The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-01-14
THE POWER OF SENTIMENT.

man, his traits, his virtues, MS IHlau duo
morals. The world is becoming highly
educated and>scientific, and human beings
are inclined to introspection and SELF
examination The psychologists are at
work and are endeavoring to apply the
lessons which they learn to everyday life
and its activities. A noted professor lately
pointed out the dangers of emotion. Inc
nature merely emotional was inclined to be
weak and unstable; the yielding to fine
emotions where there was no response IN
action was to be regarded as species OF
dissipation which leaves the subject weak
and incapable of action. The castle builder
and dreamer who thinks grand thoughts
and never tries to apply his fine ideas to
his own conduct is futile person. The
mere sentmentalist who weeps over the
story of callousness and cruelty in the
trashy novel and then berates the family
which unwittingly encounters the irritable
ity that has been unduly excited by the
"debauch in sentiment" is not strong
and admirable character.
These Investigations and the excogita-
tons to which they give rise in the minds
of the modern, matter-of-fact philosopher
and investigator have been used to decry
sentiment in general. The world is be-
coming very prosey and scientific and
practical and, perhaps, unduly worldly
wise. True sentiment is described by
7 II -
Emerson says:
''Cure the drunkard, heal the insane,
molify the homicide, civilize the Pawnee,
but what lessons can be devised for the
debaucher of sentiment?"
There is nothing to be done with the
people who are SO reckless as to decry
sentiment. 1t is the force which rules the
world. There is one grand distinction and
difference between the savage and the
civilized man. The savage has no senti-
ment. He is intensely practical. He re-
CARDS without emotion the injuries to his
fellows; he even jokes at serious ealamities
to his companions; he is without that deep
pity that marks the sensitive nature; he is
a brute. ,.--.-....-
The highly civilized man is filled with
sentiment; the possession of the sentiment
is, in truth, his. chief title to be- called
civilized. In a civilized country the man
without sentiment is the rough, the un-
couth, the brutalized man. The gentleman
and man Of honor is he who is distinguished
by the breadth and business of his senti-
ments. Hazlitt says that the measure of
any mans virtue is ''what he would do if
he had neither the laws nor public opinion,
nor even his own prejudices to control
him. The measure of beauty of charac-
ter and fineness of fibre is determined not
by mans fear of law nor of the world s
opinion, but by his ready obedience to the
promptings of his own sentiments.
What are flag and country, honor, ideas
OF home and parents but just the perfect
Towering of beautiful sentiments which,
through the centuries of the strivings of
the good, have become ingrained in the
hearts of men? When patriot thinks OF
his country he thinks not merely of vast
expanse of real estate, but of mighty
entity, with all its magnificent, glorious
past, of its founders and defenders, of
their hardships and heroisms; and the flag
suggests to him the sweep of the past and
the hopes of the future. What is the Con-
stitution to an intensely practical man,
whose ignorance of that document is COM
bined with a total lack of sentiment? 1t is
dull and prosy instrument, difficult to
read. To the student of history it repre-
sents the tremendous endeavor of centuries
and a safeguard to the unborn. All these
human devices are imperfect and subject
to change with the ages. A document is a
dead thing in the concrete, but when the
charter of our liberties is rightly regarded
it becomes instinct of life and power. Take
one little section which guarantees to every
man the right of freedom of conscience
and religious worship and regard its benefi-
cence. The man of any church who has
sentiment for his religion recognizes the
tremendous fact that in this one particular
the Constitution of the United States rep
resented when that section was written a
charter to the human race which partakes
of something more than human wisdom.
What is home? asked teacher of a little
girl. She hesitated, and then timidly
whispered, s'It's where mother is" Home
and parents, love and affection-these are
the creations of the sentiment which is at
the found atinn of our hum a nit,r nd o;,r;l;