The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-14
lucky People.

The belief that particular individuals
are attended by good fortune which
makes them desirable associates in any
enterprise of uncertain success exists
not only among those who take part in
political and military projects, but in
iuences all joint action of commerce
and affairs, and a corresponding assur-
ance in the individuals so distinguished
meets and justitles the expectation of
others by boundless self trust 81
have a lucky hand sir" said Napoleon
to his hesltating Chancellor; chose on
whom l lay it are fit for anything"
| This faith is familiar in one form-that
often certain indication of prudence
and foresight is an element of success;
that children and young persons come
Off safe from casualties that would have
proved dangerous to wiser people We
do not think the young will be forsakcn,
but he is fast approaching the age when
the miraculous external protection
and leading are withdrawn, and he is
committed to his own care. The young
man takes a leap in the dark and alights
safe. As he comes into manhood he
| remembers passages and persons that
seem, as he looks at them now, to have
| been systematically deprived of mi u-
rious influence on him His eyes were
holden that he could not see. But he
learns that such risks he may no longer
run. He observes with pain, not that
he inCurs mishaps here and there, but
that his genius, whose invisible benevo-
lenCe was tower and shield to him, is no
longer present and active. In the pOpu-
lar belief ghosts are selecting tribe
avoiding millions, speaking to one. In
our traditions fairies, angels, and saints
show the like favortism; so do the agents
and the means of magic, as sorcercrs
and amulets. This faith in a doting
power, so easily sliding into the cur
rent belief everywhere, and in the par
ticular of lucky days and fortunate per-
sons as frequent in America to-day as
the faith in lamentations and philters
was in olden time-this supposed power
runs athwart the recognized agencies,
natural and moral, which science and
religion explore. Needed though it be
in many actions and partnerships, it is
not the power to which we built
churches, or make liturgies and prayers,
or which we regard in passing laws, or
found college professorshipS to eXpOund
It would be easy in the political history
of every time to furnish examples of
this irregular success, men having force
which without virtue, without shining
talent, yet makes them prevailing. No
equal appears in the field against them.
A power goes out from them which
draws all men and events to favor them
The crimes they commit, the exposures
which follow, and which would ruin any
other man, are strangely overlooked, or
do more strangely turn to their account
| set down these things as l find them,
but, however poetic these twilights of
| thought, | like daylight, and | find that,
somewhat willful, some play at blind
mans buff when men as wise as Goethe
talk mysteriously of the chronological.
The insnuation is that the known
eternal laws of mortals and of matter
are sometimes corrupted or evajed by
this gypsy principle, which chooses
fayorites, and works in the dark for
their behoof; as if the laws of the Father
of the universe were sometimes baked
and eluded by meddlesome aunt of the
universe for her pets. You will OBJ
serve that this extends the popular idea
Of success to the very gods; that they
foster a success to you which is not
success to all that fortunate men, for
tunate youths exist, whose good is not
virtue or the public good, but private
good robbed from the rest. 1t is mid
summer madness, corrupting all who
hold the tenet. The demonologic is
only fine name for egotism, an exag-
geration, namely, of the individual,
whom it is natures settled purpose to
postpone. The race never dies, the in
dividual is never spared. There is
one world common to all who are awake,
but each sleeper betakes himself to one
of his own" Dreams retain the infirm,
tiles of our character. The good
genius may be there or not; our evil
genius is sure to stay. The Ego partial
makes the dream; the Ego total the in
terpretation.-R. W. Emerson, in North
american ReD5f7o