The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-15
cariula.s onininn-

Carlyle's papers on IS The Early Kings
of Norway came to an end in the
March Fraser, and closed with the fol-
lowing arrow direct to the heart of his
imaginary America
The history OF these Hasrfazrs has
awakened in me many thoughts i1f des-
pOtism and democracy, arbitrary gov
ernment by one, and f-govexnment
(Which means no government. or anar-
chy) by all of dictaforship with many
faults, and universal snffraRe With little
possibility of any virtue. For the con-
trast between Olaf TrYggvason and
universal suffrage parliament or an Sim
perial copper captain has, in these
nine centuries, grown to be very
great. And the eternal Providence
that guides all this, and, produces
alike these entities with their epochs,
is not its course still through the great
deep? Does not it still speak to us,
if we have ears2 Heie, clothed in
stormy enough passions and instincts,
unconscious of any aim but their own
satisfaction, is the blessed beginning
of human order, regulation. and real
government there, clothed IN highly
different but again suitable garniture
Of passions, instincts, and equally I'M
consc' Gus as to real aim, Is the acoursed-
looking ending temporary ending) of
order, regulation, and government
very dismal to the sane onlooker for
the tune being; not dismal TO him
otherwise, his hope, too, being stead
fast But here at any rate, in this
poor Morse theater, one looks with in
terest on the first Transformation, so
mysterious and abstruse, of human
chaos into something of articulate cos
mos Witnesses the wild and strange
birth-pangs of human society, and re-
fleets that without something similar
Qitle as men except such now, no COS
mos of human society ever was got
into existence. nor can ever again be.
''The violences, fightings, crimes
ali, yes, these seldom fail, and they are
very lamentable. But always, too,
among those old populations, there was
one saving element; the now want of
which, especially the unlamented want,
transcends all lame ntatioD. Here is
one of these strange, piercing, winged
words of Ruskin, which has in it ter
rible truth for us in these epochs now
come:
90 My friends, the follies OF modern
liberalism, many great though they be,
are practically summed in this denial
or neglect of the quality and intrinsic
value Of things. It's rectangular be
attitudes, and spherical benevoiences-
theology of universal indulgence, and
Jurisprudence which viii hang no
rOgues, mean one and all of them, In
the root, incapacity, of discerning, or
refusal to discern, worth and GnWorth
in anything, and, least of all, in man /;
whereRs nature and heaven command
you, ut your peril, to discern worth
from unwOIth in everything, and most
of Ell IN man. Your main problem is
that ancient and trite one, Who is
best man 4" and the fates forgive much
forgive the fercest, widest, cruelest
xperiments-if fairly made for the de-
termination of that. Theft and blood
outlines are not pleasing in their
sight yet, the favor1ng powers of the
spiritual and material world will con-
firm TO your stolen goods, snd their
noblest voices applaud the lifting of
your spear, and rehesrse the sculpture
of your shield, Il only your robbing
and Staying have been in fair arbitra-
ment of that question, g Who is best
man ?" Bat il you refuse inquiry, and
maintain every man for his neighbOr's
match-f you give vote to the simple
and liberty to the vile, the powers OF
those spiritual and material worlds in
due time present you inevitably with
the same problem, soluble now only
wrong side upward and your robbing
and staying must be done then TO find
out - Who is wors5 man? Which in
go wide an order is merit, is, indeed,
not easy but complete Tammany
ring, and lowest circle IN the Inferno
of Worst, you are sure to find, and to
be governed by. ;"