traditions of earlier and more savage developing the power of the individual for a time and the energy of a nation loosely bound but when they came in contact the and they melted away as snow in april � only like that thereof yet lingering in the mountains and islands of europe no external pressure of famine or political oppression can hold the in ireland together or ve them national unity of action enough to resist the saxon foe doubtless in other days this very peculiarity of the irish has done the world some service nations succeed each other as races of animals in the and like them also perish when their work is done the peculiar character of a nation does not appear without relief and shadow as the waters of the in coming from the mountains have caught a stain from the they have traversed which the tinge of the mountain snow that gave them birth so the peculiarities of each nation become modified by the circumstances to which it is exposed though the character of a nation it seems has never been changed only when the blood of the nation is by additions from another stock is the altered now while each nation has its peculiar genius or character which does not change it has also and accordingly a particular work to perform in the economy of the world a certain idea to and develop this is its national task for in god s world as in a shop there is a regular division of labor sometimes it is a limited work and when it is done the nation may bo dismissed and go to its repose non w is as true of nations as of men one has a genius for one thing another for something different and the idea of each nation and its special work depend on the genius of the nation men do not gather grapes of thorns in addition to this specific genius of the nation and its work there are also various accidental or subordinate qualities which change vith circumstances and so vary the nation s aspect that its peculiar genius and peculiar political destination of america duty are often hid from its own consciousness and even obscured to that of the philosophic on these subordinate peculiarities will depend first on the peculiar genius idea and work of the nation and next on the transient circumstances � historical and � to which the nation has been exposed the past helped form the circumstances of the present age and they the character of the men now living thus new of the national type continually take place new variations are played but on the same old strings and of the same old tune once circumstances made the entirely agricultural now as completely commercial but the same trust in god the same appear as of old as one looks at the history of the he sees unity of national character a of idea and of work but it appears in the midst of variety for while these remained ever the same to complete the economy of the world subordinate qualities � sentiments ideas actions � changed to suit the passing hour the nation s course was laid towards a certain point but they stood to the right hand or the left they sailed with much canvas or little and swift or slow as the winds and waves compelled � nay sometimes the national ship to and lies j ith her head to the wind regardless of her destination but when the storm is her course men will carelessly think the ship has no certain aim but only the most marked characteristic of the american nation is love of freedom of man s natural rights this is so plain to a student of american history or of american politics that the point requires no arguing we have a genius for liberty the american idea is freedom natural rights accordingly the work laid out for us to do seems this to the rights of man this is a problem hitherto on a national scale in human history often enough attempts have been made to the powers of priests kings in a � powers which had no foundation in human duties or human rights but solely in the selfishness of strong men often enough have the of men been organized but not the rights of man surely there has never been an attempt made on a national scale to the rights of man as man rights resting on the nature of political destination of america things rights derived from no conventional compact of men with men not inherited from past generations nor received from and or secured bj their � but rights that are derived straightway from god � the author of duty and the source of right � and which are secured in the great of our being at first view it will be said the peculiar genius of america is not such nor such her idea nor that her destined work it is true that much of the national conduct seems exceptional when measured by that standard and the nation s course as crooked as the it is true that america sometimes seems to liberty and the freedom of three million men for less than three million annual of cotton � true she often on the most and sacred rights yet when one looks through the whole character and history of america � spite of the exceptions nothing comes out with such relief as this love of freedom this idea of liberty this attempt to right there are numerous subordinate qualities which conflict with the nation s idea and work coming from our circumstances not our soul as well as many others which help the nation perform her work they are signs of the times and it is important to look carefully at the most prominent among them where indeed one finds striking the first 