The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-05-18
SEEKING TRUTH.

That truth depends not upon autnOFlty,
but rather authority upon truth, is lesson
mankind is slow in learning. Centuries
of storm and stress had to pass ere man
was willing to lend an ear to those who
opined that authority oftentimes opposes
truth. Mankind, for so many centuries
Injured to all manner of authority, had lost
sight of the most precious of human rights,
the liberty to seek the truth. Yet what
seems to US as an incontestable right has
been violently denied, and the men and
women who have been in advance OF their
age, refusing to submit blindly to authority
when the cause of truth was imperiled, have
been prosecuted. There is nothing sadder
in the intellectual history of tho world,
nothing more pitiful in the moral annals OF
mankind, than the martyrdom of those who
have proved themselves to be imperishable
benefactors of humanity. The price they
paid for moral freedom is an undying les
son of moral courage, perennial fount of
noble inspiration. The man who is in love
with truth and fearless of death represents
the highest type of greatness.
Fortunately for the higher life of man
kind, there arose men in every generation
who kept alive the sacred flames of truth.
They knew the truth, they preached the
truth, they denounced the untruth when
ever and wherever found; but what is of
utmost Importance, because abiding in its
influence, they lived the truth. From the
very housetops, as inspired messengers OF
the living God, they proclaimed the truth,
aware that they were drawing upon them
selves the hatred and vengeance of those
who sat in. the seats of the mighty, sur
rounded by sycophants and time-servers.
Beautiful is the dictum of the rabbis,
"Truth is the autograph of God,'' and the
lesson they draw from the three letters that
form the Hebrew term for truth. The
three letters are the first, middle and last
letters of the alphabet: which leads to the
observation that man at all times should
be devoted to the truth.
Most men lack courage to live consist
emily what they know and feel to be the
truth. It is true that such consistency
often makes man martyr of himself.
A lie would have saved the great Socrates;
lie die save Calico from the terrors of
the Inquisition. Men while loud in their
praises of truth evince their insincerity as
soon as truth demands some sacrifice, a
sacrifice of self-interest or of self -conceit.
Self-interest makes many men playthings
in the hands of those who have favors to
bestow and causes them to deviate from the
path of truth. How am to be helped
and beneftted?" is the moral rule that de-
termines their words and deeds. The
prophet Zechariah must have had such
men in mind when he said: "These are
the things We shall do: speak We every man
the truth with his neighbor; execute the
judgment of truth and peace in your gates,
and let none of you devise evil in your
hearts against his neighbor, and love no
false oath, for all these things do hate,
saith the. Lord" We're truth to be the
basis fer our words and deeds, how much
better would this world be. Many of the
ills that afflict human society are traceable
to the shams and hypocrisies that pervade
and permeate all classes and conditions of
men and to the tone of insincerity that
marks the relations obtaining between men
and women. In an age where untruth
seems so Systematically organized truth
thinking and truth-speaking proclaim the
speaker as one of natures patricians.
Every form of subterfuge is confession
of weakness, while openness of speech and
transparency of character are signs of
strong manhood. Happy the child that at
its mothers knee is taught the sacred
character of truth; thrice happy the child
that sees before its eyes, day by day, the
living example of truth.
Men will debase themselves with deceits
that dull the keen edge of honesty in order
to please others or for the purpose of de-,
ceiving them as to their own weaknesses
and foibles. How much more men stand
in awe of the criticism of their neighbors
than of the wrath of God is we'll illustrated
by what happened at the deathbed of an
illustrious sage. Surrounded by his
friends, who had gathered to look once
more upon his kindly face and hear for the
last time his living voice, they begged him
to bless them and to give them parting
edmonton. The dying teacher invoked
upon them Heavens blessings and then
said: 81 pray that you may fear God as