National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-01
THE ELEMENTS OF.POGER,
1R, HOLLANDS LECTURE LAST
NIGHT 1T LINCOLN HALL,

Lincoln hall was handsomely filled last night
Ry the literary people Of Washington to hear the
distinguished American poet, author and editor,
IT. James u. Holland, on the subject of THE
Elements Of Power Fsle lecture was an en-
bOdiment Of solid, practical Thought, simple in
construction, but Ornanented with the purest
and most beautiful ferns Of the English Ian
gEGge. Throughout Il was model Of elegant
style, and his hearers were carried along as
pleasantly sailing on the surface of a river,
winding among the groves, fruits and flowers Of
some tropical cline. All readers will find in
our Synopsis Of the lecture not only sentences for
hard. close study, but many for personal applica-
tion, ard the opportunity here given for incOsing
these thoughts in the treasury Of knowledge may
help some in the formation Of character and in
the cultivation Of faith. Said lady when ledv-
ing the hall, ''Isnt DR.. Holland glorious"
"Yes," her friend replied, THAT is SO; but isn't
lie handsome All his hearers as they left eN
changed congratulations with each other on the
pleasant and profitable evening they had en-
JOyed.
SYNOPSIS OF THE LECTURE.
When Rasselas. Prince of Abyssnia, first ap-
psared at the Court of Bassa, he was inclined to
believe that the man must be pleased with his
own condition whom all approached with reEer
cDce and heard with obedience, and who had the
power to extend his edicts to a whole kingdom.
There can be no pleasure, said he, equal to
that Of feeling at once the JOY Of thousands, all
made happy by wise administration
The charms OF power do not appeal alone to
princes, nor do they find entertainment only
among those who are moved to use it beneyo-
lently.
TIE LOVE or POWER Is UNIVERSAL.
The desire for power is the grand meteor force
in most Of the social and political changes Of the
ha will
town. the county. the Staten all classes and
forms Of society: in all great popular movements
which involve the modification Of policies and in-
stitutons: in the Church ITSELF and all the sects
into Ell 1t IS divided. Then there are men
who seek for power as the choicest good. To
achieve power is to achieve honor. To be clothed
with power is 70 be clothed with purple.
TO be able tOmOve masses Of men by elOquence,
70 guide them by counsel, to govern them by COM
mand, 10 occupy place and exercise official au-
thCrity-in any way to shape the life and destiny
Of mcn-tEese are privileges to be worked for
with every faculty o. the mind and purchased by
every sacrifice of time and treasure. Multitudes
are willing To be tOadies 10 those above them,
provided they may be tyrants TO those beneath
them. The king may cuff the cOurticr, and the
CUurtier the butler, and the butler the scullion.
and the scullIon the dog; but the dog licks the
sculiOn's hand FOR his food, and the hand-licking
runs back through the whole line to the king
again. The forms in which the love Of
power manilests itsclrare PrOtean.
THE EEFUHED EXQUISITE,
who sets the fashion for his followers; the leader
of society who gives the authority of law to social
usage; the man who proclaims his superior wealth
by the display OF cquipsge; the man of Ostenta-
tiUus benevolence the foremost man in all public
movements and on all public occasions; the man
who makes himself telt by pushing forward every
body, and the man who makes himself felt by
holding back every body; the man who wins
everybody's goodwill and the man who defes
eVerybody's gOUd-T;''-all these are moved by
the love OfpoWcr In announcing
HONESTY $ TIE FIRST ELEMENT OF POWER
let NE ask you to preserve in your minds the dis
tinctiOn which hold in mine between q power
and an element OF power. All power must have
a footing to stand upOn-a basis upon which to
act, and there is sound basis Of power but
honesty. This is the first element Of character
which ambition Is likely to overthrow; r
10 sopbsticate the truth in any way, for any pur-
pose. breeds rotternCss at the foundation OF per-
sOpal power. Sooner or later all fabrics
Cfpower based on dishonesty crumBle and lall.
Nature is against dishonesty. God is against l.;
all the conservative and restorative forces Of So
ciety are against it. It vitiates all the currents
Of power that dow out oft.
The political history Of this country is
full OF instruction upon this point. Memory does
not need to reach lar back to recall list Of emf
Bent men WHO built themselves up by honest
manhood into positions Of great personal power,
and lost those positions by the low intrigues and
disgraceiul compromises into which they were
tempted by their desire for place. Many a noble
neck that has bowed itself to party yoke has
found that yoke guillotinc. statesman
turned dcmagc Tor the sake Of place is a Sam
son shorn: and il is a noteworthy fact that no
statesman Of any prominence, who has e. or thus
degraded himself in this country, has been re-
Warded with the prize he sought
THE NENr ELEMENT Is WILL.
II honesty furnishes the soil Tor the tree Of per
ssnaI power will il the vital sap which persist
emily and perenaialIY flows through every branch.
Strong, indomitable will-persistency OF purpose
a prOdigious element of personal power is this!
The man who said, i propose to hight it out on
this line if At takes all summer, revealed in
those words the secret o. ali jhe successes Of his
lie. The honest purpose that acLUated him dur,
ing the war AMI the mighty will which rode su
lremc over u obstacles the nnal victory have
carried him hy sheer impetus to the heights Of
political power. where he may pluck his Uwu
Bay OF drive them al his leisure.
No man can I've accounted strong who is not
strong OF will WI! may indeed be called the
U1GhD Ol power l4-lt WITH All INC otEltL
neBts are articuatcd. Were there a;
many devils in Worms rs there are rooltlcs,
would on said Luther. The VIII which re-
Fealed itself IN these sirCn2 words was an essen
tial, not to say the most powerful, motor in the
EeioTnal ION Of The SiNtccuih century, refprma
ten which determined the civilization OF The
Anglu-SaIrn race, and led the way to the world
release from the tyranny Of priests and kings
viii has the same oirre now it had a
l..
divine might: so long As it flows through honcs
channels / know col no power which can be NOR
truly divine It is indeed the matriX Of power
More than anything else will seems t.
be an original and fixed endowment. MIIIIulues
IS not will; it Is simply form Of ohs;inacy. Tn
pig possesses IL in an eminent gree VIII is POS
live, and projects a current Of vital force Whlcl
We break up into words or shape into actions.
-uIr-rnssassIoN
is the next element 0! personal power that claim
our attention. use the phrase in it b-osdes
possible sense, covering seILkIywIcGge, self ma;
terry. seIEconhdence. It is astonishing how IoOscI
some men carry themselves around: how Iitll
they know about Themselves, how little master
they have OF themselves. and as a consequence
how little confidence they have in themselves
= Every mar ought to have complete invcr
tory Of himself. 50 as TO absolutely know what b
can do in all the ordinary matters Of life, ana il
its great emETT enciCs. u Between sym
men and themselves there is great gulf aEcI
They do not lay up acts in their memory: the
lose them there; and Whon they hunt for them
is like hunting Tor coins dropped in the highway
No power in them is ever ready for the work r.
gUiFeL OF il.
To Lc intellectually lsclEpOsscssed is esssEtil
tEcp, TO the exercise OF power upon others.
know Of few gTandcT objects in the world than
who becomes The matter Of a supreme 0osGsio
thrsagh perfect sclEP9sssSsiOn. n
man can master or control the passions o! other
who cannot control his OWL. A reIOrmer with
red nose would find it very difficult TO dissuals
Teyeler from his cups. Hen who preach mOders
ton must weigh less than usrO hundred pound
The very name OF charity is poisoned when u
tered y. rake. SO man can preac
temperance with "a wine cup IN his hand. or trai
q daughter to NirtUe with y mistress in the mex
street. The Empsro- William is r.
spected iG10t loved because me viii not live lii
Of luxury. and case. Il took sEcE monarch q
lie 10 coB4GeT France and uEiGy Germany. Tn
selEmasLe-y- ogthis King. made Ii; q Emperor: ha
given him the mastery Of huEoPe. The vices q
Napoleon and o. France, unprecedented in tn
throne Of Prussia, would have changes the who,
current Of history. Faith in ones ow
faculties motives processes and ends is rassentia
not only 10 leadership but to all positiye inHu
ebes in the world. We are creatures Of sympathy
and il is unnatural and impOs IDLE for Ut to hay
saith in men who have not faith in tLsussiyp.