The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-03
The Praise of Knaves,

It's but another form of the prOverb
that a man is known by his companions
to saw that he is measured by those who
praise him. To be warmly commended
by rascals, to be the model great man
of those whom everybody despises, Is
cruel fate, because it is an unerring
Judgment. The qualities that secure
the admiration of knaves are not the
honorable qualities, and every superla,
tive Of admiration which scoundrel
bestows upon an other man covers that
man with suspicion. When dlstln
0uished man showed his friend letter
Of the heartiest admiration from one OF
the great men of his time, his friend re-
nlied that he would rather have that let
ter than a diploma from the tirst UNI
yersitiy. And when a graduating class
Of generous collegians spontaneously
cheers q professor as token oil respect
and regard, he may well feel that he has
heen pledged to still grester devotion ana
diligence by the confidence which he has
won from young men.
In estimating men whose names only
are familiar it is necessary to know VINO
Il is that extols them and who snarls al
them. 1t is this knowledge which
makes honest public men absolutely i'm
nervious to the shafts Of the most
venomous ridicule, and unmindtul oi
the heaviest missiles of abuse. The con,
tempt of such men battles the sneers Oi
| blackgardism as the sun extinguishe'
i the feeble flicker of match. Indeed
1 there is nothing more ludicrous than thu
constant and elaborate vituperation
which is sometimes poured by news
paper or a politician upon an opponeAn
who is as absolutely unconscious OF TN
incessant assault as a picture IS needles
of the buzzing of fly. Or out Of shee
. humanity toward suffering, such a ma
NAV so far reward the arduous struggl
of the harmless traducer as to exclaln
: good naturedly, "Shoo fly, don't bottle
!. mew -.
81 No man who takes part in public a.
: fairs must be surprised or troubled to b
: placarded, as it were, upon all the dea
, walls as thief, liar, a william, a dud
{ or a donkey. Where the press IS fre
t aad where elections are constantly O
], curing without great issues to be d
: cided, and nothing but personal COZ
/ alterations to determine votes. sue
: placarding is sure to occur, and there
Il nothing to do but to do nothing. In Il
; graveyard, as "Elia" says in the fam
g lar passage to Judge from the epitaph
i onIy good men seem to be buried, here so
r An election, to Judge from the newspaper
Io only had men are to be voted for. !
d sooner has the Convention decided tn
le White. Black, or Green shall be the ca
n didate than it appears that he is the p'
sonifcation of all mean and petty wee
and that his conduct in every relation
life has been nefariOus. He lies al
hribes and steals, and could the truth
be known it would undoubtedly appe
o. that he was the real murderer Of t
a babes in the wood, and that his beard
ne blue. But his art has succeeded In e
be cealing his actual character hither
lr- and Ee has imposed himself tor III
he wears upon his associates and trlen'
=, and the community at large as q 60.
IL natured, honest, industrious, publ
in spirited, and clever man.
of Nature, it is said, provides an antid'
he against the poison Of every venomC
of snake. and in like manner she NAL
rs this provision against false character,
u that they shall be praised by those VIII
applause il certain exposure. That
mt piause Is j Nessus shirt. 1t IS meant
he decorate and attract, but It tears aN
ny the skin and the life. Snch praise
'ut meant to adorn and commend, but
di- leaves its victim blasted with suspic
lid and scorn.-The Easy Chair, in Harp'
ed Magazine for October.