Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-03
WHOLE NO. 1775.


There are low. grovelling views, un-
worthy conceptions of morality anc
duty, now,as there were four thous-
and years ago. Indeed, we know
that there are those who hold with
Solomon in his low, sensual motions
inculcated in the book of Ectlesiss.
ties, and whose thoughts rhy me With
his in the salacious verse oil Can't
cles. They play the fool just a.
be did-are incorporate, licentious,
earthly-and when the fire of pas :
sion has burned out, and the strength
of their life is wasted, and their last
bold upon earthly erjoy ment is
broken will take up his murmur and
say, "All.is vanity and vexation of
spirit" SO. too. much that belonged
TO the Middle Ages is reproduced in
this new age. The spirit of the old
aristocracies works like o
bad lesven, and there are oppessions
Of the poor and the Withholding of it's
reward from labor, and the tramp
ling on sacred rights by the barons
of capital, and fragrant abuses of
power on the part of rulers, as there
were then.
The dissatisfaction of which I have
spoken is consequent upon the exist
ence of these things. The elements
we see at work IN these risings up of
the people to assert their rights, i'll
these fierce challenges of ancient
wrongs, in these bold questionings of
the correctness of venerable standards
in these loud clamors for something
better, truer, diviner, are not merely
those of moral and social rebellion,
of anarchy and ruin, but of right
eous discomfort, of Justice, of truth,
of revolt against tyranny, and of d
longing after higher and better
things. And yet l can see that
these elements may so work, may
take such forms Of manifestation,
may be 80 arous d and heated, as
that harm shall result. 10 the fierce
fame of excitement not only the dross
may be consumed. but the pure gold
injured. In the haste of striking
down images, much that is good and
true may be demolished. The i'm.
petuous charge fo- freedom may car
ry over the line into RIGHTEOUSNESS
and therefore into worse slavery on
the other side. How wise, then,
the injunction (of our text y "Prove
all things hold fast that which is
good" As much as TO say. Take
time-do not hurry carefully and
patiently test old things and snew
things before casting away the one
and accepting the other. Washing
may discover gold in what seems on
ly poor clay, and that which has
been threshed out on some modern
foorsby much loud humping, may
be only chsff which winnowing
would blow all av ay.
There are two classes of men who
yield only partial obedience to the
principle or rule we have been con-
sidering--they are the ultra oonserva-
tives, aud the ultra radicals. The
first of these set themselves in
obstinate array again st the tenden-
cies to progress implanted in all
souls, ard against the common sense
proposition, that the same old paths
are not given US ever to walk 10, nor
the same old institutions aud Gus
toms ever to adhere to. They would
not have US prove anything, bat de-
mand that we hold fast whatever is,
whether safe or not, whether good
or bad, whether adapted TO the pros.
ent age, the present condition ofsoci-
ETY., or otherwise and that we re-
tain without change or modification
old customs, old theories, old habits,
old laws, old standards, whether
good, bad, or indifferent. Their
adopted principle is. to hold fast
TO let nothing go. They love the
old, the venerable, and time-worn
because of their very antiquity, or
because the mould of ages is upon
them, and forget in their blind and
undiscriminating alteration of the
dead Past, that on the pri n
ciple they have adopted the
world had never emerged from the
darkness of barbarism into the light
of civilization had never escaped
from the bondage and woes of the
one, and been lifted up to an enjoy
ment of the freedom and blessings OF
the other.
Often the ultra.conservative is a
very selfish man--indeed, selGshness
is the predominating trait in his char
acter. He has selected some comfor-
table corner, some cozy, quiet nook
for himself in the midst of the cold and
unfriendly world, has secured aplentiful
supply of the good things of life, has
plenty of money. and an aristocratic
position in society, and high place II
may be in the state or in the church;and
in this snug and sunny corner, all wrap
ped in, and tucked up, be would re-
main, and there sleep and dream, and
have no stir, and no warfare against
wrong, and no graphing in conflict
with ancient errors and frauds. He
dislikes being disturbed. The very
thought of effort makes him shrink
still closer into his corner. He looks
out from his warm and secure retreat
and sees how many thousands suffer
from the injustice and expressions oil
society - he hears the cries of those
whose wrongs are many and grieyous
and the groans of those on whom
crushing burdens have fallen, but he
has no head to plan, no heart to feel
no hand to lift, for the rescue ofthese
the poor, wretched, down-trodden. and
perishing children of comm or
Father. Speak to him of reforming
any abuses, of plucking up any evils,
of taking another step in the upward
path, of fighting the devil in the mar
ket- place and on the street, land in the
shop, and on Change, and in the
Church, and in the halls of legislation
and his ready and stereotyped reply
is, that everything is as near right a.
you can get it, and that nothing is tc
be gained by agitation and warfare
So he draws himself back into hi