforward
social sort agrees that it is a sin to steal
n pin, but it does as it would be done
by and, holding itself justified by the
general usage, it takes the pin on an
emergency and does not call it stealing.
The scrupulous person goes pinless at
the cost of being a less competent and
efficient member of the body polite,
but is not the less confident and salts
fed. The scruples which fairly lear
the character of scrupulosity are those
which warp the Judgment and Obscure
the perception of the relative import
ance of things. The man who is gov
erntd by them may be a guide to him.
self, hut he is no guide for others; his
conscience and his reason are not on
sufficiently good terms. And it may be
observed that nobody can be scrupulous
all round (; a pet scruple often makes a
clean sweep Of collateral obligations.
The scrupulous temper is liable to large
and eccentric omission where the con-
science is of it's guard. People can not
act as members OF a family or q COM
munity whose notions Of private duty
cover all their view and engross their
attention.
We live in this world in many capac.
tiles, all imposing moral duties OF which
common sense has to adjust the claims
where they seem conflicting but COM
mon sense, even candid and unselfsh
common sense, is despised and abhorred
by the mind possessed by scruple, or
regulating itself by a code OF scruples.
The duties that can not be ~reconciled,
or will not fit in, are set aside-o,er-
looked as not Of obligation. We know
of a clergyman who had II scruple against
reading any of the words in italics
which occurred in the lessons for the
day. He simply passed them over as
not dictated by inspiration. It was in
different to him that he made nonsense
of the Word of God, which it was his
office to set forth no saw ore side of
his duty so very plainly that he saw
nothing else, and we need not say was
utterly unpersuadable. Nor need
scruples be OF this absurd type to show
an equal want Of grasp Of the leading
idea. 1t would appear that the capac-
ity for a large general view is never
found in conjunction with this micro
scopic activity of conscience. All
scruples are conscientious, and carry
with them & sort Of religions obligation.
But it depends on the character how
deep this goes. Many people scruple
to play d rubber who will plunge into
reckless speculation without a twinge.
II was n conscientious scruple which
induced Pepys, on receiving a letter and
discerning money in it, to empty the
letter before he read it, "that I might
say I saw no money in the paper;" and
this is only a type of the action of a
great many scrupulous persons, who
desire to profit by the consequences of
a certain course Of action without incur
ring the responsibility Of it. And,
short of this, scruples constantly stand
in the way Of an honest perception of
right by stopping at the letter. A mind
given to small scruples has the judg.
ment in leading strings, and often misses
the fash Of truth amid the minute ques.
tons which occupy it. Perhaps the
most com non form OF hypocrisy is this
self. deception.
But, on the other hand, il is no easy
matter to settle what are scruples-that
is, conscientious demurs about small
things. What were treated a. such at
one time are afterwards discovered to
be broad principles. Rsformers are
charged with scruples and unnecessary
niceties, but the scrupulous temper
which fastens naturally on minutim ia
not the reforming temper. The so called
scruples Of some minds have founded
sec 5 and parties, and changed the facs
Of society. II was quoted rs an absurd
Il