The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-08-03

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sons sermon on The PrinciIS
Spiritual Harvest" and EN-
essay on "Compensation. Bet
cles are written with view of m
ing people solve the law of cal
and effect. Whatever a man soweth'
that shall be also reap" and not some-
thing else, is Robertson's text.
In this world people expect to gather
grapes of thorns and figs of thistles;
therefore they are disappointed.
The clinging to high ideals of life,
scrupulous honesty. duty. self-denial,
sincerity. do not insure coach and
four and a brown stone front, but they
do insure nobility of character and
life eternal. They are seed sown to
the spirit, and the harvest thereof will
be spiritual. Virtue is its own re-
ward, vice its own punishment. The
balance is kept true, even in this world.
Cause and effect, means and end. seed
and fruit, cannot be severed" thus
exclaim both men; but in what differ
ent voices Emerson pronounces the
fact calmly. as one satisfactory to the
mind. Robertson proclaims it with a
kind of exultation-a ringing JOY. The
truth satifies Emerson's intellect. 1t is
solace TO Rohertson's heart.
The tone of the philosopher is always
clear, distinct and unimpassioned.
He stands in the midst of this
feyerish nineteenth century with a
mind as cold and reposeful as
a Greek statue. Emerson is pam
theist. There is in his writings. lack
of fretfulness and worry. serenity
like that of natures own slow work
ing laws. From them we draw
kind of inspiration, strength,
which enables us 10 value our
own thought as well as those of
the master-minds. All are manifesto
tions of God. ssThere is one mind COM
mon to all individual men. Every man
is an inlet to the same and to all of the
same" Emerson would haveeac,. of US
to stand alone, In the universe and
for himself, as Adam stood judge
alone in that strange garden of Eden
his eye unfilmned by prejudice and ira
dition, while the Lord God brought
unto him every living creature, and
Adam gave names to all cattle and to
the fowl of the air and to every beast
of the field.
That there is a lack of human
heartedness in Emerson. one feels
constantly. His essay on love deals
entirely with admiration, the love
of the head. not of the heart.
1t is impersonal, and soon drifts into
the worship of nature, spiritual and
material. Try as he will, he can put
only himself in his writings; therefore
the atmosphere of his book is calm,
serene and oftentimesCs sublime. with
a firm belief of immortality-a belief
which with Emerson is born of the in
tellect. The man himself is bold and
independent. therefore his words in
spire originality and strength.
On the other hand, Robertson is nat
urally of the intense, poetic temper
ament. His mind is like that of Edgar
Allan Poe's wonderful analytical
powers and imagination. but unhealthy
in its activity. The coloring of his
sermons is as rank and luxurIant as
the louisiana swamp lands. when in the
summer months each tree is covered
with vine, the gorgeous TRIUMPH flower
blazes on the blasted trunks. and loops
of leaves arch over the bayous. But
alas! In the eventide when the blood
red sunset streams through the palm
leaf foliage and Furnishes the Shiny