The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-11-20
Personal RESPONSIBILITY.
Lecture Before the Students
of HiIlsdaIe College,
Dr rue LADY PRINCIPAL.

Once upon time, most of the men,
bers OF one of my classes, signed a Pc
tition to me respecting something they
wished or did not wish 10 read. There
was no harm in the petition, and no
harm in signing it. il the individual so
doing had real, personal, and worthy
interest in the object set forth in the
paper But chanced TO ask one OF
the boys, "What made you sign that
paper?" The answer was, "Oh! /
don't know; the boys wanted me to do
it aud 40 did" | said TO one Of the
girls, why did you sign that paper?'
The answer came, "Ohl the girls teas.
ed me, and were not going TO like it il
didn't, and So L signed it," j don't
know how many, or how few signed
under the same circumstances, nor
docs it matter. My purpose is to dis
cuss the principle lying at the bottom
OF this, TO investigate how far correct
notion of personal responsibility will
permit any individual to use his or her
name and influence at the mere beck
and call of somebody whom he wishes
to please, or fears to displease. A true
idea OF personal responsibility lies at
the very foundation Of all that is strong
and noble in tho character. 1t is a
real, living principle. II is law of
! God and nature, and underles the laws
of man. The Bible most forcibly in
culcates the lesson of our accountable
ty for our own acts, our own influence.
Nature visits her punishment upon the
individual who violates her laws. The
laws of man hold the individual person.
ally responsible for his deeds, and il is
only tho loss of reason that can take
| away from man or woman this per.
sonal responsibility to moral and civil
law.
Ono cannot have the slightest nc.
Quaintance with the world and with So |
cioty, without noticing tho constant Of |
fort that IS being made 10y many to ig- !
more or evade the requirements OF per |
sonal possibility. From Adam, who. |
sax thousand years ago, tried 10 excuse |
himself for tasting the forbidden fruit |
by alleging that Eve had given II 10 /
him, down to the dishonest student OF |
to-day who will cheat in class and try |
10 excuse himself by saying that he |
does no worse than somebody else, il |
is The same old story.
The lesson Of personal responsibility |
~ perhaps the very first lesson taught /
IN the Bible, FOR we find that the plea /
Of Adam availed him nothing. He suf. |
fered q severe and summary punish
ment. though II was the first time he
had disoboyed aud he had never wit
messed an instance Of punishment fol
lowing disobedience, as have all Of his
descendants. He had trausgressed aud |
he VAS held personally responsible, as
IN tire beginning, he aps told he would
be held.
Through all grades of society, there
is more or less eflost to evade or ignore
personal responsibility. In the lower
GRADES. there il not mpch else TO be
expected, Tor where want, and lgnor-
ance, and vice, have taken up their
abodes, there - little chance fol auy-
thing until these loathsome inmates
have been expelled. But il would /
seem that education in the family and
in the school, has a great work to do in
establishing correct ideas in this direc-
tiou. That this is the case is shown
by the fact that there is SO little inde-
,pendence of thought and OF action
among many people whose intelligence
and whose good intentions are un-
doubted.
OF necessity. the weak in character
and purpose will always be led by those \
who are stronger; the ignorant will al
ways be- tools in the hands of those who |
know how TO take advantage OF their
Ignorance. IL is often true, though |
n Il Of necessity, that those who are
neither weak nor ignorant nor wicked
follow the lead OF others even to the
extent Of perpetrating acts that are
violations Of all right principle, forget
ting perhaps, or not realizing that for
those acts they have a responsibility
which they cannot throw off by plead
ing the example or influence of their
associates. While, therefore, ID is the
work Of our schools and colleges to
Danish ignorance, TO strengthen the
weak character and 20 ennoble and ele.
vntc purposes and aims, the lesson Civ
en- first aud last, and oftenest repeated,
should be that responsibility for our
own acts or Tor our omission to act,
cannot be laid aside at willy that strive
as we may, We cannot throw it upon
some one else, for our connection with
it rests upon n principle fixed in the
immutable government OF God. III this
lesson IS learned early in life, il must
result, in a breadth and depth and
strength Of character that will make it's
posscssor n power for good.
We will suppose that from the first
moment that a child il capable Of an
derstandiag and receiving moral in-
struction, he il taught that certain
things arc not 10 be indulged in be.
cause they are wrong, because their
tendency Is bad, because they will re-
suit immediately or finally i'm injury 10 /
himself or TO others. He will not have /
attained many years before he can
comprehend that there is a principle /
lying back Of every human act, and /
that his act cannot be right il tho prin- /
ciple lying back Of 1t Is bad, il one /
that, carried out 90 its full extent, must /
result IN evil. He can very early learn /
that the plea that he has been disobe- |
dient or untTuthful because his CON- /
panions persuaded him or threatened /
him or laughed at him, or set him the ex- /
ample, Is not strong or manly plea, but 4
weak, pitiful, contemplate attempt /
10 ovade responsibility, which from the !
very principle involved, he cannot es-
cape. He can very early learn that he |
cannot look upon wrong and withhold 1
an expression Of disapprobation, with. |
out incurring part of the guilt Of him /
who does the wrong.
A man thus taught the stern require /
ments Of personal responsibility, and a /
habit Of looking TO the principle OF his |
actions, which has grown with his |
growth and strengthened with his |
strength, will be leader among his |
fellows, aud be will be leader to-
ward high and noble deeds. Such men
/ furnish the stun out Of which heroes
are made. They wall stand alone. il |
need be, aud endure derision and scorn.
or they Niil fight TO the death for a
principle of truth and right. Such are
I the men who will raise their voices
. against wrongs, abuses and corruption
in society; and II 10 were not for such
men and their efforts, society must 20
| backward and downward. They never
SIT like the individual whom Holland
! describes in his Seven Oaks" and
With folded hands rcmark"It is our iu. |
~ 20 take things m they air." but they
/ proceed TO do their best TO make thinrf
/ H. a.. Il