Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-05-23
EMERSON ON
CHARACTER

Character is conceived of as a certain
undemonstrable force, a familiar or
genius, by whose impulses the man is
guided, but whose counsels he cannot
impart; which is company for him, SO
that such men are often solitary, or, if
they chance to be social, do not need
society, but can entertain themselves
very well alone. The purest literary
talent appears at one time great, at
another time small, but character is of
stellar and undiminishable greatness.
The natural measure Of this power
is the resistance of circumstances. In
pure men consider life as it is reflected
in opinions, events and persons. They
cannot see the acton until it is done.
Yet it's moral element pre-existed in
the actor, and it's quality as right or
wrong it was easy to predict. Every
thing in nature is bipolar, or has
positive and negative pole. There is
a male and a female, spirit and a
fact, a north and south. Spirit is the
positive; the event is the negative. Will
is the north, action the south pole.
Character may be ranked as having it's
natural place in the north. 1t shares
the magnetic currents of the system.
The feeble souls are drawn to the
south or negative pole. They look at
the profit or hurt of the action. They
hnhn1I riY>0in1n until If ic
lodged in a person. They do not wish
to be lovely, but to be loved. This
class Of character like to hear Of their
faults; the other class do not like to
hear of faults.
Character is centrality, the impossi-
bility of being displaced or overset
man should give us a sense of mass.
Society is frivolous and shreds it's day
into scraps, it's conversation into cere-
monies and escapes. But if | go to
see an ingenious man I shall think my
self poorly entertained if he give me
nimble pieces of benevolence and Ell
Quette. Rather he shall stand stoutly
in his place and let me apprehend if
it were only his resistance, know that
I have encountered a new and positive
quality-great refreshment for both of
us. 1t is much that he does not ac-
cept the conventional opinions and
practices. That noncOnfOrmity will re-
main a goad and remembrancer. and
every inquirer will have to dispose of
him in the first place.
Character repudiates intellect, yet
nd oh arc nos into
thought, is published so, and then is
ashamed before new flashes of moral
worth. Character is nature in the
highest form. 1t is of no use to ape it
or to contend with it. Somewhat is
possible of resistance and Of persist
ence and of crea ton to this power,
which will foil all emulation.
Nature never rhymes her children
nor makes two men alike. When we
see q great man, we fancy a resem-
blance to some historical person and
predict the sequel of his character and
fortune, a result which he is sure to
disappoint. None will ever solve the
problem of his character according to
our prejudice, but only in his own
high, unprecedented way. Character
wants room, must not be crowded on
by persons nor be judged from glimpses
got in the press of affairs or on few
occasions. 1t needs perspective, as
great building. 1t may not, probably
does not, form relations rapidly, and
we should not require rash explana-
ton, either on the popular ethics or Oh
our own, Of it's action.