The Van Buren press., 1875-05-04
COURAGE.

Many persons mistake the real meaning
of courage They imagine 1t to be that dis
position in person which causes him to re-
sent forcbly. perhaps, every real or imagin-
ary insult he may receive. That young man
who is not prepared to fight, on the merest
and most trihiDg provocation, Is denounced
as n coward, and the finger of scorn is point
ed at him by his fellows. Bravery. with the
majority of young men, is the mere giving
vent to the base and cruel passions of human
nature What mistake. IL, as We journey
along the thorny thoroughfare of life, we
stop to kick at every eur that barks at us on
the way. we shall progress but slowly Ne
sides. these ours may bite us If We Kick az
them, which would only bark. il we passed
without noticing them. But then the young
man will say" Must submit to insult and
abuse, and passing it by unnotced, subject
myself to a repetition OF the indignity = By
no means. we answer; but do you not believe
that there are better ways of resenting evil
conduct toward you than by lighting? Can
we not, sometimes, by a magnanimons course
of treatment towards person who has sssas-
lIttltN US pItNtHb u stIltS VI uiobsteis thaN
would necessarily result from II return Of evil
for evil? Would not such Il course have
tendency to remove the little barrier Of pas
sion that sometimes interposes between man
and man. when the opposite would only in
crease its bulk? Is not the kiss of peace that
heals the sears and bruises of dissension and
strife. better than the angry blow, that causes
the wound to burst and bleed afresh? When
do you feel best in mind. when you have had
quarrel. perhaps fight, or when, instead,
you have refused to quarrel, and have thereby
brought about AN amicable adjustment OF the
diaiculty? Some men tight. not because of
any natural bravery which they possess but
because they are AFRAID of what their com
panions will say. They are called liar. and
light, not because they suppose that they
WILL by a good beating OF the person who
makes the charge, prove Its falsity, but be-
cause public opinion will pronounce them
towards, If they do not repcl the aspersion
with blow. New. we will leave 1t to the
good sense Of onr young men. II this is not
evidence OF n lack of courage rather than its
possession. When you have received an in
jury. perhaps your moral character has been
assailsd, it is not a hard task for you to re-
sent 1t. In fact your nature prompts you to
do this very thing. Now try to be courteous
towards this person who has 80 seriously in
jured you. and how do you progress? Is it
not the hardest fight that you ever made
Does II not call to the rescue every iota OF
your moral heroism? Your humanity calls
for revenge, and it requires every vestige OF
courage to repel its incessant and powerful
appeals. You will always find 1t easy to do
wrong. and hard to do right. In life you are
surrounded by circumstances that will call
for the most thorough exhibition Of courage.
Try to discover what Is right, and then be ex-
act IN its performance and you will be cour-
sgeous In the nobest sense Of the word. Re-
member that courage Is not the revenging Of
insults which We may receive, but willing
ness to forgive the otiense.