Montgomery County sentinel., 1889-12-13

with its silly dreamers, the Chatelets, the
Epinays, Geofrins, Deffands; the vicious
vaticinations of D'Alembert and Voltaire,
and the passionate, frantic speculations OF
Jean Jacques Rousseau. 1t will be readily
explicable to such as believe that whether
in the creation of soul or the fall of a
sparrow the hand omnipotent is there.
Eternal predestination has an unexplained
part in the career Of every man. "The lot
is cast into the lap, but the whole dsposing
| is of God" One is called to a position of
affiuence and honor; another, whose char
acter deserves and will receive its due in
future perfect sphere, is overlooked in the
distribution of the worlds pleasures and
distinctions. Circumstances considered ad-
ventitious ensure elevation and all attend
ant prosperity which no amount of talent
and industry could have procured in the
face OF obstinately adverse conditions; or,
the effect of a real law of natural selection"
leads the mob to put forward one of their
own kind to represent them and enjoy the
emoluments their suffrages bestow. As an
example, look at the nincompoops and trim
mers in congressional and legislative halls.
Many a Maryland farmer would Indignantly
resent comparison of either his abilities
or morals with theirs When it is consid
cred to what conditions and circumstances
to offlce how the farce and wickedness of
universal suffrage tends constantly and in
evitably to the domination of the worst ele-
ment OF the population, of creatures who
have no root in the land, no interests at
stake, and are merchandise in the hands of
hucksters, minions of depraved demagogues,
who herd their ignorant but docie human
cattle at the polls; when it is remembered
that culture, refinement, property, all lie at
hl,av wAfal 1.Nxry
the semi-savage, and that base adventurer,
who would sell the liberty il not the life of his
country to gain place at the government
trough, is more likely to succeed in the con-
test than gentleman of reputation and
ability, there is as little reason for envy as
for emulation What Carlyle wrote of his
times is, in too many instances, sadly true
OF our own: 1t is no longer a question of
the ablest man, but of the man ablest to be
elected. The solitary ray of hope is that
the very ablest and purest men, with utter
disregard of party lines, are coming to see
and to say that restrictions must be put
upon an absurd and suicidal system which,
if sufficiently continued, must end in wreck
ing the republic.
In this world, success, how little soever
deserved, by whatsoever means attained,
receives, generally, the praise. Given Tor
tuitous circumstances to afford the start,
then, as q loadstone, prosperity attracts the
forces that maintain and increase it. Subtle
and unrecOgnized influences operate to the
advantage of the fortunate. The inheri
tance of a great name, the grade Of society
in which the actor lives, the sentiment of
the community for or against the principles
he advocates, the extent to which their own
social and material interests will be furthered
through connection with the party he leads
these questions, affecting religion as well
as politics, will go far to determine the
question OF success or failure. Heroism an d
faithfulness appear to fail through unforeseen
cont ingencies and untavorabe surround
ings. Some men in whom the elements of
power inhere, fail partially because the ma
terial upon which they act is not suscepti-
Bile Of inspiration. The people fail to catch
their spirit, do not realize the grandeur of
their attempts, fail to reach the altitude of
their high thoughts, and sadden and cripple
the leader, and defeat the noblest under
taking through weak or willful tagging.
In any calling the great mind will scorn
the criticism that misrepresents motives,
principles, deeds, and will rest in the assur-
edfaith that there is sphere where truth and
merit will be recognized and full atone ment
made for the injustice of the past. While
waiting it may console itself with the re.
collection that praise of the inferior IL no
more to be regarded than censure of the
excellent; and that the very lips that to day
cry "Hosanna" tomorrow will cry "cru-
cify" Courage to despise such tickle breath
will arise out of consideration of the wick
edness of rash human judgments, and the
reason for their suppression. The thing
forbidden is not pronouncing upon what is
in evidence; this is allowed. Censorious
ness is the thing condemned hasty judg
ments upon words, or deeds, often passed
before their nature or object has been ascer-
tained thus assuming to know the hearts
of men. The punishment of the crime
shows its odiousness the measure is re-
turned; the judgment reacts; the judges
are hated, feared, and avoided. All human
judgment is fallible because lacking the
necessary data upon which to ground cor
rect opinions. Weakness is net always cul-
pable There may have been more than
has been discovered Gods secret judgment
may be more favorable than is believed
Let the critic remember that the deserving
will never receive their full reward till the
judgment day These and many such rea-
sons against judging fellow men fortify the
noble minded in their resolve to despise the
criticism that loses its force through injus-
tice and incompetency, and to address them
selves to the one great task of pleasing God