New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-29
EILNE CONSCIENCE.

From " r. areas PosthuD,ous Volume of EsS"ys
Often what man takes for the dictate OF con-
science is nothing more that VIM OF impulse Il
capricc Il crotchet, which IN und1Scpnc' nllu can
MOI distlurwiSh from the deliberate decision 81 a
competent Intelligence; and the more lIreSls'lqlc
the impulse, the more sudden ana NtUcutiij 'I'
caprice. the more it Is likely to represent ItSeu 10
his imagination rs an lmpcrloua comnaiu o. Jhc
monitor within. There are some persons VINO can no
more discriminate between a desire and duty IMAM
OF hers who have mere suatteIlhg OF dIItHiIi''l'
can east up a long addition sum right. Yet these
are precisely the characters most prone 10 be uuH3e
and >tent in their uOXiOu5 blHder aud 70 dress
it, both tO themselves and to the world, IN me
g3udicst guiso. How frequently do We meet WIN
men incapable Of injustice or cruelty themselves,
who viii del, nd the most 5cahdaiouS laVIlccs 81
both, if TpetIatcd by women whom they i0No, anu
MAINTAIN that " chyalTY torbldS them To 90 DINER
wise: or who. if they Themselves had Wronged
friow-crraturr, wOuid be prompt with me ainPIeSl
apology. but who would Tcpudlate rs ruslualnmpus
tIc suggestion of enforcing similar atoheneht WGcu
a wife is the offender. In most instances OF t4ls
sort mental confusion OF oclect mus p''. NJ
blame because III really j. the origin OF inc idul'1
which are laid at the door ui ConscientlOuSntss anu
unTightcDuSy suffered 10 pass under us name; bul
i'm i've ca SEES on. OF six, mere COuccJ Is the yrnS t
OricO mali and in such the UCccttu, ven should ne
r,.tieIv torn aWay-uot The less ruGcy because the
deceit il often sef-dcccptiOn, ana genuine SELF
We are all Of us probably familiar with men
usually young men, or nauOU-nInded men, OItell
mere prlgs and pdpp.c2-%Ao 3Lecl court -
action, or a standard of right and wrong, an Yau-
aucc not only with that of the general world l"hch
might often be PERM slbic enough, and even piale-
UOrthyi but with that of those whom thry are
hound To defer to. and cannot but respect, whom III
their secret hearts perhaps they Do respect
not only fathers ana mothers whose char'c'et
they cannot fail to reverence, whose eA-
pcrcncc they must recognise as az least aHOlulnE
prima facic probability OF wisdom, ana whose views
they know to be the very reverse OF lncohsideralG
or low-mOra!Ist5 ny PROBES loh, whose l"lc d.i';
thouahtful depth only the most presGmpt Gous c0uId
dare 90 crlticlse. They venture TO condemn where
fleIr teachers would aCqut, and to admire where
fatp lttrs I
come enthusiasts in Il cause which older anu wiser
men regret, and which in ripper manhood th"y are
nearly certain TO abandon. They are 'Conrcleh-
tousiy TesOlHtc III acting up 10 tleIr own con-
ylctions faucyIng all the while that they are true
and more farsi yhtcd than others, when in tuth
is only that they are more lueNperi'lD.H, anu
rlulliuq themselves on the simplicity ana purity oi
their vision, while their ShalloWne>s and n1rfo"HeSs
are leading them aStray. Life abounbs III Specl-
mems of tins class, AID thc character Is taNoitr
one with noyelists. They are often cured, but
usually 100 late. They sometimes repent OF Their
errors frequently OutgrOW them. but not uu lhry
have done endless mSchle', and lnilcttu iucacua,
hl, main and perhaps cmbilteg,d and embarrassed
their W h0lc aitcytc. Me awhile the Plea or con-
science and the supposed obligation OF 0ncying the
order, ii Issues those Of desDOt by divine right
enable them TO escape alike conUeuluatlon ana con-
triton. Often, again, what IS called con>cleh-
tousness Is simply the egotlsm Oh Win! anu III
tolerant nature. We are passionate advocates 81
orr wrong opinion. cause Ii Is ours; we INSIST upon
following our mistaken or InlsclucYUuS course IOr
th. same reason and because our uuchas, enc /
temper is impatient @! contradiction o. control; We
make u virtue out Of one of the most dangerous and
otf.n,iy i've of our vices. We sail under false colo g.
and 20 through life r SORT Of moral pirates, carrying
a living nag Il; our masthead. Occasionally tic case
is even worse, and it is pure love Of power which
uses the plea to throw dust into the eyes OF an Uh-
nrnptrating and induigent world. \ position Of
Communications the w'ghtIcst harden OF response
bi.itv which can b. laid upon scrupulou5 n%tuie-
i, too constantly exercised merely a5 ;he privilege
OF an impcrious yoItion; aud the pressure and Ob-
cation which might e in danger Of paralys n9 ac-
lion in truly consideration, man Is scarcely even
f.l, by one who only credits himself with being
surh and fancies ne Is d5charClus his duty, when
he is in fact only obcying his prOpensl:ics.