Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1891-01-02
SelfReliance.
from Tie Waperly Progress, by j. l..
LODGE, d. D., Editor.

AUD6Et ~. IL, IlulIOT.I
| The sub foundation of selfreliance is orig
nality. The word and its meaning condi
| ton a man. Conventionalism FORCES letters
for the mind and spirit; freeness in the in.
terrogation of principles and guidance by
right reason discover real genius Distrust
of his best productions marks the repres-
sive influence of society upon the man. We
laud without stint those exemplary but rare
spirits who dig in darkness and chaos for
opinions which are self. satisfying and &C.
knowledged by the reflective and prude Mt /;
yet how few recognize the divine and neces-
sary ordination or avail themselves of the
Indispensable right Of original thinking.
Why did l permit another to say for me
what had convicted me of truth, but never
found EXPRESSION Who shall say that the
spoken or written proposition is truer or
better than the conception long in my pos
session Here, where stand, with the sun
and stars overhead, and the firm earth be-
meath, around me, let my aspirations to
judge and know have amplitude Of space as
opportunity; and my emotions, free from
check or direction, range their atmosphere
for their true object. Ii l am to be man,
and not mans shadow, l must be free.
What is good, beautiful, true, to the multi
tude, may be their opposites to me. Truth,
absolute and concrete, exists; but 1t comes
not without seeking In the midst of worlds
man is solitary. None can see, hear, feel or
believe for his fellow. The agonistic cen
turtles have travelled for nought If their liv-
ing fruit In wisdom be accepted without de-
bate; If it generate not suggestion, promote
not progress, and find not through present
adaptations and revisions subsequent en-
largement. Till can distinguish com
mon pebble from diamond, the expert is
my superior. Unless can silt wheat from
chat, the dicta and dogmas of other men
must be my faith. The best of sleeves is use.
less to the blind. Though the Independent
reasoner may sometimes go wrong, though
not weighing accurately his premises, his
misfortune and his blame is less than to be
loaded down with the infamy of the copy
ist, slave and fool
Nonconformity is another name for man
illness. Society presents a strange contra,
diction. The subject OF its mimicry and
and mockery is the mere human echo OF
ready made opinions. 1t says of the direc-
tor and his brainless parasite:
Here we have one head
Upon two bodies-your two headed bullock
Is but an ass to such prodigy.
These two have but one meaning, thought
and counsel; NM&
And when the single noddle has spoke out,
The four legs scrape assent to it. s%
Disgust is the sentiment men have for
such an ef1igy. They perceive intolerable
stupidity, even if not concealed depravity.
But censure follows only upon baldest ex
posture. Polite conformity to generally re-
ceived ideas and beliefs meets popular favor.
AT any rate, 1t justifies copying by the ma.
jority. What Is Old, through veneration,
what is established, by custom, retains allegi-
n 10 ma N n In "A
liberty. Except upon matters of express
divine revelation, there must be and ought
to be contrariety and conflict OF opinions.
The very structure OF the mind compels
such differences. Just here the inconsis
tency appears. While praising self-reliance
as chief virtue, the world really hates it.
Seli-assertion creates antagonism. Call up
history as witness Name single re-
tormer-Socrates, Calico, Moses, Jesus, Lu
ther, or other-who was not misunderstood,
slandered, execrated, prosecuted, because of
this very virtue. For being right, knowing
it, and trusting TO it. Mention political re-
former whose name was not at first cast out
as vile. Sefreliance, in all spheres, has
thousand times triumphed, but victory can
succeed only battle. AT last, the world will
follow him demonstrated to be its leader.
IL is no concern of mine what people
think. My liberty is individual, my re-
sponsibility personal. | wish first to ascer-
tain whether their praise is merited, and
their criticism Just. Differences will be dis
covered among themselves. Who, then, is
to be final iudge2 Liability TO changes In
the worlds deliverances dictates caution in
their acceptation. Independence will not
always ensQre correctness but i We're bet
ter that man should stagger and recover
himself through intuition or experience than
fondiy to lean upon broken staff, and be
ignomniously transfixed by its fragments.
For if recovery follow a fall, conviction, the
strength of every virtuous action, will be by
30 much augmented. Sef-reiiance depends
upon utter obliviousness OF environment aud
disregard of consequences. You are to do
right now and always. The present result
may be disastrous; may appear TO annihi-
late prosperity and wreck hope. In this
aspect the coward will go down. Each
single action is buided like cut stone into
character And it is character which at
tracts the favor of God. Poets and ser
monizers have often misled the public judg
ment: Why should God elect unto eternal
life the poor rather than the rich? The ad.
ventitious is without merit. Can either
poverty or wealth inherit the kingdom of
God? The absence OF riches, for reasons
quite obvious, gives, as rule, better oppor
tunity for escape from ruinous temptation,
and the cultivation Of spiritual graces,
and on this ground the choice proceeds.
Not men, but character, God needs. Had
the young man in the Gospel been but aosU
Sssa to follow Jesus, the test had not been
applied. A man must be true to himself
before he can be true TO or serve another
Men fear their own record as much as the
adverse faces of their fellows. 1t requires
great courage to change opinions on higher
testimony, fuller light, and admit mistakes
in past judgments and actions. Only the
selfreliant possess this god courage.
Moral cowardice ensayes and degrades its
subject He dares not hold opinions which
affront the public it is his interest TO con
ciiate, or, if holding, dare not publish them.
He must compromise with crime continu-
ally, because 10 interfere would bring down
upon him rcbuke and the loss OF popularity.
He would rather morals should suffer than
direct upon himself the arrows OF the carnal.
This is the meanest and wretchedest form
of slavery. 1t seems to give immunity from
the pains of criticisms but expediency bar
tiers the soul. Sef-interest or mutual bene-
fit temporarily arrests judgment; but Sc
cretly subserviency is accounted despicable.
All men are hen worshipers. Every where
valor--value-is glorified. Ii finally over
comes all hatred, all plotting, all treachery.
went OUT fly ACQUIRED. Perhaps bravado,
which differs in effectiveness from selfre-
lance as thunder from lightning, led to the
careless adjustment OF the giants helmet,
and left bare space into which the pebble
fitted. The man of resources, OF ability, the
whole world joys in. Heaven helps those
who help themselves" Not more than men
do The seen certainty of success attracts
hordes Of assistants. Push the man who is
falling; lift him who is rising. low in
stinct, unadmirable in brutes, but TO be cal
culated upon in men. Admiration self
compelled throats choked with croaking
or blstered with censure turned into tune
full instruments of praise; bridges built,
roads leveled, and walls thrown down to
make a triumph, await the man who is too
noble to purchase favor, and brave enough
TO scorn opposition.
Self-reliance dignifies every relation, every
work in human life. 1t would minge ma
ture in education and evolve the highest
type of culture. Naturalness critics and
~ t,,n mil a 70 mn