Evening journal., 1888-11-15
GENUINE COURAGE.
HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH
DISPLAY OR BRAVADo.

Nero combativeness Not an Uncommon
Nor an Exalted QuaIity-Tho DulIdoe.,
Idiocy-Napoleon ut Waterloo -Heroisn
of Every Day Life.
Courage, in any genuine sense, does moi
wantonly court danger. On the other hand
1t does not shrink from or avoid danger
when there is any occasion to meet it. II bas
a worthy purpose and adheres to it uns.gerv-
ingly, not counting cost or consequences
More mental and moral than physical, it has
/ nothing in common with display or bravado.
IL is 50 quiet and modest that it might be
mistaken by surface seers for want Of conf
| dence even for timidity 1t runs no risk for
the sake of risk; it wastes no ammunition TO
make noise and smoke; it burns powder only
to speed the ball to its mark. The most
courageous do not advertise themselves be-
forehand; they calmly await the test, willing
that it should speak for them They are sell
dom imagined to be what they are under or
binary circumstances. They keep their own
secret, which they may not suspect them
selves until requirement calls it forth. They
are devoted to duty; where it commands
they follow against fearful odds leading for
Torn hopes, charging in the face OF death,
sustained and stimulated by conviction OF
right
Many peoples, Anglo-Saxons notably, at-
tach undue Importance to what thoy esteem
70 be bravery, meaning conbatiyeness in
general Ia our own country We are con
tinunlly hearing the expressions "He will
light" They are fighters They won't
give II up without flshting,n as if conbative-
ness We're the highest human endowment,
as II its possession would compensate for the
absence OF any number of virtues Combat
lyeness IS not an uncommon nor an exalted
quahty. 1t belongs as a rule to all savages,
- Is physical trait of undeyelopment. The
tiger is neither noble nor intelligent. but in
hghting powers he is not surpassed by any
beast
1D1ocY or TIRE BULLDOG
The bulldog is extremely repulsive in ap-
pearance, and so superlatively stupid TINT
he is generally regarded as a canine idiot.
But he has not an equal in the animal king
dom as to fighting propensity, being as desti-
tuto Of fear as he is Of brains When he
selzes anything with his teeth his laws often
cannot be pried apart He has been known
to suffer death without losing his hold. He
actually has not intelligence enough 10 do
SYST from what he is doing. His instinct is
absorbed and exhausted by pugnacity. He
mas been praised for his readiness TO attack
any animal whatever its size and strength.
Inc lmpelling agency is not boldness. but
ldlocy BY the common estimate he should
be chosen king OF beasts. Men who are per
petually prating Of their pugnacity and
their JOY in showing it, would be like the
bulldog II they were not generally poltroons.
lhey resemble him minus his ferocity.
Bravery -temperamental disdain OF danger
or death-may be, probably is, unusual, but
courage belongs to nearly all educated men.
70 whole nations, even to races Its absence
Is with them an astonishing exception. In
stead OF being heroic, it is really general
"o must always judge OF courage by it's ef-
Iect. Men who have appeared dauntless IN a
score of deperate battles have privately con-
fessed that they were often timid They
doubtless told the exact truth. Courage x
frequently, II not commonly, a matter Of
education of wontedness This is seen IA the
conduct Of raw troops when first under fire
They almost always arc unsteady. liable 10
be thrown into confusion. But after a cor
tain amount Of military experience they viii
charge battery without waveriug.
EVOLUTION OF COURAGE.
The soldier, at his virgin battle. IS likelv
to think that every shot fired brings down a
man. He alters his opinion when be learns
that an amount OF metal equal to the AVERAGE
human weight is required to produce a casI-
atty. His whole military education eoncurs
TO increase his hrmness. He who NAV play
the poltrooa at the outset Of a campaign NAV
be hero at the close. Frederick H. the
most eminent general OF his time, and one Of
the most intrepid OF men, ran away from his
nrst battle. Mollintz was won, but the com
mander had fed. Napoleon who had in
Vlnclbie faith in his star, who had changed
tho destiny OF nations, who was the greatest
OF captains, lost spirit completely when he
saw himself hopelessly defeated at Waterloo.
and was found wandering amlessly on the
field, dazed and stunned. His prodigious
courage had been driven out at last BY nm |
irretrievable reverse
Courage varies with our mood and circrrn- /
stances; but backed by Will and pride and /
faith in our cause, tho outcome may be
trusted. 1t is less demanded in war thnu IN /
peace, which is iucessant combat with nm
martial weapons. Every day brings its
-rials, its temptations, its dangers, and to
oppose them courage is Indispensable. He
Who IS deficient in it must 80 the rear or be
irummed ont of camp. The world will not
Keep those who skulk or fly The survival Of
.he tittest is but another phase, for the battle
S to the strong. 1t is harder to live than to
lie; death is only a single pang; life is often
/ long series Of woes Reason and science
rave robbed death Of its theological terrors:
1ut modern civilization has made life SO com
'lex, wearing and ardaous, that the exercise
# steady courage alone can sustain it. Ev-
ry man who lives out his natural life use
ully and honorably, however obscure be
nay be, is a hero. Only he knows what he
5 compelled to be, to do, to suffer, and he
Ichieves the end solely by the evolution Of
ourage .-Junius Henri Browne in Globe