The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-08
GUSTAvE ECKSTEIN & co.

portentous and sinister clouds. What
can we do with such an existence2
Ana the nations, what Is TO be thought
most enlightened and the most civilized
reached up 10 the present. Have they at
least found the means to guarantee the
most populous class against desttutioft
and degradation2 What Is daily passing
under our eyes tells US plainly the con-
trary., Have they placed their dignity and
their liberty beyond the reach of the as
saults of despotism and revolutions2 How
may we hope such to he the case after all
that has passed in France during nearly
century? Did not the war Of secession
imperil the American democracy Did
IL not, In bringing up fratricidal strug-
gle to the issue OF the sword, precipitate
the country into the most terrible OF civil
wars? IL IL has escaped the danger once.
Is IL to be believed that in a second tenn
pest OF similar nature, It would be equal
ly favored; in fact, was 1t not threatened
with this same peril less than twenty
years ago, on the occasion OF a presi-
Dental election? In the history OF ma
tons as in that of individuals, there are
moments, or rather periods, when every
thing is eclipsed, when men doubt prin-
cples, nay, doubt themselves, and when
the world seems threatened with universal
destructiOn2
And yet it does not collapse. The eclipse
passes away; light returns, and men take
courage anew while contemplating that
which warns them and gives them new
life. Who of us has not had such an ex-
perience? Who dpes not recognize vital
necessary for the expression of our.
thought? Let US try and understand ex-
actly what is going on. The world does
not collapse, have we said. No, not al
together; but 1t rests: and in this Il re-
gains strength. Man does not yield him
self up without reserve to be crushed; but
how many times does he not think that
he will succumb, when in reality he only
sinks into restoring sleep, and upon his
awakening he abjures all weakness all
cowardice, and accepts with joy the bat
w al &c atnV all t..
hazards and all its perils Is this merely
purely physiological phenomenon? Many
may think so, and imagine that the or
ganiSm contains the whole secret of ex-
istence. They think to explain everything
by saying that this organism relaXes it.
self after labor and thus RECEIVERS the.
strength and elasticity by whose means
II is enabled to recommence the struggle
The explanation Is certainly admissible
II they do not go 50 far as to give an
initiative to the body and TO say that ii
constitutes the being and essence of life
II Is but the instrument of our being
that Is TO say, OF the rational monad,
which Is itself the universal reason man.
ifested in the particular conditions which
constitute our individuality. This monad
or this SOUL isolated from the great All
aspires continually to communicate with
It, to live of its life, to Danish the clouds
which separate them, that is, the coarse
tendencies OF our organism. Such is, we
believe, the true sense Of our history ond
Of our destiny.
The danger Of this theory. according to
many people, is that il leads man to mysti-
cism or even to nihilism, by making him
believe that the final object of his desires
should be to lose himself in the great All
This tnconvenient effect is the result Of an
imperfect conception. To avoid such an
error it must be understood that the great
All exists for us only in so far as ii is man
ifested. We can and should conceive of it
only as It manifests itself. When we say
therefore that man seeks to communicate
with IL we simply express the need which
he feels to be In communication with the
infinite multitude of beings through whom
the great All manfests itself In this way
there is no danger for man of losing HIM
self, or Of his becoming absorbed in an alb
straction. 1t is life. the most active life
possible, which he seeks, the means of
multiplying and perfecting his relations
with the universal republic of the world
With such a doctrine, such a conviction
man may see the noble, brilliant glorious
side of existence, or at least imagine that
he sees 1t. With the contrary doctrine that
is, an exclusive belief in matter naturally
unconscious, although it may be transit
torily conscious, he viii only see the mis-
cradle side Of existence, with its ridiculous
contradictions ending IN naught; he will,
therefore, imagine that 1t deserves no cour-
ageous effort, 70 serious interest. We win
not call II matter Of choice, because be-
liefs are not ordered at will; but we affirm
that the question Is one that deserves the
most attentive examination.
antoine Muzzarelll