The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-20
CHAPTER v.
THE SIMPLE DUTY.

CHAPTER "
THE SINIPLD DUTY.
When we speak to children on a sub
! ject which seems !mportunate to then
they will show you above OH the roofs {
pigeon which is feeding its young, OF
down in the street some driver WHO Is
abusing his horse. Sometimes also the!
misrh,evously ask you one OF those grea
questions which put the minds OF thf
parents to torture, and all that IS &c
draw the attention from the painfn
subject 13fear we are but big children
Ia face OF duty, and that when that Is II
question We, too, seek subterfuges to dis
tract our minds
The first s,lbterfuge is to demand 0!
oneself II there Is one general duty, OF
IL that word does not cover one OF the
numerous illusions Of our ancestors. For,
In point OF fact. duty presupposes liberty.
AM. the question of liberty leads US even
into the regions of metaphysics. How can
we speak of duty rs long as the grave
problem uf. free Will is not resolved?
Theoretically there Is nothing there TO
which We can object. And II Nfc We're
theory, If we were here to elaborate the
complete system OF the universe, t would
he oLsurd TO occupy ourselves with duty
before having demonstrated liberty. tx-
ing its conditions and limits.
But life is not Il theory. On tins point
of practical morals, as on all others, lie
has dislanced the theory, and there Is
no reason to believe that 1t VIII ever
cede it the precedence This liberty, rela-
tive | admit, like all that We know De
sides, this duty whose existence we ques-
ton, is not any the less the base OF all
the judgments we bring on us and our
fellow-teings we treat each other as
responsible 10 a certain degree for our
actions and gestures.
The maddest theorist, as soon as he
gets outside of his theory, feels no scru-
pies in approving or disappearing the
acts OF others, to work against his enc
mics. to appeal to the generosity ana me
Justice OF those whom he would dlssuade
from an unworthy action They can no
more rid themselves Of the feeling OF
moral obligation than that OF time and
space and that we mist resign our
selye5 tc press onward before we Know
hos, to define that space which re cross
and the time which measures our move
,nents; we must also submit TO the moral
obligation before having touched It's deep
roots The moral law dominates man
whether he res poets 1t or transgresses II.
Look at everyday ME- Each one Is
ready to throw the stone at him who
does not accomplish a sef-eyident duty,
even IL he must allege THAT he has not
yet reached the pnllosophc certainty.
Each one viii tell him. and be a thous-
and times right In telling him: Sir, one
is a man above all things. Pay In your
manhood first: then do your -uty as citi-
zen. as father as son, and return to the
course of your meditatlons after a51
At the same tinlo let US BIO under
stood. We do not wish to hinder any one
from his philosophical Investigations, of
the scrupulous search for the moral foun-
dations No thought which leads man to-
ward those grave studies can be useless
or Indifferent. We only defy tho thinker
to be able to wait until he has found
these foundations to do an act OF hui
or cowardice. And above all. We de-
sire to formulate an answer, good enough
to oppose all the malignant persons who
have never been philosophers, to offer to
ourselves when we wish to Invoke our
doubtful state OF philosophy, TO justify
our practical failures. BY just that Is
one a man; before all theories positive
or negative. on duty. one has for firm
rule TO conduct himself like a man. There
Is no issue from there.
But they win know the resources Of
the human heart Httle II they count on
the effect Of a similar answer. 1t may
even be without answer, but In spite Of
that II cannot hinder other questions
from arising. The number of our prctexts
TO lead US from our duty Is as great as
the sands Of the sea, Or the stars In
heaven
Therefore we relrench the obscure duty,
the difficult duty, and the contradictory
duty. Those arc surely words which
evoke painful souvenirs. TO be 4 dutiful
man and doubt his road, TO- feel along
In the dark, to see himself delivered to
contrary solicitations of different duties,
or again TO find himself facing Il, gigan-
lie duty, crushing ono which surpasses
our forces. what is harder? And these
things happen. We would not deny nor
contest that there Is tragic element
certain lives, still. IT Is rare that duty
has 70 throw light across such n conflict
Of circumstances. IT must spring forth
from the In{nd Ike the lightning from
The clouds Such formidable shocks arc
exceptional. so much the better II we
bear M well when they 90 come. but II
no one thinks II surprising 4 hat the oaks
are uprooted by tile tcmpaat or a. ira
yaiIcr should stumpes1u the night on an
unknown road, or ll,atla soldier should
be conquered when he ~ taken between
Two fires. no one Should condemn without
appeal those who have been beaten IN
these almoHt supcrhumau struggles. 10
Hurcumb under The number and the OBJ
stacles has never beena disgrace,
Therefore shall offer my artns those
who ntrencN themselves behind the inn
ptegnabln rampart ~ obscure, complex
and contradictory duty For to-day It
IL not ina, which occupies my mind, 1t
IN TIC simple duty. ] might almost say
the easy duty, that ] wish to speak of
10 them.
We have cdch year three or four high
and many ordinary days. Like
tte.u IheTc ncb fey very great and