Courage.
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There are two kinds of courage, the one mere physical or brute courage, as it is sometimes called, and the other moral courage. Again, bravery in some is the result of an almost entire unconsciousness of danger, no matter how impending it may be; while in others it is the result of a strong moral purpose overcoming a natural timidity and fear of consequences. We find men who say that they have never known fear — and men whose coward hearts shrink at the very thought of danger, acting with equal bravery under certain circumstances. The one meets the encounter with scarcely a thought of consequences — while it requires all the efforts of the other to overcome his natural dread of suffering and death. The latter is, without doubt, entitled to most credit for bravery; for he meets the danger with a far more real knowledge of its character than the other.
The most exalted courage is, therefore, the result of a high moral purpose, and this is the courage that every man should have: its foundation lies in a determination to do right, at any sacrifice, even of life itself, if that is required. It will often require as much courage to act right under certain circumstances — as to march up to a cannon; and the man who will compel himself to face the world's opinions and prejudices in doing what he believes to be right, has great moral courage.
Every young man should feel that cowardice to be a disgrace, and bravery a virtue that he is bound to practice. True bravery has no occasion to vaunt itself, for it does not seek, like the knights of old, for adventures. It is a sleeping power in the mind, that only rouses itself on occasions of more than ordinary importance; and then it acts calmly, but with firmness and decision.
A man who properly reflects, is rarely a coward. Some are more inclined to shrink from bodily pain than others, and some are nervously sensitive in regard to the opinions of the world; but reflection from right grounds will correct both of these defects, and enable a man to act with bravery under all circumstances.
It is a thing of rare occurrence that a man loses his life at a time when he has put it in jeopardy in order to save the life of another; and yet we hear, almost every day, of people being saved from almost certain death by the generous self-devotion of others. Of course, acts of this kind should not be done with a mere recklessness that has in it no hope of success. It would be madness, not true bravery, for a man who could not swim to throw himself into the sea in order to save a person who was drowning, or to jump into a well filled with noxious gas in the hope of lifting therefrom one who was on the point of perishing from its poisonous influence.
A truly brave man looks at the means as well as the end, and will not risk his life unless there be a fair chance that in doing so he will be able to save the life of another. A brave man is one who looks away from himself, and seeks the good of others.
Every man should, from principle, resist oppression, and oppose an unyielding front to all attempts at invading his rights. He should do this as well for his own protection, and that of those who are dependent upon him, as in order to weaken the confidence of evil-minded men, who seek to oppress everyone, thus making them more cautious how they put into practice their evil purposes. One unflinching adherent to right principles in the community, saves numbers from becoming the victims of wrong.
Without courage a man is a curse to himself, and often a curse to others who may happen to depend upon him. He is a victim to causeless fears; is ever dreading some evil that he has not the bravery to meet with a bold front, and strive vigorously to conquer, he sees some evil thing stealthily approaching his unconscious neighbor, but, fearful lest he may suffer consequences himself, fails to give the alarm, and thus, with a base cowardice, permits an injury to take place that he might have turned aside. It is no wonder that a cowardreceives the brand of infamy.
In the present state of the world, the courage to act right in common society is the virtue most needed, and this every young man should have. He should never flinch from speaking the truth where its utterance will counteract evil designs, or advance the knowledge and practice of good principles. He is bound to do this by every consideration that regards the well-being of society. As to what this one or the other may say, he has nothing to do with that. He should have the courage to disregard all such appeals to his self-love, or to the feeling of deference to the good opinions of weak-minded or bad men. The cardinal virtue in society is a determination to do right because it is right, regardless of consequences. This is true courage.
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