New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-13
lowed to drift TO her proper political mornings
without help or hind1ance.
7Ur DtvcrPS or Drill.

THE D.fNGERS or Drill.
The schools and churches closed during the
summer have now set their huge machinery IN
operation again. Does it ever occur 10 any Oh
TIE great multitude of teachers and preachers
at work in them how much their system OF
treatment tends TO take all originality out OF
men and to reduce human minds and souls to
one huge, methodica featureless Creature !
Far be it from The TRIBUNE to say that this
mode of dealing with human nature (Which Is
an altogether modern mode, by the way Is not
right or wise or Christian: we only want to call
attention to it by a single note OF Interrogation.
We handle everything else so differently in
the world. The merit of book lies i'll its
originality, the new thought, the unwonted
charm. We give a patent to the machine be-
cause il is like no other. We remember the
landscape or picture for the single fine indi-
yidual beauty. the unique touch which sets 1t
opart from all others. Yet we take the brains
of children. which hold the intellectual powers
that outweigh all other earthly forces in
strength and effect, and without any study INTO
their separate pcculiaritics heap them in
mass and subject them to the same rolling,
grinding process. The capacity OF the child
is small and commonplace; but there is usually
one direction in which, if encouraged, there IS
hone of Individual growth. Give the feeble
slip of iessamine the proper soil and sun, aud 1t
will climb high and fill the air with its per
fume. We are careful with our seeds and roots
in the garden; but we plant our human jcSSa-
mines and oaks and cabbagcS in row, and
prunc and water them all alike.
We banulc human souls in the Church pretty
much in the same way. The ordinary dlNci-
pine of steady church going, classes systematic
bencvolcnce, etc, may he best III the end III
its effect upon the world, or ut least upon the
obsCryant public But it does tend to have
the effect of reducing Christians to the condI-
ton of drilled soldiers. Whether after Il while
they 20 through their obSeTvaDces OF hymn
singing and scrmon-hcaring rs mechanically as
soldier, face and turn and march, or whether
they keep the great Cause for which they are
enrolled always in sight, is for each Of them to
say. All we know is that there is always
stupching danger in n drll. In the days Of
the Apostles matters were not so systcmatilcd;
when PRAYER aud hymns were offered at the risk
of the stake or wild beasts, the petty rules OF
routine were not so infcXibc it mattcrcd hide
whether the minister faced the east or west
his prayers stood not upon the order OF their
going. but went straight mp TO God We read
that some were teachers in those days; some
had the gilt of healing; some prophrSicd. We
do not hear of these gifts among individual
Christians now. The universal merit seems to
bc TO occupy Il certain seat Ia pew during
services, and 10 contribute money TO certain
church enterprises. What is wrong? Is the
Spirit of God less potent to move the souls of
men now than then Or Is the universal dill!
taking effect
The whole tendency. too, Of modern social
life oui side of schools and churches, is To OBJ
llcrate all distinguishing individual character,
and to reduce men to the same dead uni
formity. We dress alike, cat. talk bov, think
alike; all copying after some favored model ol
the hour Such mddic-ggcd people rs had the
good lucl, to be born H. some old-iasAioucI
country place can remember how many >Jrou-.
eccentric characters there were scattered
through the village OF farms. They lived ont
tlcir lives fully, made % distinct, vital impress
sion on their little world, and are not set for
gotten. Having known them we seem 10 have
turned and read new and curious page, Of che
book Of lie. These people were naturally no
stronger or more original than your grocer or
dancing-mastcr in town, or any OF the count
less snug, unmcaning cXistcucrs rhat pass you
daily; but they grew like separate tree, ia ,hc
field. They had room and air To develop. to
spread to knot themselves in rugged cNcrc--
ccnccs as they chose. All young men and
women feel the natural stirring OF individual
life within them. They do not wan, to bc
pruncd and planted in trenches with thousands
Of others. In their fond fancy there /, q motion
Of genius within which crave, it, own soil and
sun, and should have careful separate training.
The oak does not want to grow in the cabbage
bed, in a word.
But we that are mildlc-agod have discovered
that the oaks are 50 few and the cahhagcs so
many. Why encourage useless distinction,
If every young person should take 10 study ing
dressing, thinking and bowling after hi, own
fashion, how uncomfortable the world would
be! In middle age the object of life is to make
things comfortable. Uniformity is agreeable
and pleasant and church where each man
served God after his own nature and impulse
would hc neither. Still, is it not worth while
considering whether We may not have carried
this system too far.
SUNDAY ~ err AtD COUNTRY.