Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-08-03
Such a. Fame.
From the Golden Age |

which Andre was hung |, is rather
a notable feature ia the landscape.
and as q local memorial helps 10 break
the monotouous refrain of :" the house
in which Washington slept" a tray
clrr was under escort of farmer
thereabont who pointed ont the uee :
That's famous tree, there, y
quothrd farmer
"Wha is il famous for ?"
81 don't remember cNactlv--hut I
believe general was hung there
once"
What general? General Wash
incton ?"
Yes; tha, was lis name"
"What did they hang him for ~
"Well, he captured somebody. |
believe. | don't remcmher exactly. ."
Wasn't it Andre ?"
save, that was it. They hing
him for capturing Andre. remom.
Der now"
Now, how much of written history
rests on Just such luminous aud au
| thcutic testimony rs that Certainly
| the question Canuot bc answered, but
it suggests a Wholesome Skcp,iciSm as
to the appropriate atmosphere in
which To read those stately records
that are named hv the venerable
name of History. Bot there is an
other liur ot reelection suggested by
the story which | have rercatcA -
How startled 1t is to get such a
Glimpse of the mculal horizons hv
which So many Of our f How citizens
are girdcd abe ! We had supposed
that the face of Washington within
the boundaries of America at least
was the oue universal American pos.
session But ii seems To be certain
that there are hooks and rrrrs,os of
human life among rs which eIcn that,
awful rcnown has not Invaded.
Indeed there i M snch thing as an
absolutely universal reuown on this
earth aud as there are Americans
suppose that WASHINGTON was hung
for capturing sumcbudy, 50 there are
Christians who would be a~tuujSh.d
at the announcement that jesus Christ
is dead. We impose upon our ina
glnatl0ns bv speaking OF this century
for only a small fraction of the people
that live in it. Many are get 40 rlr.
Ihcr ON than the ticrnth Ccnrur, :;
many mere dwell in the tenth aud the
tilh; while by far the majority of III"
human family are IN the age before
the Christian era. When we call
this an enlightened agr, wc state
What is true of only a slight po,tiou
of it. all the beings Still under the an
cicnt shadows nf opacity superstition
The most penetrating regulations
among mankind, those Of Alexander,
Socrates, Caesar, Coutucius, jesus,
Mohamncd, Washington, Napoleon,
have never yet thoroughly entered
thn,o shadows.
Our day which was celebrated aS
III" terccuteuary at Shakespeare,
talked in London with Londoner
who asked me" Who is this fellow
Shakespeare, that they N" making
sucL, A row ahont to-da, ?" When.
in The same city. The morning paurr-
announced the death oi Richaid Cob
den, | met there An elegantly dressed
and pcplccl Enghsh lady, who innn
Gently mentioned that she dil not re
member ever before 10 have heard
his name. After these experiences, |
had no surprise in England At the rev
citation If Enollsh Ignorance concern
IND famous men of other countries.
onr own; and | came 10
take il as a srarsrly nnteworthry,
affair for Euuli.h rlrrgcmen and 9th
prs "a say tha, ibcy had never heard
az eurb Americans as Henry tHav
D,,i,l Webster. and Juhn C. Cal.
honn
Rpt in America The paradisc Of
,o,ular odurati,n il is not easy To
air,~, ones selrto such phenomenon.
And even when we cDncr,le the posi-.
biluy Of our having fellow c,tizpns
who have no distinct llea Of the Fa.
tEer Of his Country, we arc still in
trouble At the discovery Of those
living names, which at this momen,
are tossed mp most constantly Oh the
waves of talk. are unknown names 20
many Americans who participate with
us in ,hr common bpa,i.udp4 of our