New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-29
Hero Worship.

gY FANNY a. BARRIER.
There IS implanted in every human breast
an innate spirit of hero worship which, born
either of national pride or selfish ambition,
has in all ages swayed with despOtic control
the minds and characters Of men.
COUNTLESS and varied have been the differ
ent influences which have directed each wait
ing generation. The holdings of destiny
and the submissions to popular fancies have
not alone supplied the stream which has sus-
tanned or wrecked this drifting bark.
Blind fumblings of chance have erected al
tars at which many careless of right and I'M
mindful of truth bowed; for there never was
belief so gross, fallacy so dreadful, re-
ligon SO absurd but had some priests who
ministered at its affairs, some acolytes who
worshippel at its shrine.
There are shoals and quicksands before as
we'll as rocks and tempests behind, and he
who can successfully mark the dangers past
ought surely TO be able To point to light
houses Of safety beyond, for who shall say
that none are there? There are tendencies
which perrade the lives of everyone alike,
and which by the very diversity Of their al
lurements affect the common bliss of all.
Ambition, envy, and pride, among other
evils which compose our birthnght, are ready
guides to conduct us whittier we will go, and
to determine whether the many examples of
truth and error, trust and deception, worthi-
ness and unwOrthiness, which history faith
fully teaches, will direct us to a better con-
ception Of the true-even to perfect
worship.
The experience of every generation ought
to have revealed some mark to enable us to
determine some fixed standard of excellence.
Such an established feature of character
should certainly have been gained so that
convictions could not be held and shrines
erected at the low value of every newest
fancy. Civilization ought to make such adj
vancements in confirming its settled princi-
pies, at least, so that every plausible theory
should not be hastily accepted by us, and
that in sustaining our individuality due con-
sideration should be rendered to our mos
confirmed beliefs. Rashly or deliberately do
we erect our shrines, and the manner OF
erection will prove the worth our idols.
Every lesson of life is sustained by the COM
bined traces of good and evil, and we know
that in all ages of the world there is
not to be found wanting, that heaven-born
beauty of true greatness which the pure
spirit of history records. But we need not
resort to times Of chvalry and regal power
to find characters worthy to be immortaized
in song and story, for we have but to resort
to the old story, ever new, OF glorious deeds
Of American soldiery, repeating in the hero
ism of the last decade all the virtues Of the
great names of the past or the most dazzling
exploits of imaginary heroes which were ever
born of poets fancy for they fought not
for jewellcd diadem or gilded sceptre, CT even
for the "Penates " of desolate hearthstOnes
at home, for the cloud of battle rested over a
land strewn with the tares Of treason. "They
fought as sOvereigns in a land where all are
soyereigns to maintain the sovereignty Of
truth" The light that illumined the con-
science of the soldier was never seen on sea
or shore, and with whose distilled oil of sac
rifcial suffering cast a flood of radiance over
the national conscience which lighted it unto
truth; and the wearied tramp of our invinci-
BILE hosts, as they rolled their resstlcss surge
over treason's soil, was the sign by which we
were taught the truth that freedom and des-
potism could only become disunited by the
combined zeal of nations fidelity and if
there went forth call for worshippers at the
affairs which these thoughts would invoke,
there would not be found any who would not,
with gratefully responsive hearts, present
their devotion, sanctiiied; for it requires no
forfeit Of selfish ambition or pride thus to
float in the popular current, to fiaunt our
banners with the multitude, and to cast our
offerings with the many, for oft-times in
country like our own, to place garland on
our nations brow is to weave chaplet for
our own but examples like these need no
messenger to proclaim their worth, and no
decree to demand obedience; but side by
side with them are affairs, the entrance to
which is paved with gold, and whose illumi-
mated banners but imperfectly conceal the
avarice, deception, and crime which lie be-
meath their gided surface. Why is it that
the access to these is ever thronged with
eager supplicants, and that pilgrims to them
are always Oh the way? We are too often
unmindful Of the evil that lurketh in the
sanctuary, and note il not that worthier sub
jects bow the knee to perjured kings. Why,
if the world would leave of wOrshipping
evil, evil would lose half its power. We
hear no warnings in the thunderings of jus.
tice which echoes from the crash of some
unworthy idol, and discard the messenger
who would point us to some holier shrine.
five would but turn away from the throng
Of the populace we might catch the sweetes,
breath of heroism. We pass with careless
step the little wayside flower whose source
OF perfume is devoted only by its upwars
pointing petals and diffused fragrance abroad
We condemn the sentiment, whatever it may
be, which in secret silence seemingly barriers
an existence in striker obedience to the
rights, stern sake, and prate with knocking
sarcasm Of the unknown hero who yields his
LIE in defence Of a perishing multitude; fol
30 often is the smoke of life's holocaust &
cloud Of sin 10 the unwise work." There
are deeds Of glory and praise, worthy Light!