The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-21
MORAL COWARDICE.
Vactllating Creatures Who Have Lost
Confidence i'm Their Own Position.

Vacillating Creatures Who Have Lost
Confidence i'm Their Own Position.
1t has been said by devotees of Shake
speare that every thing can be found in
his plays; and certainly the best de-
scrlption of the newest intellectual
folble of mankind is to be found there.
The native hue of resolution" was
never so ''sicklied DER with the pale
cast of thought as it is nowadays, when
skeptlclsm attacks other things than
belief in theology. Not only have men
begun to doubt the creeds, and the ac-
cepted moralities and in certain num-
Der of cases, the existence of a sentient
Creator; not only do they call on all in
situations to give valid reason for their
existence, but they are inclined todoubt
their own right to be or to act, to ques-
ton whether they are not themselves
mistaken, and to argue that it would be
either morally or intellectually wrong
to resist those who intend to sweep
them away. They have, to use popular
language, no confidence in their
own position" not on account of any
want in the position itself, but of an
inner skepticism either as to theircapac-
ity to fill it, or more generally-self-
conceit showing no sign of approaching
death-of the rightfulness or utility of
the position itself. 1t is usual, we
think, in our day to regard this condi-
ton OF mind as rather fine one Such
doubts, it is said, show an open mind,
capable of sympathizing even with oppo-
sltlon. Ii that is so, it is rare instance
OF correct thought producing weakness
for we may be sure that no man thus
skeptical of himselfand.tne rightfulness
of his own position will ever do his
whole duty, especially that part of it,
self-defonse, which is often so essential;
but we question whether the condition
is admirable at all. There is, we fancy,
quite as much weakness as virtue in it,
or intellectual openness either. One
likes sentry to go on pacing, and not
to be so ready to argue with the first
conner whether sentries can be part of
tbs Giv;nely-appOinted scheme. An in
capacity of fully believing is not
strength, but only sign of mind
which may in rare cases be strong, but
is more often 1abby and undecided. A
man may think his position or occupa-
ton wrong, and then he is bound to
leave it: but if he does not think so, he
should quell his doubts, and do the duty
he was set by Providence or his own
history to do. We should never blame
an officer for throwing up his commits
sion rather than command in a war he
believed to be utterly unjust; but if he
lies not believe that. and only doubts
that in commanding in war he is some
how out of place, and intellectually
little ridiculous, we should say his
duty was to do the work before him as
well as he knew how. We suppose it is
thought which produces these hesita-
lions of our day. Shakespeare thought
so, and he knew human nature as we
can not pretend to do; but it some
times occurs to us that it may not be
thought at all. There may be forms of
moral cowardice as independent
of thought as physical cow
ardice is sometimes of the
will, and almost as much exempt
from responsibility. Men admire
strength, and have studied it, and know
even how to generate it; but they ave
been neither so patient nor so observ-
ant about weakness. We suspect that
there are good many men like the
poet Cowper, who literally could not
face his position as clerk of the House
of Lords, and, long before his mind had
given way, threw it up in fit of self
distrusting horror. That was not re.
suit OF thought at all, but if he was
sane, of weakness exactly correspond
ing in the mind to cOwardice in the
physical nature. 1t is quality to be
lamented over, and sometimes pitied
but it is never praiseworthy. Indeed,
it never is praised, except by those who
like it's results, and who, desiring
change, see that under the operation of
this dread responsibility, this uncertain
ty as to duty, this doubt whether any
thing but remuneration can ever be right,
no stable thing can exist. The man
who does not believe in his own func-
tions, be they kings or beadle's, is GER
tain to be partially useless, and though
he may be sometimes an enlightened
man unable not to see the ridiculous
aspect of his crown or his red coat, he
may be also, and usually is, much of a
moral coward. Nine times out of ten
the work you have to do is work you
ought not to shirk, and to leave that
work undone because of faint inner hes
itations, especially if you never act on
them when all is smooth, is nothing but
Sinking, which would be discreditable,
but that the whole world is doubtful
whether any man has right to any
thing, even to the position in which
Providence has obviously placed him.
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