Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1861-11-07
GREAT MEN.

The great men Of the world have hardly
been Known. "'rho Int o! iame" is very i'm
perfect record Of their nanss. Thoy have
gone down TO their graves, uuchronicIcd aud
uulrumpoicd. 1t is true there have bocu some
exceptions the number seems respectfully
largr-hut the earth contains and always has
contained moro--a hundred fold more -undis-
covered, or undeyeoped greatness than has
found place upon the bagc Of history, or been
lcrpotuatca iu the memory of mankind by
marble columns ,riumphal arches, aud all tho
p azonry of imperial splendor and successful
achievements. There were more Ciceros than
one in Rome, and Demostheucs was not tho
greatest orator Of Greece but the rivals OF
Cicero and Demos'hCnes ", ro never found,
trained, and brought iuto the forum and senate
chamber. There was but one "Corsidan ser
gcant" who ever became an emperor bat ,herc
! have been many other scrpeants who would
huve made ust as good Napoeons as he
There was bn, one Milton ono Shakespeare. ono
Washington one Jackson and one Webster. but
lthe sou $ Of 'ohrr' Millions, Shakspeares,
Wa,hingIons, JacSSons, and Wehslcrs, now
! live in humble spheres. unawab ened, and with
no impulse Of circumstances or ambition to
push out their latent grcl ness into visible
glory. In every village there are Presidential
minds. aud Congressional talents ust as bril-
liant as those which figure in the diplomatic cir.
clcs OF 'he White House Upper.,endum, or
! ltui>h in the hail Of the Cupiol. The great
speeches of our great men at Washington ex-
cite no surprise among village politicians by
heir originality or their profound, thought
The same ideas have occurred TO them, and have
been discussed ana decided upon with equal
a ity. Our ru'evs find and fear 4 keen crit.
lc sru among their constituency.
/ Accident clrcums, 4uce. and station, are to
apt to be nstuAeu for talents, aud genlrs ; Tho
Governor ia to Mt to be considered the ablcst
men ia the state. and the President in tho
nation, aud that TOO, perhaps, when on his own
merits, he is scarcely known beyond bis own
county. 50. too, our Judges. Attorney Gen.
erals, and District Attorneys, are by co mon
tconscut admitted to be our best lawyers, our
Bishops cur best preachers, aud our most rigid
professors our b,st men. We seem to forget
Ithat King may be an idiot, u President pup.
pet, and assume that, with his every promotion
The man mukcs corresponding intellectual and
moral jump, whieh uono hut he Is capable OF
performing.
Bat genius dwe'la not only 10 cities flourish.
es in Legislative balls, and sports i;a titles in
easy CHAIRS Of college protcSsors-it also rus.i-
Gates in the ''rural districts 1t has DOM
; cile in the back voods--il follows the plough
and wiells the scy!he and the axe, perhaps new
er knowing what it can do, or seeking the op-
poriunity to do what it can. 1t feeds the pigs,
miks the cows, and harvests the crops Of the
world, and it is called to another. where it takes
| OrcccicuCe of all Senators and Governors and
Kings WHO have ruled in this There are slum-
hcrlng giants everywhere among US now and
. then one awokens to shake the earth terribly"
but thousands never know they are giants, and
so die pigmies. There have been butcher boy,
as truly great as AlIexander, but their great
j ucss never found the same field of operations.