, 1874-07-06

and manhood on tic ono aldo, or on the other,
on wl,nt re call or 1niscall genius on lilo apen
did passion with which ono man Gun aay . thing,
another m W % n,n cnn bo wiins lB follow citizen nnya.
For. If you will consider for mument tho real
aubatauco Of TINT story OF tho birth Of our MI
lion, unl tho peril through which II haa
Which other nopublica show In their ruin, ours
shows, 80 fnr III 1ler estabIEahmont that goni,is
ia tho lightning, while character is tho h0artil-nre
OF Bucl nation ~ outs; character tho Rolid
foundation, and gcn'ua the exquisite iiavoring Of
pillar and dome, that mllAt nhuldnr down to dust
Ii there Ia no immovable substance to raBt upon
iu tho hidden recesaeg tint tako hold OF tho
solid world. annius Is tho tno awoop Of nrch
aud battlement, md character the keystone or,
tor city, tho groat squire blocks down below tho
tumbljne waters and tho shifting ehnds, but for
which tho whole worth OF what they hayo 30
nobly done would DO by this tlmo whelmod In
tho yellou food.
In or1r Revolution there wore men Of chnrao.
ter, and men OF genius. Each In their own way
todk prominent part and hero and thoro mau
who III hts nature combined both these g,ihlitleB
mid this timo wo are forgetting in ono way, NO
arc remembering In another, because each man
is lifted ont Of tho paaang timo into tho etll
l,oayen In which ho must stand forth for Tho
gazo Of all thu ages. And now tho man of char
actor who Ind no genius, ia unBpoakably mora
precious to us. anl WAS beyond all measure
luCIN THluHDtb " liz NhklQu LEAu TUG UAu OF
gouius who bad no character, OF, which those
about him could depend az thoy would dspond
on ono Of NAturo's primal lRwa. Wo 500 men iii
those days who wero able to faBoinato all who
speeches, or who, BY their personal presence and
magnetism, won thousands to thor standard, or
who on tho battlefield fought with auch dash
ing valor aud unquestiouablo genius that they
were hailod ut first M tho heroes and saviors Of
the struggling people, aud others wlo could only
toll plaln tale Of factB and figures na lruo as
the return Of tho sun. and as essential, who Ind
no special personal popularity mud no following
except tlat they won BY . mothod az
quiet ,xn Snd clear saaera "a sum d in phe
could show no gonins for lighting, only Tor hesor
giving up tile light, in tue central citadel Of q
soul no disaster could storm mon YOU could de.
pend on wherever they vent aud whatever tloy
might do, M 10 much clear, honest manhood,
good ~ winter wheat or puro gold.
Aud now what is tle ond or it all aB tho con-
tury draws to close : The end III thIs: That
while. ne give tribute to all the genius OF TINT
kept itself clean and true, wo give our
highest homage, our hearts best reyer-
onre, to tlo modest, atcady, unlinching
mon who did tho work which must be dnno by
the might Of thoir single manhood. and were
through mud through tho nau behind tho void
aud deed. Wo layo to BOO, ALSO now tho msts have
cleared army, that the r'eaBon why no elye these
mon tho highest place lios IN the truths that
they wore OF all tho men III their day tho most
Indispensable. Tho Fathers might somehow
have wosrlod along without the mon Of gcuiua,
but without tho mon Of character tho whulo
movement would have enlol at IaBt In daaster.
1t was on these the newborn nation dopontlad
iu her da.keat aud lurdeAt days for tho power
of nl1 her peril Theso flashing,
flaming follows, With thoughts tlat breathe and
wor,la TINT burn, have thor place, and do their
work, but the suost solid and serious work IL
done by the steady substance Of honehtY aud in-
tcgrlty, and Of thlH the people themselves aro at
last awaro, and trust the must sacred things to
the clean, strong hnndH.
Out Of tho wiolo struggle, thon this quality
call eharacte. stands forth Ut hat Us tho ona
grent thing nothing can alter. Other meu haye
their cl,qTes and partos; tlaso hayo tic poople
about shem. ah boeH gather about their queen.
and then ali il over. Tho ono man who, or all
who fought tha good fight, showed this
a, quality ,i',,o IL tho most ING 81 solid nm and pet.
heart Of tne nalon viii, him. but ths real heart
Of the world. Aud this il the lesson Tor tho
aay, tho word tho old time sends to the new,
that character rather than genius was What tho
Eat1erh hold On to At last AZ tue essential thing,
aud trusted as they trusted God, Tint waH tic
utfmate reaspn for their victory. aud II wo will
hold whas they have won, wo must follow after
the same rule aud mind tLa sanse thug.
It il not to be doubted. once moro, that one OF
tho most dangerous and fatal elemontB III all tho
Republics winch have COMO and bono before our
owl, las been popular pleforonco for gonils,
or tito Henbl1nco of genius, over character. Meu
who had no real weight OK manhood. but only
tho power to, ,Bay or to do, things IL
heart, huyo becomo tho leaders Of xtha people,
and led them OIL to the ruin Of their hope, 10
that, from the days Of old Groece to the days OF
tho first Empire in Flanco. this las been tho
story Of aii Nepublics which hayn had u uano to
live. aud are dead.
But then, again, do not think 1t would bo
l,a1tl to prove that tho reason why this came
about WIS not so much In tho glamour OF thas
genius which could clutch kingly power at last,
aud erect throne Oh tho ruins Df q Common
wealth, as 1t was In tho dobasomont OF tho
people which could peimltt, and TINT debasoment
only showed lta ultimate outcome In lhat way,
while III nany Ways it had already shown its
quality. And 80 1t III that. il on this day no want
to gueas What IL coming 40 fur as We are coll
corned. Tho solutloa OF The problem DOES not lie
in vast philosophical speculatious Of tho DRIFT
aud tendency OF nations and races it lies III
close pvrsonul applications Of this truth have
tried to tonch, Of tle way, wn look at character
in comparison with what we call or fniscatl
genius, not morely IN its relation to tho wclfaro
of tho uaton but OF tho most iocal nnd personal
things wo hago to touch. BECAUSE tnat is
not 'goniua alone which can cApslvase, us
! with thoughts aud words. There is II
genius ior money-making, for speculatlons in
business, aud politics, mud roligion, for every
thing. in word, wo can take hold Of in our duiiy
life or 10 olr higher 1ifo; and wherever Wo tur,
tue question faces us AZ tho QUO essential ele-
ront in tho problem Of our continuance AZ g.
sound aud strong nationality, whlch do you pre-
ter in tho core Of yonr henrt the splendid fasci-
nation OF saying aud doing, or the honest sub
Htanco OF being.
Is that man your idenl in business who by Il
few glodt strokes makes d fortune, Or that n|an
who for forty or nfty years. quietly US tho
| SEASONS como and. 60 builds up hss NAH
hood and ltis fortune togsthor or fails
to build up his fortune, but rot,ros
n Ills old ago with character clean md pnEo as
you talk abuut IL your tireHide 10 your SOUS as
their pattern and inspiration, and which Of
| these arc YOU IN your own measure yourself )?
| Does your roal heart 20 out after the flash and
| lame which bliuds tho oyeB or tho steady glow
| which WARNS and works for allnoblo useB? :? And
90 you, mothcla, talk to your daughters about
| those wonen who dress and wlirl in the yortox
! Of fashion. aud mu]le splondld matches which
| ond 10 oftoa III empty aud oileorless humeB, Or
thuso who with quit womal,ly enanavor seok tho
| l'ves Of duty and usefulness, aud thou leave tho
reat TO God? Or in M,llticH do you follow mud
| maintain tuo man who cArGB not WlDtftF tile