Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-08-02
Sentiment and Character.
The American Sentinel

The American Sentinel
 It IS often said that laws, to be efiec- tive. must be backed up be public senti- ment. This is true only where such sen tlment IS the genuine reflection of soldly built character. Character excels senti- ment as far as light eXcels darkness. Sentiment IS as capricious as the winds; rightly built character is as fixed as the hills. It IS easy enough to create senti- ment; 1t Is a task to build up character. Sentiment can be created in day; it re- quires time and careful training to build up character Therefore it Is only when sentiment IS the genuine reflection of rightly built character, that it is worth anything Ill support of law or anything else. When sentiment predomlnates over character, and so runs to sentlmen- talism, it will support anything that is popular or fashionable, and Is therefore worthless, If not worse than worthless For instance, when in his old age Louis XIV. became religious, 1t was his will likewise that all others should be re hgiOus. He therefore required all about him to observe the duties enjoined by the church. Those who showed themselves conspicuously pious were rewarded with blue ribands, invitations to Marh, govern | result Is thus C.ascribed:--
 Forthwith Versailles became, in everything but dress, convent. The pulpits and con fessionals were surrounded by swords and | embroidery. The marshals of France were much in prayer; and there was hardly one among the dnkes and peers who did not carry good little books in his pocket fast during de Maintenon, who had great share in the blessed work, boasted that devotion had be- come quite the fashion.
 That was sentiment; but there was no properly formed character that lay be-
 hind the sentiment was shameful; and
 character, whatever 1t be, will assert itself
 in the long run. That influence which
 formed the sentiment was no sooner brok-
 en than the whole blessed work" was
 more than undone. The sequel is thus
 told:-
 A fashion indeed it was; and like fashion
 1t passed away. No sooner had the old king been carried to St. Denis, than the whole
 court unmasked. Every man hastened to in demnify himself. by the excess Of icentious
 ness and impotence, for years of mortified
 tion. The same persons who, a few months before, with meek voices and demure looks had consulted divines about the state of thei souls, now surrounded the midnight table where, amidst the bounding of champagn l d Dubois and Madame Parabere, hiccougheC out atheistical arguments and obscene jest The early part of the reign of Louis XIV
 had been time of license; but the most dis
 solute men of that generation would hay
 blushed at the orgies of the Regency. The Puritan Parliament tried the sam thing in England. and with the same re E suit. It was resolved that no perso shall be employed but such as the Hous shall be satisfied of his real godliness.
 And the consequence was that a crow
 of impostors, in every walk of life, bega
 to mimic and to caricature what wer
 then regarded as the outward signs (
 sancititv. The Restoratio ' crushed for time the Puritan party, an placed supreme power in the hands of n libertine. The political counter-revoll Il Il ton assisted the moral counter-revolI . 2 tion, and was in turn assisted by 1t. period of wild and desperate dissolutene; | followed. Even in remote manor house l. and hamlets the change was in some d. ' gree felt: but in London the outbreak . debauchery was appalling.
 These examples teach the importal 5 truth that. law without character to su z tain it is of no value. And with this b ; longs the other equally important trut | | that the only legitimate and proper wol u of the Church is not the making of law Il but the building up of sound and syn 9 metrical character.
 Il ! Let the churches of the United Stat [ learn this lesson and practice it. and the s will do far better than they can do by 8 ' the efforts that they can ever make IT secure the enactment of Sunday laws d 1; any other.