Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-12-09

driver VINO Is abusing his horse.
Sometimes also they misohievously
ask you one of those great questions
which put the minds of the parents
to torture, and all that is to draw the
attention from the painful subject. l
fear we are but big children in face
Of duty, and that when that is In
question we, too, seek subterfuges to
distract our minds.
The first subterfuge Is to demand
of oneself If there is one general duty
or II that word does not cover one
of the numerous Illusions of our an.
cestors. For, in point of fact, duty
presupposes liberty, and the question
of liberty leads us even into the re-
gions OF metaphysics. How can we
speak OF duty as long as the grave
problem of free will Is not resolved7
theoretically there Is nothing there
to which we can object. And, II life
were a theory, If we were here TO
elaborate the complete system of the
universe, 1t would be absurd to oocu-
Ply ourselves with duty before having
demonstrated liberty, fixing its con-
ditlons and limits.
But life is not q theory. On this
point of practical morals, as on all
others, life has distanoed the theory.
and there Is nc reason to believe THAI
1t will ever cede 1t the precedence.
This liberty, relaNve l admit, HE all
that we know besides, this duty whose
existence we question. is not any the
less the base Of all the judgments We
bring IN US and our fellow.beinga We
treat each other az responsible TO q
certain degree for Duh aotionB and
gestures.
The maddest theorist, as soon % be
gets outside Of his theory, feels -
%scruples in approving or disapprovtna
the acts Of others, to WORN against hfs
enemies, to appeal to the generosity
and the justice Of those whom ha
would dissuade from en- unworthy 40
ton. They can no more ria them
themselves of the feeAna of moral d.
legation h a that Of time and spaUe,
n that we must resign ourselves tc
press onward before we know how
to define that space which we cross
and the time which measures oul
movements; we must also submit to
the moral obligation before having
touched its deep roots. The mora
law dominates man whether he re
spects 1t or transgresses 1t. Look al
everyday life. Each one is ready tC
throw the stone at him who does not
accomplish G s~elf-evident duty, ever
If he must allege that he has not vel
rnonhnd Tho nht1aoaDhIa oar+ain4v
Each n will tell him. and be q thou
sand times right in telling him: "Sir
one Is a man above all things. Pay
in your manhood first; then do your
duty as citizen, as father, as on, and
return to the course of your medita
lions after"
At the same time let us be under
stood. We do not wish to hinder any
one from his philosophical investiga
lions, of the scrupulous search for the
moral foundations. No thought which
leads man toward those grave studies
can be useless or Indifferent. We on
ly defy the thinker to be able to wait
until he has found these foundation.
to do an act of humanity, honesty OIL
dishonesty, courage or cOwardice
And, above all, we desire to formulate
an answer, good enough to oppose al
the malignant persons who have
never been philosophers, to offer tc
ourselves when we wish to invoke ouI
doubtful state of philosophy, to justi
fly our practical failures. BY just that
Is one a man; before all theories, pos
tive or negative, on duty, n has fol
a firm rule to conduct himself like
man. There is no issue from there.
But they will know the Of
the human heart little If they coun
on the effect of a similar answer. II
may even be without answer, but II
spite of that it cannot hinder other
questions from arising. The number
of our pretexts to lead us from oul
duty is as great as the sands Of the
sea, or the stars in heaven.
Therefore we retrench the obscure
duty, the difficult duty, and the con
Trajectory duty. Those are surely
words which evoke painful souvenirs
To be a dutiful man and doubt hi
road, to feel along in the dark, to see
himself to contrary solicitations o.
different duties, or again to find him
self facing a gigantic duty, a crush
ing one which surpasses u forces
what is harder? And these thing.
happen. We would not deny nor con
test that there is a tragic element II
certain events and heartrendings II
certain lives. Still, it is rare tina
duty has to throw light across such
conflict of circumstances. 1t mus
snring forth from the mind like tn
lightning from the clouds. Such for
midable shocks are exceptional. 81
much the better II we bear up wei