who hesitate not to pronounce upon their measures, it cannot be denied that they stand in a strong position.  When we hear a bold condemnation of their acts from men who, so far from having gone through the same process of inquiry, have not even perused the documents in which the grounds of the administrative policy were explained, can we do otherwise than smile at the pretensions of the pseudo-judges?  Is not the frequency of this unfounded judging much more apt to harden an unlucky statesman than to make him amenable to counsel?  On the other hand, when a public man finds himself and his actions criticised by men who have knowledge, he must be a hardy one indeed who can entirely disregard the judgment.

If we attentively study the progress of any man who has acquired influence over his fellow-creatures—­apart from certain matters in which the feelings are mainly concerned—­we shall find that he has distinguished himself by a habit of not pronouncing where he has no means of forming a judgment.  Such a man has had the good sense to see and confess that he could not be expected to know many things sufficiently well to entitle him to pronounce authoritatively upon them.  He has probably given some considerable share of attention to certain subjects that are of some importance to his fellow-creatures, and thus fitted himself, with regard to them, to speak with more or less decision.  Never found guilty of giving a vague, crudely-formed judgment on things a hundred miles out of his way, but, on the contrary, obtaining credit occasionally for the manner in which he treats those with which he is conversant, he irresistibly acquires character and influence.  Young hasty minds laugh at his taking such care not to commit himself:  he is perhaps taxed with getting credit for merely looking grave and holding his tongue.  But this very holding of the tongue when there is nothing to say, is, in reality, one of the greatest, though often one of the last-learned virtues.  Were his merits purely negative, they would be great; tending as they do to save truth from that obscuration which a multitude of ill-formed opinions necessarily throw upon it.  But we shall usually discover in such men a positive merit also in their power to illustrate and give a guiding opinion upon certain subjects of importance to public or private interests.

There is not one sentence in this little essay which may not be justly set down as mere commonplace.  We acknowledge the fault; but defend it on the ground that sound and useful commonplaces require a continual refreshing and re-presentment, so many persons being, after all, unaware or forgetful of them.