What has an individual gained by losing his own self respect? Or what has he lost when retaining his own, he loses the homage of fools, or the pretentious praise of hypocrites, false to themselves as to others? "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any one."
When Aristotle was asked what a person could gain by uttering falsehoods, he replied: Not to be credited when he shall tell the truth. The character of a liar is so contemptible, that even of those who have lost their honor it might be expected that from the violation of truth they should be restrained by their pride. Slander of an inferior quality such as manages to evade the law, and which dignified natures cannot stoop to notice except legally, disgraces human nature more than most vices. It is a midnight robber, the red-tongued assassin of radical worth, the conservative swindler who sells himself in a traffic by which he can gain nothing. It can retire to no fraternity for forgiveness where its crime can stand in the place of a virtue, but must at length be given up to the hisses of the multitude without friend and without apologist. Law has found it necessary to offer security to the innocent from these pests of society called slanderers, when their crime comes within its jurisdiction. Thus, to avoid the penalty of law, and yet with malice aforethought to extend their evil intent, is the nice distinction by which they endeavor to get their weighty stuff into the hands of gossip! Some uncharitable dame may give it a forward move, and, ere she is aware, find herself responsible for kind endeavors(?) Would that my pen or pity could raise these weak, pitifully poor objects from their choice of self-degradation, to the nobler purposes and wiser aims of a life made glorious. A life in which the fresh flowers of feeling blossom like the chamomile—the more they are trampled upon the sweeter the odour they send forth to benefit mankind. Where calm, self-respected thoughts abide in tabernacles of their own, dwelling upon a holy hill, speaking the truth in the heart. Where the mind can rest in green pastures, beside the still waters, where the sweet isles of refreshment lie. Refreshments of a sublime life, which satisfy the mind craving a higher good, bathing in the cool waters of love and peace on earth, growing into the full stature of wisdom, reckoning its own happiness by the amount it has bestowed upon others.
Not to avenge ourselves of our enemies is the command of Almighty Wisdom; and we take it for a safer guide than the promptings of human nature. To know a deception, dark as it is base, has been practised upon you by those whom you deemed at least indifferent foes, but notwithstanding their unworthiness whose welfare you have promoted—and not to avenge thyself, is to do good to oneself, to take a new standpoint wherefrom to look forward, and to act becoming an exalted existence, is to be calm amid excitement, just amid lawlessness, and pure amid corruption.
