New-York tribune., 1880-03-07
COLOR BLIND.

Color BLIND.
If we are to believe in the recent investi
cations Of oculists, about nnc-teuths of the
readers OF THE TRIBUNE see one color when
they are looking at another; the primrose IS
green for them or the violet fiery crimson /;
or they cloihe the whole parti-colored world
in Quaker drab or royal purple.
This condition Of afairs is bad enough but
there is an intellectual and moral color-blmd-
ness which IS much more unlucl,y for the man
who has it. Whether any Of the readers OF
TIE TRIBUNE are afflicted with it, ia for them
to Judge. The symptoms which indicate It
are various. 4 man Cor still more often
womam attacks with viruicucc certain habits
Oh opinions in which You have put faith since
your childhood yOUr ct or party or manner
of daily life Is odious, ridiculous and m-
christian 10 him, who he has for bis own
tcnderml profound reverence. He is intelligent,
rational. eager for the truth; so are youj
vet both OF you are immoyl1lc I'm your con-
yic.ions. j. Ae right then, and You wrong z
Oh il There mo- absolute night or absolute wrong
OR is it that both suffer from some defect of
moral vision which enables you only to see
flat minute segment of truth which has fallen
TO your share
THIS di,eas, Of partial vision IS most often
drc 90 the fact that man unfortunately can
be bonn in but one place. We have, so to
speak. geographical couscionces. Can Penn
aylyauia Dutch farmer look an life and death
with tAc came cycs as Buddhist priest i'm
Bcnaf,s7 Yet they have blood and stomachs
and soul, alike; tie same God and the same
"a. ff1t l...If ff.. ..fr
bate, love, ambition, appetite, jokcs-all are
tie same. Again, 10 is very hard for an
Enclishmau, for instance. TO see any strength
or virtue outside of England He does not
put It in SO many words, perhaps, but lac would
much rather believe the whole world moral
quagmire around that island than to acnnowl-
edge that his own eyes lacked training.
Americans had the same cataract Of conccit
over their eyes until one or two sharp defeats
couchcd themi now they begin to have a
hazy view of their infcuorites. Our own civil
war afforded many an odd example Of the
obiquity of mental vision given simply by
locality. 4 great mass OF Epi,copallans,
Method-ts, Catholics, etc, living Oh one side of
a geographical line though they had 10 personal
interest in the controversy, adopted as n rulo
the opinions of their neighborhood and gave
their lives to defend them; while Episcopa-
lans. Methodsts. Catholics, etc, living
ON the other side, died TO destroy them.
One body Of men wcro pious. sincere,
iDtrlligcnt; 50 we're tho others. Their con-
yictions were due TO the fact that their
circumstances and the place they lived in
made them purblind; thcy could sec but one
side of the question.
Ucrcdity has a good deal to do with moral
color-blndncss. This man inherited stern
ascetic Temperament and set OF reliSiOus dog
mas 10 match from long line of grim anccs
tors, that. warmer blood love of art, beauty,
nature, and an accordant faith. Religion with
one is duty, with the other, emotion; each
sees his own faith as a narrow path leading
straight to heaven; all without, he holds, is
slough. error, hell In old times they burned
and tortured each other now they are cour-
tcous foes, but still foes. They never suspect
that thc whole difficulty lies in their own de-
fectiye eyes They zee all things through
their own party color while Gods white sun
hght holds the world.
Hawthorne somewhere talks of the unfOr- |
tunate man who can see both sides of
" question: He is unfortunate in that he is !
invariably set down DJ HIS tIlOW-hlen ellnel |
as n fool, IA toady or a traitor. Yet take away |
from men this blindness TO their neghbors |
side of an argument, and where would have |
been all the oppression, the cruelty, the rclig |
ions prosecutions of all tme2 Some of our
readers belonging to " the Broad Church" no
doubt are satisfied that their range of vision |
il true and wide as the eagles. They are |
above al national or scctarian pIcjudccs. |
The day, they tell you, for Dragging Amcri |
cans or Engi-hmcn or for bgoted priests is
oyer. II is the age OF lberality and free |
thought So they end by being intolerant of |
intolerance. No priest in the dark ages was
more virucnt or acrid when hurting anathe-
ma, against infdels than the modern liberal !
=. thinker" is i'm dcnouncng the orthodox cer
gymcm of to-day. He tells MS they are frauds, |
hypocritcs merccnary trckSters-anyt ythng ,ut !
the holy aud humble men of heart which they |
profess to be. There il no class of men in |
modern society more bigoted than those who !
are making war against oigotry.
These are general public matters, however. |
How is it in private life Take any indyid- |
nal or family, no matter how liberal OF oul !
tured. They have blind, unreasoning, vague |