St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-07-29
Fame.

a Caesar, an Alexander and Napo-
leon toiled and struggled-and they
accomplished their purposes. They
accomplished it, however, only by
striding over slaughtered millions and
wading through seas of human gore.
Others have sought and have attained
this object by more peaceful and
humane process. A Luther aud a
Mclancthon, a Whitefield and Wes-
ley, an Elliot and Judson would &C.
complish the same purpose, not by
blood and carnage, but by ameliora-
ting the temporal as well as spiritual
condition of man by spreading the
glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus
Christ among the benighted and super
stitious, and raising their minds and
thoughts from the groveling things of
earth to those of heaven which are
spiritual and eternal. They also ac-
complished their purposes.
Fanny Forester" Mrs. Judson)
when in India, once made the remark
that, Zone is so hcmmcd in with graves
that it is hardly worth while to make
an effort to accomplish any thing which
shall perpctuate ones memory" This,
it is believed was stated under pecu-
liarly distressing circumstances -
when the death of her husband, Dr..
Adoniram Judson, the selfsacrificing
missionary, was near at hand, and
when her own health was so delicate
that seemingly breath of air would
sunder the brittle thread of life. Still
we can here discover the desire, the
longing of her heart, the great aim of
her lifc-which was to build herself a
name that should last-a desire it
would seem, entertained by woman as
well as man. However, the name of
the third wife of the great pioneer
missionary Of the Eastern world will
live, Notwithstanding her regrets.
Others there are, and their name is
legion, who have sought with equal
assiduity to render their names i'm
mortal, and have failed. They may
have shone for a while, but theirs was
a meteor light which dazzled for a
moment and then sank into obscurity
and forgetfulness. Some one has re-
marked that certain men are born
great, that others achieve greatness,
and that still others have greatness
thrust upon them. An aplorism that
may be partly true and partly not in
it's general applicability. We can
think of ono individual, and one only,
whose character embodied the three
ideas that individual was Washing
ton. Not only was he born great, but
he achieved greatness, and much
against his inclination was greatness
thrust upon him. His is
Zone Of the few-the immortal names
That were not born to die J"
But there is yet another class who
..:-- -. 49, ''""-
aGsfT6Shr Poets and philosophers may
hold lofty niche in the temple of
fame, but it is the artisan and inven-
tor who marks the age in which he
lives and indelibly fixes his impress
upon the world. The names of Ark
wright, Fulton and Morse will live
when the laurels of warrior chieftains
have mouldered in the dust. Theirs
is peaceful mission, and they are CO.
laborers with the missionary in the
great work of amcliorating mans con-
dition,-of civilizing, refining and re-
generating the world.
To Richard Arkwright, barber Of
Preston in England, is the world in
debted for the spinning frame, by
which any number of threads of any
desirable fincness may be spun. Ed
mund Cartwright, Leicester clergy
man, few years after, invented the
power loom, and, putting the two in
ventions together, what untold blcs-
sings have been lavished upon man.
kind through their agency!
Robert Fulton, of New York, has
bestowed upon America the honor of
first navigating the ocean by steam
whereby commerce is facilitated, and
the comforts and even luxuries of life
are greatly enhanced.
S. F. B. Morse, another of Americas
sons, improving upon the discoveries
of Franklin, has made the lightning
of heaven subservient to mans con-
venience, and intercourse between the
distant corners of continents is now
held and carried on with the rapidity
of thought.
Here, in these last instances, is
fame that well may be coveted. He
who causes two blades of grass to
grow where but one grew before, is a
greater bcnefactor to his race than
the mightiest conqueror." Far more
so must he be who spins myriads of
threads while but one could be spun
before who without wind or sail can
navigate the mighty deep who can
command the lightnings and they obey
him!
The inventors and artisans are of