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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1877)
Xo!) EniToitiAU. 001 Miiccre in tendering our thanks for the honorable favor which you have bestowed apou ii -. And to all the students of the Inhcisily, and to whomsoever else may lie interested in the well fare of the Sir I'tNT. we will say, .aid us by your sub Mriptioti, contribution and good words of clifii-r, in making our magazine worthy -if the praie of all who are interested in djpfniw of education in the State. Some people seem to think that to be sMc to criticise everybody and everything Mint' of the peculiar rights of the Ameri nii. Xo mailer whether or not they un derstand sufticienlly well what they would criticise, to make any criticism from them in place They live in a free country, litre freedom of speech and freedom of the press are much lauded prcrogotives, aud haw they not a right to express their --pinion-at all times, and in all places? Thev feel themselves fret to criticise, whether the person upon whom their crit K-isni falls, be philosopher, priest or poll lirian.tir whether that which meets their ciudem nation or approval be it scientific theory, a speech, or a word. We often car ry this thing quite too far. AVe have no right ! criticise what we do not llior uglih understand ourselves or what we liave not given considerable thought and tUciHiuu. The old saying of caution that ve should find fault with nothing done itot we cannot do as well ourselves, is, per liai:i strict rule to live up to, neverthe less it would be better by far to be even ilitis sijjct. than to go too much to tiie "Hut xtreme. We have known members of our litera ry societies to criticise after this manner: "That oration was too long. It was a boie to the .(udience, and u disgrace to the 80 iely ' What is the result or such critic al Not good, certainly, for it criticism made i this spirit only wounds, if it do ful gi ally anger the one upon whom it is toa'h' And then such hasty ill-tempeicd nti ..ins are too often unjust, and un 'haij) ,bk. 'j'be production, or perform anee, or hate crit may have been, is not by the critic caielully "weighed in Un balance, and found wanting," but is judg ed according to his momentary feelings or caprice. Another neison. hcarinir Hie same thiug,and equally eapablp of judg. ing of its merits, might with far more fairness, pronounce it excellent The lesson that we wish to brim: out is just this: we should never make severe criticisms until we have taken second thought Hi-oil the matter, and then we should do mi charitably and conscientious ly. This rule is a general one, and will apply to all limes and places, but we have in mind now not so much its general ap plication, a- its special limitation to mem bers of our literary societies. Often vciy severe, and sometimes unjust criticisms are made, especially' by the older mem bers of the societies, upon those who aic younger and less experienced in tliework. Many of these criticisms, which too often are mere Mtreasms, wcic they made in u charitable and coiilidenlial sort of win. might be ofgieat value; but made as they usually are, they wound the feelings, and the icsiilt is, generally, injury to the one upon whom they are made. The criticisms made by the papers upon the public exercises which havefiom time to time been given by the students of the 1'iiivcrsily, such, for instance, as the Soci ety exhibitions and commencement exer cises which come annually with the lst day of the college year, have been for the most part just and impailial. The wiii er.s of these criticisms certainly can hate, (excepting now and then, perhaps, in case of there being a favorite upon the class.) no reasons for lauding this, or condeniii imrthat performance, only as impartial mei it would seem to demand. Hut though the criticisms ate in general just, and thoi.gh the writers of them, gencrallt speaking, can have no partial motives flm making them otherwise than fair for all, Mill a criticism will now and then be made upon a performance at these gem r alev-rci-.es whith i unfair, and which
