Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-05-16
From the New York Tribune, May Z.

A Great Days Work.
From the New York Tribune, Alay7.
We have wasted little time or space in CON-
mcnding the doings Of the present Congress-,
albeit we hold it one of the most laborious,
earnest, pains taking bodies that ever devoted
itself to Legislation. 1t has not been so prompt
and resolute as it ought IN maturing and pass
ing its Loan and Tax bills, but it may win a
noble place in history by few such days
work as that Of yesterday, when the Senate
passed the FREE HOMESTEAD bill by the over
whelming majority Of 33 Yeas to Z Nays
every Republican present voting Yea, with
Messrs. Henderson and Wilson Of Mo-, Ken
nedy Of Nd, McDougal Of Cal, and Wright
Of Ind, while Messrs. Thompson of N. j.,
Rice of Min, Latham of Cal, and Nesmith
and Stark of Oregon were absent or withheld
their votes. This bill having already passed
the House, lacks now but the Presidents
signature, which it will surely and speedily
receive. And then we may congratulate the
country on the consummation of one of the
most benficcnt and vital reforms ever at.
tempted in any age or cline a reform calcu-
lated to diminish scnsibly the number of paup-
ers and idlers and increase the proportion of
working, independent, self-subsisting farmers
in this land evermore. It's blessings will be
felt more and more sensbly and widely for
the next twenty years.
The House ut the same time passed the
PACIFIC RAILROAD bill by thirty majority
Of the details of this bill, including the route
indicated for the road, We arc not advised,
though we believe it is intended to start from
some point on the West line of the State of
Kansas, where it will be met by one road
| from Missouri and another from Iowa. The
general public will care little, however, for
the route indicated, which is of course liable
to future modification. The great fact is es-
tablishcd by this vote that the House has de-
termined that the Pacific Railroad shall be
commenced so soon as the National Finances
will permit, and pushed on to completion
And that resolve will in due time secure its
own realization
Free Lands for the Landless and Pacific
Railroad to bind in iron clasp the Pacific to
the Atlantic States and develop the boundlcss
Mineral wealth of the Rocky Mountains, the
Colorado Valley and the Great Central Basin
two such measures are not often so signal
ly advanced in one day. The clouds that
have long darkcned our National prospects
are breaking away, and the sunshine of Peace,
Prosperity and Progress will ere long irradi.
ate the land. Let us rejoice in and gather
strength from the prospect!
STRONG CnARACTERs.-Strength Of charac.
ter consists of two things power of will, and
power of sclf-rcstraint. Itrequircs two things
therefore for its existence; strong feelings
and strong command over them Now it is
here we make great mistake; we mistake
strong feelings for strong character. a man
who bears all before him, before whose frown
domestics trcmblc, and whose bursts of fury
make the children Of the household quake
because he has his will obeyed and his own
way in all things, We call him strong man.
The truth is, that is the weak man; it is his
passions that are strong; he, mastered by
them, is weak. You must measure the
strength of man by the power of the feel
ings he subducs, not by the power of those
which subduc him. And hence composure
is often the highest result of strength. Did
We never see man receive fragrant insult
and only grow little pale, and then reply
quietly? That was man spiritually strong
Or did we never see man in anguish stand
as if carved out Of solid rock, mastering him
selfy Or one bearing a hopeless daily tria
remain silent, and never tell the world what
cankered in his home peace? That is strength
lie who, keenly sensitive, with manly powe,
OF indignation in him, can be provoked, and
restrain himself and forgive,-thesc are thu
strong men, the spiritual herocs.-Reu. f. "
Robertson.