Thomas County cat., 1889-09-05
HONESTY AND MORALITY.
Remorse Considered in tho Light Of an
Active Moral Sense.

Active Moral Sense.
When in one of his cynical moods.
brought about by the contemplation OF
Becky Sharp. Thackeray remarked:
land for my part l believe that re-
morse is the least active of all man s
moral senses-the very easiest to be
deadened when wakened. and in some
never wakened at all We grieve at
being found out and at the idea OF
shame or punishment but the mere
sense of wrong makes very few peo-
pie unhappy in Vanity Fair" The
general truth of that observation, as
applied to a good many people who
are accounted fairly moral and
respectable. may be accepted, al
though it is not pleasant reflection
that Every few people abhor wrong
because it is wrong. The fault lies
very generally taught, not only in
school, but in society. Children are
taught that honesty is good policy
that there are substantial rewards for
good behavior, punishment for bad
deeds. Few teachers or parents take
pains to awaken the moral sense-to
inculcate principles of brotherhood
upon which moral obligations are
founded. One who has acquired,
through religious training. or by
study of what is called social science,
a rational sense of the relations men
sustain, or should sustain. to each
other, has before him at all times
guide to right behavior. When he
does wrong he knows it. without
having to refer to law or precept,
and, if his lnclinations are right, he
will regret the wrong and experience
remorse. But if he has been trained
without proper sense of duty and OBJ
legations, except that certain guides
have pointed out what they are. and
has been taught that if he does right
he will be rewarded and if he does
wrong he will be punished, his reason
tells him that. in this world at least,
the punishment does not come at all
if he is not found out. 1t is logical
result of such imperfect moral train
ing that many should lose sight OF
the wrong and fear only detection;
that they should experience no re-
morse. though dreading shame and
punishment What may be called, for
want of better descriptive title. the
genteel rascals of the world, exhibit
in striking way this absence OF real
remorse. They violate the trust re-
posed in them, not once only, but
daily, perhaps, for years, living at the
same time apparently moral lives,
very often hypocritically parading
their religion as cloak to their nefa-
rious doings The wrongs they COM
NIT do not excite their consciences;
no trace is shown in their expressions
or behavior of remorse as long as
their deeds are unknown, but when
exposure is threatened their suffering
becomes intense and often awakes
undeserved pity. But how is this
moral sense to be aroused or inn
parted? 1t is with respect to many
relations of life largely artificial. The
occasion for its existence is the social
life of mankind and the rules
and regulations made necessary
thereby. Without neglecting other
means of moral training, an effort
should be made to establish. through
an appeal to reason, clear under
standing of the origin and nature of
social duties and obligations; the fair
ness of the rules that civilized man
has laid down for the conduct of him
self. Upon this foundation some
minds, at least, would get sense of
wrong that would make it abhorrent
to them; they would have the moral
perceptive sense, without which there
can be no remor.e To them the
wrong would appear in its true light;
there would be no confusion of the
wrong itself with the exposure of it,
such is apparent in many so-called
moral sayings and in the teachings of
a great many moralists. So much
public attention is directed to men who
violate trusts and rob their fellow
men while leading apparently respect
able lives that even close observers
like Thackeray sometimes overlook
the vast army of faithful, honest
people who pass their simple lives
doing no wrong to any one. Some
among these are restrained. no doubt.
by mingled dread of doing wrong and
fear of punishment; some. perhaps, by
fear of punishment alone; but the dis
tinctively honest mea-trusted en-
ployes who deserve che trust reposed
in them-are naturally honest; they
do unto others as they would have
Others do unto them because it seems
SO obviously right for them to do this,
so obviously wrong for them to do
otherwise. A morality founded upon
reason alone would probably find few
fit subjects, but reason should at least
supplement moral training so that the
sense of wrong. and not detection in
wroug-doing. might make people un-
happy in VANITY Fair -Ral.i,n Gun