The Red Cloud chief., 1889-03-08
ACKNOWLEDGING FAULTS.
The Best Way Of Disarming Resentmen
and Calming Irritation.

and Calming Irritation.
There is one e of preserving
peace, harmony and goodwill in our
social relations which. although very
simple. very just and manifestly very
effective. is perhaps more frequently
Stunned and disliked than any other.
1t is the frank admission Of having
been in the wrong. Nothing SO quickly
disarms resentment. Gains irritation,
melts away cold ~displeasure, turns
anger into tenderness. and changes
a defiant attitude 10 one of sympathy,
as this candid confession. and yet few
words are more rarely uttered. Tho
simple avowal of the truth, without ex-
cuse or p~alliation: Il was wrong" or
81 was mistaken or Il regret having
said or done as / dds worth a
thousand elaborate attempts at explain
alton. which are generally unbelieved.
unaccepted and give rise TO argument
instead OF reconciliation. The person
thus addressed undergoes an immedi-
ate change of sentiment toward him
who speaks. He nc longer desires to
prove or 10 emphasize the error or the
ofiense. he rather inclines to ignore it,
to excuse IT, and TO question whether
he. too, may not have been equally TO
blame. And the sympathy thus es'ab-
llshed uniieS those in friendly concord
who might otherwise be- always at en-
nifty. Or course, the primary element
In any such avowal is its absolute
truthfnlncss. To utter such words for
the mere sake Of Cancellation. without
feeling that they express the reality.
would react FOR evil, like any other
falsity. Sometimes children are re-
quircd 10 do this, and it is always an
act of injustice. Unless they can be
brought 10 feel that they have been in
the wrong they should not even be al
lowed to say so. No good can ever
come 10 child or man 10y ~insincerity.
But when nee convinced of error
when confession 10 self has becn made
then confession To the one who has
been wronged IL a debt which justice
demands. and which ~magnanimity will
hasten Ia pay. Very often it is the only
PREPARATION that il il possible Ia make.
There il no hesitation as to the duty Of
Restoring what has bscn borrowed or
making good any property of our
n~cighhor's that We may have Injured:
Vet if We have hurt his feelings or in
cured his good name. or in any way
taken some drops Out of his cup of hap
piness which cannot he restored. is il
too much for us To confess the wrong
and to express whatever regret we
trnly feel? l. there not something
mean and ungenerous. "a well as UNI
Just, in the spirit that refuses to mako
the only possible atonement? And Yet
how common is such "A refusal What
II the reason that this is held 10 he
Rarf a task? Why is it that men
Umen who wOuld scorn to cvads
aln-saetary obligation will. time after
time. and day after day, evade the debt
of honest confession which they owe 10
their fellow-men? Are they ashamed
to4cknowledge their faults and errors?
DO they fear that il will lessen the re-
spect and esteem in which they are
held? DO they fondly suppose that. if
they do not themselves admit that they
have been wrong. others will count
them immaculate? On the contrary.
they will Toe Judged far more severely.
Nothing SO completely disarms criii-
cism ~ self-criiicism What is il after
all but an avowal that they are in bet
ter mind and in better mood than they
wcr. before? And surely this is moth
ing "a bc ashamed of. but rather To re-
loice in. Otherwise. when wrong has
been done. and nothing is said in the
WAY of regret. must not the conclusion
Ice formed that the offender il still in
the same mind. and would repeat; the
ofleuse under similar circumstances?
Every one whose good opinion l. worth
having. so far from despisinc. will
honor such acknow ledgmeni. as a proof
Of truthfulncss, simplicity and an
honest desire to atone. as far rs pos
sihle. for all faults and errors.-Phila-
dclphia Ledger.
ABOUT PARTY CALLS.