Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-07-31
IDEAL AND REAL,
Graduating Address Delivered by G..
H. Dixon, at the Ohio Uni
versify. June 20, '73.

Versify. June 20, '73.
Life presents two phases. One is
what we want it to be; the other what
it is. One is made up of aims, hopes
aspirations; the other of the results
of these These two phases seldom,
if ever, coincide. The ideal, whatever
it may be. is never fully experienced
in the reality.
Schiller has said, "Bc true to the
dream of thy youth" But what are
the dreams of our youth" but fairy
air castles, whose ethereal structures
disappear like the mist, or are rudelY
overthrown by the hands which we
hoped would sustain them. And, more
over, are these visions which have
such an evanescent existence, the right
kind of foundations upon which to
erect terrestrial structures Has not
the attempt been made by some of the
greatest men the world has ever
known? When we compare the ideal
which prompted the attempt, with the
result as recorded in the annals of his
tory, do we not find difference in
them so great, that had we not known
the ideal. it could never have been
taken as the type of the reality? His
tory is filled with such instances. In
| fact it is a record of ''dreams" and
their disastrous consequences.
And where will we find a better eX-
ample than in the history of the Cath
olic Church Has any ecclesiastical
denomination ever entertained ideals
of such magnifcence and power as
this great church ? Read its history
from the 5th to the 18th century, and
see what great ends it aimed at? One
moment sunk beneath the authority of
invading barbarian armies, the next it
rises and demands that church and
State unite and form a temporal and
| spiritual government which shall never
| decay. This obtained, and it was but
single step farther to proclaim that
the Pore was the bicegerent of the AL
mighty on earth, and that all power,
ecclesiastical and civil, was vested in
him. This was the great aim of Pope
Gregory VII. His ideas was a grand
one. A theocracy was to be estab
lished in Europe, the most magnificent
the world had ever known, around
which were to be gathered all nations,
and to which all must yield implicit
| obedience, while its whole power was
to be centered in the Pope. No means
were left untried to establish this alb
sOlute Christian monarchy. But did
| it succeed Was the ideal of that
great man ever realized? No. The
spirit of free inquiry begun to be es-
tablished, and ere his plans could be
executed, it proved an effectual barrier
to their onward progress.
Thus it has been with all attempts
at absolute monarcy. Men have lived
in all ages where ambition has been to
established governments which should
be perfect in all their workings and
lead to universal empire. 1t was not
in the power Of Charlemagne, Louis
XIV, or Napoleon, to establish such &
government. Their plans were well
conceived, and in the execution ot
them an energy and genius were dis
! played which demanded the admiration
of Europe. But not one succeeded
A power more than human has held
the helm of the ship of State, anc
sealed the destiny of every nation or
the globe. SO
But we are gradually apprcximatine
to a perfect system of government
The church and State are now per
maneDtly separated, and the infallibili
| ty of the Pope acknowledged to be {
dogma. The views of our statesmen
are becoming more comprehensive
and traught with sounder wisdom and
philosophy, and in the future these
ideals Of civil government will find {
realization in a system which viii
draw all nations to it; and while ah
solute monarchy. can never become
the legitimate right of any, all viii
have the same essential principle EN-
bodied in their constitution and laws
The same may be said of all classes
all professions, and all vocations il
life. Do we not all, of both sexes
have our ideals of everything? On,
of the latest questions in our countrl
has been started by the women II
theory the structure is certainly yer,
admirable one. We cannot but ac
knowledge the truth of what the!
state when they say that -countr
is disorganized; that both politics
parties are becoming most wofull
: corrupt, and he who enters manhoo
is doomed to a choice between tw
evils. But will the remedy as pre-
scribedloy our lady ply sician, ,-Woma
S1frage-effect the cure they are pre-
/dicting? We do not believe it will
; Politics is a field in which no woma
of refinement and education will car
to enter When men, who have entere
it with the purest motives and mobiles
principles have fallen from their prou
;. positions by means of the corruptin
influences cOnsta ntly at work, how ca
u women, however strong minded the
may be, hope to sustain themselves
And again, is it the legitimate field {
: work for women? Has she not
more exalted calling than to dabb
Z in political corruption? Were she
fill modestly and successfully her q
lotted sphere-to govern rightly tt
}! realm of home-she would accomplis
far greater mission for humanit
than if she were to secure the rigt
es tn of suffrage The government of HON
Il and civil government are neither pc
re feet. A commingling will render the
or more imperfect. And yet we thir
e, that in our homes is the place to cor
we we mence political reformation. VIII
es- wives. mothers and sisters of ami
= tious young men bring to bear
them all the blessed influences of DC
fectly organized homes, our State a,
elaR I,