Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-20
Sunday Morning Talk
TIE COURAGE OF CONSCIENCE.


 Few officials in history have had a better chance to make easy money than Nehemiah, who lived and reigned in Jerusalem, the chronicles tell us, in about the year 400 B. c. Nehemiah had full charge of fhe> immense task of rebuilding the city's walls. In the diSorganiZed condition of the Hebrew state. his personal authority was great and his control both of financial and of social affairs was well-nigh abso- 1ute.
 Yet the mans stand against any sort of graft was a notable one. As a rule, his predecessors in office had proved extortioners, not hesitating to grind the faces of the poor for the sake of unrighteous gain. Corrupt methods were rife But Nehemiah had no idea of falling into them Against the praetises of the grafters he ut tered his protest, a protest that was no fruit merely of a passing impulse, but that rather of religious principle. To all poSterity he made known the req son for his stand. "So did not I, be- cause of the fear of God,'' he said.
 That sort of nonconforn1ity is a badge of honor. It is a great thing to stand out against some form of in- iquity, even though 'everybody's doing it.' He deserves a Victoria Cross for moral bravery who determines to be one, even if the only one, in his com munity to do what is right.
 The world is largely run by majori- ties and most questions are settled by count of polls. The individual is in danger of being lost in the mass. Some fashion, no matter how groteSque, gets started and, in a twinkling, every other woman one sees is copying it. Some new form of amusement forges to the front and soon everybody takes it up. Some oddity of expression, some catchword or phrase gains vogue and straightway it is on the lips of the multitude. The haunting terror of thousands of supposedly sensible peo- pie appears to be lest they fail to dress and talk and sport exactly as all their smart neighbors do.
 It is a silly and illogical bondage under which to live. No laws com pels one to follow the majority. It is by no means certain that a thing is best merely because the largest num- Der of people shout for it. If civiliza- ton had always followed the lead of the majority, it would have landed in the bog long ago.
 Of course the attitude of noncon- formity to popular usage leads along no path of roses. It may involve ma teriaI loss and both physical and men tai suffering. Adherence to his ideals has meant personal danger to the real prophet in all the centuries. For the greatest Prophet of all, for Jesus of Nazareth, the courage of conscience conducted to cross set up on a rocky hill outside a city wall
 There is, however, a subtle and pro- found joy in following the pole star I that the trimmer to every passing breeze can never know. The very op- | positions one meets are significant and a source of honest satisfaction. To be hated by some people is compli- ment rather than condemnation. Ed mund Burke, a great figure in our Co., lonial history, once lost his seat in Parliament and stirred up bitter per sonal attacks because he had voted for certain unpopIar but righteous measures.
 Commenting on the charges hurled against him, the orator said: 'Tn every l accident which may happen through 1 life, in pain, in sorrow, in depression and distress. I will call to mind this accusation and be comforted.' He was not meaning at having gone dowr l in defeat, but rejoicing at having gone Il down with colors flying. It becomes were some people in the world WhG had no use for him.
 T As Abraham Lincoln once remarked T am not bound to succeed. but I an bound to be true.s The same compul. sion is on every man. Our moderr ! world has no more dire need than tha' of those who dare to stand alone, ever on some occasions when the croWt goes the other way.
 2 THEE F F Af2S0Ns