Year: 1859




An observing man is never without sour
ces Of amusement, and it is certain that a.
mong these sources the unconscious devices
resorted to for the creation and prpserva-
tion of character in the eye of the world
! deserve prominent place. We meet in
every town men who feel that they have
! filled up the measure of their character,
and lave nothing further to do in life but
to bear that character, like a full vessel, to
their graves, without spilling a drop. They
walk the streets as if they were bearing It
upon their heads. They bow to their ac-
quaintances with the consciousness of their
precious burden constantly uppermcst.-
They refrain from all complication with the
stirring questions of the times through fear
Of fatal jostle. They speak guaTdedly,
as if word might jar their priceless vase
from the poise of confluence. There is
nothing so important to them as what they
are pleased to consider their character :;
consequently that is always to be consulted
before any course of action can be deter
mined upon. All questions of morality
and reform, all matters of public or poiti-
cal interest, all personal associations, are
considered primarily with reference to this
character. If they prove to be consistent
with it, and seem calculated to reveal some
thing more of its glory, they are entered
upon, or adopted otherwise they are dis
carded


When a man arrives at the point where
the preservation of his character becomes
the prime object of his life, he may be con-
sidered harmless man, but one upon whom
no further dependence can be placed in car
rying on the work of the world. As
member of society, he becomes strictly Or
namental. We point to him as one Of the
ripe fruits of our civilization We bring
him out on great occasions, aud show him.
We make him president of conventions and
benevolent associations. We introduce
strangers to him that they may be impress
ed. We chronicle his arrival at the hotels.
We burn incense before him, because we
know it will please him, and because we
know that he rather expects it, Small
children regard him in respectful silence as
he passes. He becomes one Of our insti-
tons, like City Hall or an old Church.
We Away know where to find him, as we
do well-established town-line. But one
thing we never do we never go TO him in
an emergency that demands risk and self
sacrifice, because we know that those things
are not in his line. His character is the
first thing, and that is to be taken care Of
When we want anything of this kind done,
we go to men who have no character, Or
having one, are not uncomfortabIy con-
scions of it.


Good aud harmless as these people usual
ly are, sources as they are of amusement
to those who understand the secret springs
of their life, fine as they are when regarded
as specimens, they are, nevertheless, the
victims of mistake Personal character
with them has come to be the grand object
of life-personal character as thing Of
popular repute, when it should always be a
resultant Of true action, instituted for un-
selfish purposes. The meanest and most
illegitimate of all human pursuits is the di-
rect pursuit Of reputation. 1t is supreme
ly selfish and contemplate and there is
no man who really deserves good reputa-
ton who does not make its acquisition sub
ordinate, as an aim, in all bis actions. A
man whose action with relation to the ques-
tonS that come before him is regulated by
its pre-conceived effect upon his character
with the public, is entirely untrustworthy,
and will be trusted by the public no further
than his interest is seen to coincide with
the wishes of the public.


Character is a thing that will take care
of itself and all that character that does
not take care of itself is either very weak,
or utterly fictitious A man who does as
nearly right as possible, according to the
dictates of his judgment and his conscience,
will achieve a character without giving a
thought to it, so that all attention bestow-
ed upon the direct acquisition of character
before the public is so much attention vast
and so much time thrown away. BY their
works are we to know men and we have
no other standard by which to measure
them. We tolerate harmless selfish man,
but we do not trust him with our interests.
The most of those whom we find supremely
devoted to the preservation of their char
acter won their character honestly enough,
; originally. They struck out boldly at the
beginning of life, did nobly, succeeded,
won the praise of the people, and then,
like men grown rich, became suddenly con-
serVatve aud timid. Finding themselves in
possession of a character, and realizing
something or the preclousness OF the pos
session, they Immediately began to nurse it,
. and arrange all their action with relation
to it, They ceased to grow, and retir
, ed essentially from business


Much better would it have been for al
of this class had they had fewer friend,
and more enemies. In fact there is fault
in the reputation of every man who has nc
enemies, for no man can be a positive
power in the world, moving in right lines
through evils and abuses and wrongs, with
out treading upon the toes of somebody
As this world is constituted, no man car
be without enemies unless he be without
power, or unless he adapt himself to The
evils and the evil men encountered in hi'
course. Consequently no man has repu
tation which is really significant and valua
BILE that is not won in about equal measure
from the blessings of one class aud th'
curses of another. The praises of the gooC
are no better testimonials of a sound anC
valuable character than the malediction
of the bad. In fact, reputation aud char
Q acter are widely different things, thougl
they are so closely coupled in the minds o
those whom we are discussing that they Sc,