New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE 90

mo system called Thusgism, represented in the prso
uoe OF tho Thugs, taught that the ast which we do
sorioe a murder, Innocent was this an honest
crrorf Was II due, In ITS authors we'll In those
VINO blndly followed them to automatic process of
thought, In which the will was not consulted, and
which accordingly could entail no responsibility II
was then IT is plain that the whole foundations not
oi oencf, but OF social morality, broken up. IL
was not then the sweeping doctrine Of the present
"ntor on tho necessary blamelessness of erroneous
conclusions tumblcs to the ground like house Of cards
AZ tho breath OF the child who built IT.
In truth, the pages of tho Reply and the letter
which has moro recently followed IT, themselves de-
monstrate that what the writer has asserted wholesale
ne overthrows and denies in detail
VIII pass away from tender ground and VIII en-
oeaVor to lodge broader appeal to the enlightened
Judgment of the author Says odysseus in the Ilad
W. LIZ ouk agathon poukoranie' and large pars
OF the world stretching this sentiment beyond its orig
maj meaning, have held that the root OF civil power
is not In the community, but In its head In opposition
10 this doctrine, the American written Constitution
and the entire American tradition, teach the right OF
nation to selfgovernment. And these propositions
which have divided and still divide the world, open out
respectively into systems of ireconciabo ideas
and laws, practices and habits of mind VIII
any rational man, above all VIII any American,
contend that these conflicting systems
have been adopted, upheld, and enforced on
one side and the other in the daylight OF pure reasoning
nothing do with their adoption That tho intellect
has worked mpartlally, like steam-engne, and that
envy, wrath and malice, again bias, in its least
noxious form, have had anything to do with gen
collisions in which they have resulted II we say
that they have not We contradict tho universal Iuag
ment Of mankind. If we say they have, then mental
processes automatic, but may be influenced Dy
the will and by the passions, affections, habits fances
vanced step toward proving the universal innocence
OF error, until he has shown that propositions OF re-
Hgon essentially unlike almost all other PROPOSE
tiOns and that no man ever has been, or from the
nature Of the case can be. affected in their acceptance
or rejection by moral Causes
To sum up. There are many passages in these noto
worthy papers, which, taken by themselves, are cal
culated to command warm sympathy Toward the
close Of his Gna or latest letter. the writer expresses
himself as follows:
"Neher in the interest Of truth, for the benefit
Of man. is necessary to assert what do not know
No cause is great enough to demand sacrifice Of can
dor. Tho mysteries of life and DEATH Of good and
evil, have never yet been solved
How good how wise these words But coming
at the close Of the controversy, have they not some Of
tho Intellectual features of deathbed repentance
They hardly be said to represent In all points the
rules under which the pages preceding them have been
composed he, who Justly says that ought not
to assert what do not know, could hardly have laid
down the law as find It few pages earlier (ibid,
p 40) whenlt is pronounced that infinite God has
no for leaving his children In doubt and dark
ness CandOr and upright intention indeed every
where manifest amidst tho flashing coruscatlons which
really compose the staple OF the articles Candor and
upright intention also Impose upon commentator the
duty Of formulating his anlmadversiOns. | sum them
up under two heads. Whereas placed in
atmosphere OF mystery, relieved only by little sphere
OF Hight round each OF like clearing in American
forest (Which this writer has we'll described), and
rarely farther than Is for the direc
ton Of conduct from day to day, wo find here,
universal judge without appeal. And whereas the
highest selfrestrant ~ necessary in these dark butt
therefore, all the exciting inquiries, In order to
maintain the quivering balance of our faculties,
this writer chooses TO ride unbroken horse, and to
throw the rens upon his neck 1 have endeavOrcd to
give a sample of the results.