, 1879-01-12

4'AcA<*Io1o AA*AFo @AA"hJo oSSA AoAASA " VII
doctrine Of Compensation. The idea lies q
the base of most religious and ethical sya
TENS. There would apparently be no use o
future state if it were not to remedy SOM
of the wrongs of this one. Mr.. EMERSON
IN his celebrated essay on Compensation
treats this argument for a future state will
p6ilosophic scorn, 1t is true, but he does 81
only because he goes farther than most relig
ious people. He holds that compensation
is wrought out in this world. 'sEyery e1
cess, he says *'causes defeat; every defea
an excess. Every sweet hath its sour; every
evil its good. For every grain of wit there
is grain of folly. For everything you have
missed, you have gained something else
and for everything you gain, you lose some,
thing else. IF riches Increase, they are in.
creased that use them. # the gathero1
gathers too much, Nature takes out of the man
what she puts into his chest; swells the
estate, but kills the owner. Nature hates
monopolies and exceptions. The farmer
imagines power and place are fine things
Eut the President has paid dear for his
'AAIS@AA0A3Ss - AA<to Ao44444At4Ay NtoA A4ku G41
his peace and the best Of his manly attri-
butes. To preserve for short time SO con-
spicuous al appearance before the world, lie
is content to eat dust before the reel masters
who stand erect behind the throne. :.
On the other hand, the lew holds with
equal sureness for oil right action. Love,
and you shall be loved. AL love is mathe-
matically just, as much Us the two sides Of
en- algebraic equation"
It is difficult to stop when one begins
quoting from this brilliant essay. Though
its doctrine is extreme and oyerstated. it Of
fcrs measure Of true consolation to ell who
ore despitefnlIy treated i'll this world. But
good and great men have ruled before
and philosophers before
EMERSON preached the Gospel of Con1pensa-
tion. SOCRATES observed the strange rela-
tion of pleasure to what appears its very op-
posite-pain. "They will never come to-
gcther to man," he said; "and yet if he
pursue and catch the one, he is almost al
ways forced to take the other also, just as if
the two were joined together at one end.
And think that if EsoP had noticed this
he would have made fable out of it, that
Cop, wishing to reconcile these two who
were at enmity will each other, and not be-
ing able, had fastened their heads together,
aud that is why, when one comes to man,
Tho other is sure to follow closely after"
Tho old discussion has been curiously re-
rived of late by two literary and politicaI
the Saturday Reuieao in London aud
The Nation in New York. The former of these
periodicals, some weeks ago, printed IN edi-
Lorial on the general subject Of *' Disqualify-
ing Gifts" The writer triol to show that
mans accomplishments often disqualify for
success in some directions. Thus the gentle
mans polished manners cause the vulgar to
suspect his sincerity. We can add to this
The phleglnatic temperament
ainders its possessor from much esthetio
and the ardent. impetuous one
cads its owner into indiscretions. lie who
$ slow to anger is slow to cool, and he who
S quick in wrath is hasty to forgive. A
trong Imagination makes one impatient of
tudy, and the glow of pure intellect
{rics up the Imagination. Fluency of
isin many cases incompatible with
olidity and accuracy of thought Intensity
# belief engenders prejudice and narrow
less; looscness Of conviction prevents ear-
cstncss and determination. Courage lies
ear to rashness, and prudence to cowardice.
ircet will-power is apt to create stubborn |
ess, and feeble resolution induces yacilla- |
ion. We might continue the catalogue, as !
re have said, indefinitely. But the autithc-
is is already painful. Every reader can il
1strate the idea out Of his own experience.
The articlo Of the Nation proceeds from
i1erent point Of view, but reaches, in one
apartment at least, the same conclusion.
his article was printed in the number for
IN. 2, and ives entitled Optimistic Pessim-
NJ" In humorous and satirica1 way the
ritter showed, first, how difficult it is to sat-
fy the extreme wing of the Repub-
can party, known as the Stalwa1ts.
ho acreage Stelwart is both an
otimist and pcssimist. Indeed, he:
not peculiar in this. All optimists are
and ell pessimists are optimists.
'acf is .;.ite. Water runs uphill The !