New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-25

pleasure which quite outwcighs any inconvenience
| they may have occasioned their victims 7 IN
| deed, we have heard, and that from woman
that Shelley's soul rapt so ethereal, 50 lu-
Commensurate, that it is little less than astheic
| baspheny 10 hint condemnation OF HIS
| amatOry performances In like manner inc
| guardian or the trusted clerk might well reflect
| whether the silly ward CT the old hunks OF a
master could ever make such rare contributions
10 the sum Of happiness as he himself could do,
with his more aesthetic and gifted nature. In
deed, after due reflection, he might even come
to reproach himself with being traitor TO the
sum OF happiness IL he longer failed iudlciously
TO avail himself Of his opportunities to increase
it, But 10 this sort Of thing there is no end. III
one cared TO do il, good word might be SAID
even for murder and canniballsm, while adultery
lends itself rarely well to such treatment
Professor Bownes conclusions that in the
domain Of ethics, as in the whole realm OF human
life the concrete and the natural preceded the ab-
strnct and the spiritual. But the spiritual is
not something apart from the natural: 1t Is rather
the natural itself rising toward its ideal form
through the free activity Of the moral person
The field Of ethics is not a realm OF theory or
fancy. hut Of life just it is, in which the task
of mankind is 10 make existence from generation
Ia generation more and more clearly and cAclu-
sively the expression of a rational good WILL
Here men and women have two guides, the inner
moral ideal, and externally an insight, more end
more penetrating as the race advances, into the
tendencies of conduct. Life demands for its per-
lection both outward fortune and happiness and
inward worth and peace and these cannot he
viewed apart except as distractions. Virtue and
happiness are alike unattainabc direct. alb
stract aim 1T is n commonplace that happiness
cludes direct pursuit and it Is equally true,
though less generally recognized, that virtue IS
alike elusive. So, the moral lie must nc al
rccted toward the common good II cannot long
survive the inward turn of nsceilcism, any more
that il can he nourished upon tie provcnder oil
wickcdncss. What is TO be sriven for Is the i'm
partial and unseisn will TO do right without
this theory is worthless and with it, theory Is
needless Given this will, It must have practi-
cal direction away from the abstract ana toward
things as they are. II must deal with the reali-
ties of the workaday world and not create a
world Of its own. Most OF the theorcticai con
tcntions of the world would vanish, if brought
out of their abstraction. Mr. Mill did once sag-
gest that two and two might make five, but he
prudently located the possibility in another planet
That is, it was purely verbal doubt, which
neither he nor any one else ever dreamed OF tolcr
sting in concrete experience. Ethics in particu-
lar have suffered from this vcrbnlism; nnd all the
more becaus, it is practical science which has 10
do with life rather than speculation. AS HE IS
q practical affair made up OF vast series OF con-
tingences it is impossible 10 attain righteou'pc"
once for ALL Every moment must he dealt WIN
as it comes In this view OF the matter. the re-
spectacle class of tho community which ncSiec's
its duties is really the dangerous class-thc goou
men who fail 10 VOTE for example, are worse than
the criminals whom they permit to rule, because
they have the knowledge and the Ideals when
the others lack-but there is wide borderland
around the field Of right and wrong where the
ethical value Of given facts remains to be decplcn
The defect is not in the facts, but in mans power
of discrimination and OF harmonizing his Ideal
with reality Men differ also in kccnness OF
moral insight, and as long as they continue 10
vary in this respect. there must be debataole
questions. MANY principles look fair, says the
author. "and even ideal when considered in alb
straction from life, which canro', however, lie APP
piled 70 life without the most hideou9 and DIS
astrous results. Here is the perennial oversight
OF oG-hand reformcrs and socialistc quacks
Ethics when divorced from practical wisdom pre-
vents the attainment Of It's own ends.