Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-06-14
FORCES AND VALUES.
Two Lectures, Read rs One, for the Ben
EFT Of the Fanny ThurstOn Fund,
Rt Memphis, in 1887.
BY ALBERT PIKE.
LooxrIvrEp FRoM 50 srNDAY

/ It is much easier to mislead than to
/ lead the People. They have natural
/ disinelinstion to travel on right lines.
I A sounding phrase, such as Extending
the area OF Freedom or F" Manifest
destiny" or "The world Is governed too
mueh,n or 1.-THE irrepressible conflict be-
tween free and slave labor" goes further
and effects more than ali the political
wisdom of Burke and Calhoun. There
is q mighty force in examples and preee-
dents, and as often for evil as for good.
Great action, IL has been we'll said,
"sows a seed that may be as prolific and
enduring In its progeny, as great
speech" Great actions leave a deep i'm
preston on the world. Great ideas not
expressed In great deeds are barren.
Napoleon did not cease to sway the
world, when he ceased to be Emperor of
France nor were the changes be effect
ed in Europe obliteTated by the Treaty
of Vienna. The cOnquests OF Alexander,
Cesar and Tsmerlane, also, bad great
effects; but it IL the ideas to which Ma
pOIeOD gave artieulate form and express
sion with the sword, that are the real in
huences, destined to shape the ideas, the
character, and the conduct of the future
generations. The Empire OF the King OF
Speech is not of q more permanent
character than that of the King OF Ae-
ton. Much Of the present is owing to
the conquests of Cesar in Germany and
Britain more, 10 the conquest of Eng
land by the Eormans, and much, also,
to the victories of Cromwell Little of
the present Is owing to the Farewell Ad
dress OF Washington. But in proportion
as the world becomes civilized, the EN-
pire Of the King of Speech eDlarges,
until gable becomes potent, chiefly for
evil. Great actions, done among bsrbs-
rians, amount to but little. There were
great actions done, no doubt, when the
Tartars conquered China but all the
great deeds done slice the flood, in India,
China and all Asia, have had not half so
much influence on humanity as what
was done and said in the little republic
Of Athens. 1t was the idea Of MOham-
med, that produced the great deeds Of
the Saracenic cODquerors. Half OF the
modern European wars have been owing
to the ideas of Luther. The late war be-
tween our States was but q struggle be-
tween two ideas and those who
died on each side laid down
their lives in the service Of an idea.
however uneonsciOusly they fought for
it, and though thousands OF them i'm
agined they were fighting for pay and
plumber. Loyalty, in some shape or
other, is sovereign over men and the
loyalty Of the American is to his idea of
the Government; Of the SOuthrOnr 10
State rights OF the NOrtherner, to the
Union and the Flag. What Force there
is In such ideas, is proven by the bitter
ness and magnitude of the conflict, and
by the hslf-million lives which the strug-
gle cost. Whether a single defeat has
settled the great controversy, time alone
can disclose. Ideas have an immense
vitality; and that which seems crusht d
down aud its life trodden out of it to-day,
springs up again tomorrow, aud flashes
conviction through all mems hearts.
The idea that is tTua will not die: and il
it be true that the system Of government
established by the fathers, complex on
account of its divided sovereigntiss, and
as It was understood by the Southern
Kings of Thought who In their graves
still with lawful authority rule opinions,
Is indeed, as we believe, the only
system of repuSlicanism by which
the continuance OF free government
is possible, then the blood Of our sons, and
fathers and brothers, watering the roots Of
the Truth will not have been shed in vain,
even If the fruit of our sacrifices and
sufferiDgs Is not to ripen until another
age and 10 other lands. Meanwhile, let
US remember that truths are immortal,
and that the Idea which is prosecuted
grows.
The human will Is a force Of incalcu-
liable energy, and the mode in which il
acts upon the wills of others Is a mystery,
like the action of sill other forces. Men
of Intellect complain thai the govern
ment Of the nations is not conceded to
them as birth-right; but it is the men
of will and sctiOu who generally hold
the reins OF Empire. When Audacity
and Intellect are combined, we have the
greatest Leader, the Rsar, Cromwell or
Napoleon, or the greatest Statesman,
the Richelleu or Chatham. Jackson was
despotic, solely by virtue Of his Tesolute [
infiaxible will. Webster and Calhoun /
were not fitted to he leaders. Clay was.
Accident alone threw him with the mi I
nority. He was RudaciOus and despotic IS
jackson himself. 1t is the audscity and
will of Bismarck that have made Pfus-
STA the foremost power of F. Irnpe. He !.
can afford to dispense with cunning. +
Those who are audacious and confident, /
being also capable, inspire other men
with audacity and confidence. Look at
Give, with his little force at Plassy at /
New. on the retreat from Moscow ! - /
{" What is il thou fearest Thou hast .
Cesar on board" Cesar said to the pilot /
in a storm, and neTyed him with fresh /
courage. It was not the Macedonian or .
Roman intellect, but their indemitable /
will, that crowned their arms with vic
tory and empire. Alexander marched 4
into India, and Hannibal almost con I
quered Rome; but neither has left be-
hind him any monument OF intellectual .
greatness. Neither Cicero. Bacon or
Newton was born to rule. New became .
Marshal OF France, Duke Of ElchiDgen .
and Prince of the NOskws, not because .
he had the head to plan and con-
duet q great campaign, or dictate .
the movements of great battle .
but by his audscity, his quick decis- I
ion. his perfect confidence Ia himself. .
Grant is great by his will, his ohstin6cy .
and bis retieenee He can refrain from
talking, and keep his own counsel, and .
fight it out all summer on one line and .
may perhaps yet be Emperor. 1t may
be that those who now imagine that they
rule and legislate are but unconscious in
struments of the Deity, to effect the op-
posite OF that for which they seem to
themselves to il,-their malice and
hate and ambition, forces that are the
slaves of His Will, against their own
will doing His work.
The men of the highest order OF intel
lect did not p ay the greatest part in the /
American revolution of lT76. Mirabeau
had both will and intellect, and welded
an immense power. There are greater
men in France than the present Empe-
ror but none with the same tenacity of
purpose and power Of will, with Oppor-
tunity. Epictetus, comparing life to a
stage, tells US that 1t is not for us to con-
slider, among the Actors, who Is Prince,
or who Is beggar, but who acts
Pdnce or beggar best. 'The cir
cumstance of liie," says Steele, "shouId |
not be that which gives US place. \
but our conduct in that circumstance" !
and the man of intellect will fail and I
fall, where the man of resolute IL flexible 1
will and cool audacity will stand firm (
and win Empire.
There is no Force in Nature more po-
tent than FAITH. Faith inGod, in men, I
and in ourselves. No one can tell what 4
firm Faith and sublime Confidence In 7
either may not enable him who hath 1t, +
to effect. Much Of the success OF Napo- I
leon was owing to his confidence in his I
Star. For Faith gives daring and resOlu- I