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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1877)
ij2.&&jz;i .ifT; mmm&rsmm r trrrlrimi 170 PKKSONAIi FltliKDOM. it f,!i II I im of culture. It is tliu handwriting of the gods upon tlio inner wall of our heart giv ing us terrible warning of incoming bar barism and superstitions. And what is the condition of reason? " As a man thinks, he is free," says Emer son. "And a just thinker will allow full sway to his scepticism." And the thought conies with all the force of an intuition. Hence freedom is the llrst condition of reason, and thus personal freedom be comes the primary condition of personal perfection. For reason is ever on the watch for relations and If the choice be. tween relations bo restricted, surely reason herself must bo circumscribed, and in stead of the "amphora" that was about to be made with which to measure our soul and destiny, "a little pitcher" is turned out, with which to measure our creed, lie who cramps his reason puts a damper upon the only light ho contains, for there is no culture without reason and reason without perfect freedom is a falsehood. So we reach our general formula, That there is no salvation except pertection, that there is no perfection except person al perfection, that perfection means cul Hire, that there is no culture except per sonal culture, that culture results alone from reason, that the (list condition of reasoning is personal freedom and so that there can bo no personal perfection except by personal freedom. Freedom to adopt for ourselves what ever reason shall say for ourselves is lit. For, there is no proper devclopcment ex cept normal dovclopcincnt and the nor mal knows no blind submission. And moreover our Bulcr is free and lakes no prido in the breast that contains nothing but humilit and ashes. God is free and every godlike man is free also. No bondage can equal mental bondage, no freedom can equal mental freedom. There is no developement ex cept the mind be free to investigate, and a man who blindli submits without satis fying his reason with regard to a belief sells his birthright for pottage and his soul for praiso. The bird of freedom sometimes walks upon the earth but al ways with a noble step. Often he sails grandly around the upper heavens, but, when he enters the fumes of blind belief and third rale, pick-thank politics, he tilts, loses all power of his wings, and. with a deadening thump, falls to the earth. "It took a bold man," said Airs. Parry, "to say that deed must go to the wall when it is too narrow for individuality." But the human race is not noted for its boldness. Alan is afraid to throw himself upon his own resources, but has invented various methods for securing his passngo around these Capo Horns of his existence. lie is afraid to die. "Personal freedom," pays he, "why you thus throw yourselt upon an endless, I rou bled ocean." So much the better if a man sail in the life boat of reason and breathe the pure air of truth. Yet in his heart man wishes to be free and he prays to the great supremo to come, and with a touch akin to reason to bear away these fettering chains. But Fear comes, that grim dragon Fear, and with her tiery eyes that grate upon the nerves and an awful breath that smells of tho sulphur of a nev er ending hell, she strikes terror into his very bones, and oft he llees, yielding his place and degrading himself to a coward. But if ho make a stand against Fear, Desire comes, that cursed, false Desire and she speaks in a pleasing mode and with persuasive words of her happy abode and the kingly bliss that awaits her followers. Often she leads man away, but when once withnr the walls of her castle she closes the gate quickl- behind him and thrusts her d;; ,r to his heart. But if he should yield to neither, then Superstition confronts him. This third terror ho must slay if he would at last en joy perfect freedom. These three, Fear, Desire and Superstition, but the greatest of these is Superstition. For, the one she chains and loads captive at her will to terrify into subjection her unhappy fol lowers. The oilier she milium a slave that