The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 4, December, 1834Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 4, December, 1834
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
I am sensible, young gentlemen, that, to many, these ideas will not be
acceptable. And for an obvious reason. "Men like well enough," it is
said, "to hear of their power, but have an extreme disrelish to be told
of their duties." Yet in a government of equal rights, these are
strictly correlative. The rights of each individual are the exact
measure of the duties which others owe to him, and of coarse, of those
he owes to others. This is so obviously true, that it needs but be
stated, to be recognized at once as a man recognizes his face in the
glass. But _he_ "goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner
of man he was." Let not us do likewise.
But there is another reason why many will hear with impatience of the
difficulties attendant on the proper discharge of duties, which are too
often made the low sport of a holiday revel. None can deny the truth
and justice of the remarks already quoted from Mr. Blackstone; but few,
I fear, are willing to bring them home, and to acknowledge the
necessity of such severe preparation to qualify themselves to exercise
the franchises of a citizen. Let me hope, young gentlemen, that you
will view the matter in a different light, and go to your task with the
more cheerfulness, from the assurance that you will thus be qualified
to derive a blessing to yourselves and to your country, from the
discreet and conscientious exercise of a privilege, which others, from
a want of correct information and just sentiments, so often pervert to
the injury of both.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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