New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-06
IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

1.-THE Monthly Bulletin of the New-IOrk Pub
liz Library publishes a letter written by the
Re- Charles Nlsbet. the first president OF DICK
inson College which is very good answer 10
n rather larce class Of people to-day VINO dc-
clare thar This country is dpcriOratln2 morally
The Letter is dated Carlisle. Penn. September
.. 100 and is written 10 n friend in Scotland
We hear Il great deal these days about the S'-
pcrior morality. virtue and patriotism mat clar-
acteriZcd the early days OF the kepupi''' wien
religion hourished. social life was clean ana
pure. ard al politicians were statesmen ANXIOUS
only for the public good. II is most moving
picture of an idyllc condition. suggesting az
once the Garden of Eden and PlatoS repuDiic'
but curiously enough. Mr. Nisbct. who was an
honest and intelligent man. gives totally an
fprcnt view of the times in which he iiyed. IN
deed if he is 10 be taker a competent WIG
ness instead Of detcrioratng. this Nation to-day
is inmeasurably mere religious ana mora, ana
its political methods are far more pure 80
easily is the bubble of thcOretic assumption
prickcd by the sharp lance of truth.
In substance. Mr. Nisbet declares that religion
and morals were mt low ebb in this country
at the time he was writing. There was no such
thing as disinieres,ed friendship, every man
looking ont for his own selfish interests even
though he had to break a promise TO DO So
"All Characters are equal" says this candid
chronicler of an age that some of us have been
taught TO regard as golden NO Degree OF wee
"can make n Man infamous. nor could the high
''cst Degree of Virtue & Piety procure any Re
"spect 10 its Owner. have often imagined that
IF the Apostle Paul had Congregation IN
"Amerioa he could not keep ii Six Weeks with
''out a Miracle Il no would have need TO labour
with his Hands. rs most Ministers here are
obliged 10 do. for their living as they cannot
depend on the Subscriptions Of their Congre-
''gations. As to Doctrine every one breaches
what he pleases. * if he speaks loud enough X
docs not NEEDLE with Morality. his Hearers
will bear with him. at least till they have got
three or four Years Salary in his Debt, ana
then they will use him Ike Dog. till he is
Obliged TO seek another Congregation. Most
ministers have been in many Congregations,
"S have known Minister obliged 10 remove
in the Sixty fourth Year of his Age. You can
mo; suppose that the Gospel Is dong murh
Good when this is the common Way that Min
listers are used. ! can not believe that People
get any good of Instructions for which they
"would no. give one farthing. This desoaC "
.'withcrod State Of Religion gives great pleasure
"to tho IulidclS who are much more numerous
here than all the other ScciS taken together. as
there is nothing ;hcy are so much sct against.
.as the Making n stated Provision for the Min
listers of the Gospel. nothing plpaseS them
more than to see Ministers forsaken. starved
* prosecuted"
Other views equally untlatering are given.
hut it is not necessary 10 repeat thcm in detail
Enough has been quoted To show what the first
president Of Dickinson College thought of his
time II may be said. % course that he grossly
exaggerated the evils that then existed. We
are not concerned here to deny this. Perhaps
be did cXaggerae. perhaps his utterances We're
colorcd by prejudice no less real because X was
unconscious But that admission will not help
those who clorify the old days AT the expense
Of The present For II so Intelligent a man as
Mr. Nlshet was unable. for whatever reason, TO
tell the truth about his own age, ii is not
uossihlo that the men who to-day are volubly
declaring that the country is going 10 dcStruc-
ton are equally mistaken: That is the lesson
which Mr. \iSbetS letter teaches, and il is a
lesson that is well worth learning In every age
the evil Is always more in evidence than the
good and the downward tendencies of society are
always more vigorous to outward seeming than
tho tendencies that make for righteousness. All
observing men must note this fact; but some
attach to il more importance than il deserves.
They begin by taking account of the evil. in or
der perhaps. to lind out the best way of over
coming H. They end by believing that not only
Is evil in the asccndancy but that it cannot pos
sihly be overcome. Such peSsimists do inra,-
culable harm. especially if they are good and
woll-mcaning; for they blot hope out Of the
horizon and cut the nerve of endeavor Despair
never yet preached il successful gospel. ana it
never will. Moreover, the man who gets into
the habit of lnslinc,lvely looking AZ the dark
side of life is his own worst enemy. for he who
! begins by railing at the world ends by scorn ne
| him self