The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-05-17
TRIBUTE TO MORAL COURAGE.
1t Deserves Monuments For 1t Is
Greater Than Physical

1t Deserves Monuments For 1t Is
Greater Than Physical Proves.
Moral courage deserves its nlonu-
ments no less THAI physical proWess.
There is no lack Of tributes to the lat
ter, but the former is not so we'll cared
Tor. Yet, of the two, moral courage
is unquestionably the more worthy
Of esteem. 1t requires greater strength
Of character and s~elf-sacritice thar
physical bravery. There is many a
one less afraid of swords and bullets
than of adverse public opinion or the
loss of friends. Everybody admiTes
the fearless soldier. There is a certain
eclat about him and his deeds that
goes far to compensate the spirited
and fame-loving man for his sac
%rifceS, and seems to make 1t worth
his while to risk even 4 life. But
everybody does not always admire
and, still less, love the man Of strong
moral backbone. Those whom he an
tagcnizes-and they are necessarily
nlany-arc likely to bear anything but
| good will toward him. Not his the
shining halo that the head
Of the brave SON of Mars. And yet. TO
express fearlesSly one honest con
yictions when there is nothing 70 gain
but everything to lose thereby; to
stand up for them, and fight for them,
with friends and foe alike; to become
willingly for their sakes the prey OF
malignant tongues; to forego popular
ity, and. if need be, sacrifice his very
friends for what he holds to be right
and just. is assUredly something more
genuinely heroic than risking ones
life on the glorious field of battle.
To espouse q popular and winning
cause is no great feat, but to stand
40 bodily for justice and truth when
power and peIf are arrayed against
them-that is the act Of a a IN
- -1Irr 4 - no
morally courageous We don't or
course, include the ever consistent
man i Ey consistency is meant igno-
rant observation-disclosures, bull-head-
cdness, or u~nreaSonlnS obstlHancy-
and frequently that is Just what IS
meant. Only h fool never changes
his mind. The wise are ever the first
when it is pointed ont 20 them. And
they lose nothing thereby. The very
best Of men, and h most honest,
have changed sides II beliefs, and
the sensible people OF n Worid
thought none The less Of them for IT.
It is the weak, tinlid, changing ex-
preston of an unchanged belief, the
cowardly Scering or backsldlng uue
TO fear or influence, that merits CEN
sure. There ma not be much III the
way of glare or glitter 0 the man
who braves the anger OF his aSSo-
/ crates III DEFENSE Oh l4tS ICtS1iboA .
good name. yet many a n whom no
bodily peril can stop or stay VIII balk
at speaking out his mind when AIS
fellow mans reputation IS being torn
TO tatters by the foul, envenomed
shafts Of calumny.
In what we have said there is no
wish to disparage martial ardor or
prowess. Nor is there any danger
that we could do 20 even if we would.
1t is not that We admire physical
courage less. but that we low moral
courage still more. If we were as
lavish in our recognition of moral
backbone as we are IN raising shafts
to the memories Of famous soldiers,
and conspicuous examples Of material
b~enefactions, it would perhaps go Tar
toward i~mplanting and fostering In
the rising generation a better than
Spartan spirit-a love and apprecia-
ton Of the quality most deserving Of
their admiration and imitation, q
quality eminently conducive to the
very best type of good citizenship. II
this truth were duly emphasized and
Impressed upon the youthful mind in
the classroom, It would do more Doth
for the State and the individual than
all the ologies-with due respect to
lthem-that were eve dreamed of.
Even were this the only result OF
c~hildhood's training, 1t would be some
thing well worth while, and If the
lesson were taken to heart and put
in practice, it would do away with the
painful necessity Of keeping everlast-
ing tab on the chosen guardians OF
the public interests, and literally
forcing them, by fear OF material Or
political losses, TO do their bounden
land sworn duty.-Baltimore San.