Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-05-19
Honesty.
BY j. L. LODGE, ID. d.

Hamlets madness was only feigned, the
better to achieve his vengeance His re-
mark to Polonius, that ITO be honest as
this world goes, is to be one man picked out
Of two thousand" carries with it such un.
assailable conviction of its intense verify as
justifies the courtier's conclusion that in
sanity displaying 80 much knowledge of
men and their ways had "method in it,"
Theories based on speculation, dogmas rest
ing upon nothing more stable than bare as
sertion, supposed TO be strengthened by in
finite reiteration, gain not the credence and
confidence of analytical minds, but excite
prompt and persistent denial In the presence
Of opposing proofs. Heretcal opinions,
often routed and silenced by exhibition of
truth, periodically lift up their brazen front
in hopes to seduce fresh generations with
ancient falsehoods in whose spirit is secreted
the wish which has ever been the father to the
tn ought. Hence the revival, in these days,
of controversy, impossible with admission
OF the one supreme authority, as to the rea-
tive goodness of the human race. The doc
trine of total depravity, always offensive to
those "who trust in themselves that they are
righteous" conflicts with the pride, obsti-
macy, desire, infdelity, and every essential
| error and weakness of the natural mind.
| While obliged to confess universal inapti-
tude for the highest courses, it is commended
that while men are not naturally fit for
state of unalloyed blessedness, they are not
80 very bad, after all. That there are hid
den away in the recesses of human nature
many virtues, damaged, to some extent, by
the Adamic catastrophe, yet susceptible of
such personal repair and rehabilitation
through social and educational influence,
as TO become presentabe and worthy in the
| nf afa D,trit md thab ai, n;
mated by reflection from that source. The
effect of such theory and its acceptance,
must, in the light of experience, the best
witness in cases where facts are demonstra
| BILE, manifest itself in augmented blindness
and greater loss.
Instructive honesty attributed TO exem-
plary characters has, in point of fact, no
existence. The affirmative, conceived to be
supported by the saying that "Chldren and
fools always speak the truth" overlooks
several important principles. The idiot does
not discriminate at all rs to the matter of
his speech. The child is veracious because
the devil, mediatey or Immediately, has not
yet shown him that lie is the handest
thing in the world, and that, for time
which alone interests the father of lies and
his iollowers-it answers their every pur-
pose. David need not have interjected an
apology for his hastiness in denouncing all
men as liars, had he used natural" as
modltlcr lie might then have said il
esurely Truth telling and truth acting
are not natural to men. Honesty exists;
but its extreme rarity, In character, manner,
methods, stamps it OF higher origin than in.
stinct, Instinct is a kind of knowledge.
knowledge, here, which apprehends hon
esty rs right. The right is seen to impose
duty. Duty recognizes authority. Connected
Il.
being So, step by step, we have got back to
God. But the irresponsible child knows moth
ing, definitely, OF God. His is negative inno-
cence; not positive goodness. He does not
understand the evil, and, therefore, neither
commits nor pursues IT, His praise, If any,
must be negative AS would be that of an angel
who had never known the essence Of sin, and
had no opportunity to perpetrate it, Sadproof
abounds that when consciousness brings ac-
quaintance with life, immortality attans
domnancy whose rule can be broken only
through supernatural intervention. The
natural and the reformed disposition are
iorcibly portrayed by Goethe, IN passage
in Wilhelm Me6ster. WerRer-"I know of
nothing in the world more rational than to
turn the folly of others to our own advan-
tage." MeiStcr-"Perhaps il were nobler sat-
isaction to cure men OF their iollies." The
words intallibly designate two classes, but
there's no instructive honesty in either.
knowledge of right, that is, knowledge of
God, is not innate The opposite belief was
very ancient. Philosophers like Pythagoras
and Seneca understood the idea of God as
co incidental with birth, independent upon
instruction or cogitation. This opinion
fitted we'll the transmigration theory, as
taught by Plato. Des Carries, among the
moderns, was also mlsled, probably because
OF the wellknown fact that belief in the
Deity depends not upon theoretic evidence.
but invariably precedes It Since the essays
Of Aristotle and Locke the more rational
explanation, that of the acquisition of ideas
through the natural faculties, has become
firmly established. But If this theory be
adapted, the assumption that some men are
superior in that their honesty arises from a
natural feeling that it is right, which feeling
influences them steadily in the choice of
actions, must be laid aside. The example
OF man apologizing for an evil action on
the ground of haste, excluding habitual re.
Election which would have impelled to a
contrary course, instead of extenuating the
misdemeanor indicates u natural impulse
which requires distinct effort of the will
10 intercept Had the deed owned no more
potent cause than instinct, reflection would
not have been needed spontanety and uni
formity would necessarily distinguish every
performance, and characterize, not only
children and fools, but all not peculiarly the
subjects of depravity.
Genuine honesty Is high sentiment, cav
lare to the crowd, the product Of vitality in
nature trained 10 act from principle only,
with total disregard Of motives other than
the yearning TO do right for the simple sake
of right. II requires knowledge, skill and
patience to train tree that it may attain
symmetry and other elements Of beauty
and every human mind and heart needs to
be taught, disciplined, corrected, formed &C
cording TO Interchangeable rules Of justice and
morality. This direction may be impaired
through formal precepts, with their rea sons
carefully explained, so that, in understa nd.
ing the mutually Of human relations, and
the accountability of every agent for the
quality Of his actions, the love of rigLtdo.
ing may subject fear Of consequences re-
sultant from evil doing, and make that love
the safeguard Of conduct. IL will not be
possible 20 estimate the silent speaking ex.
ample Of model-a father, or valued
iriend-in fixing the idea Of probity in prn-
ciple and practice. Religion based on terror
Of hell is simply spurious. Whoever IL de-
TERED from killing only for fear Of the gal
lows is a murderer. According to this prin-
cipe Jesus defined adultery. If punish
ment only prevents crime, the heart has al.
ready made the man malelactor. To re.
frain because it would grieve Holiness; be-
cause IL would violate the golden rule be-
cause it would trampl down duty, affection,
and mar every conception Of the pure and
true, would be TO realize the only worthy
thought. Future papers will pursue the
subject as it touches character and methods
Cornerstone Laying.-On Thursday
afternoon OF last week about five hundred
people assembled at Forest Glen, this coun-
ty, TO witness the ceremonies attending the
laying of the cornerstone Of the new Cath
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