National Republican., 1877-01-26
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The Test OF Greatness.

There ts perhaps no stronger proof Of high
character or surer test OF its stability and Arm.
ness than the ability to resist the influences OF
passion and prejudice and rise to the sublime
plane of impartial judgment. Few even have
accomplished so much In times Of great pub
lie excitement and danger in all the history of
the world. The number Of patriots wholly
without sel1shness-patriots who have sacrl.
feed self on the altar of their countrics-is
few, indeed so few that their names may be
written on brief page of the volume that
records them. While there is always great
room for the exercise of the zeal of this class
OF philsnthropists in the affairs and emergen.
cies OF nations, and while II is true that great
occasions rarely pass away without placing
the lsurels OF Immortality upon the brows of
devoted few, who thenceforward stand out
upon the face of time as grand exemplars OF
honor and heroism, It Is nevertheless true,
to the disgrace OF civilization, that these
monuments Of universal fame are few in COM
parison with the great number Of aspirants to
the distinction. The world is full of pre-
tenders In this line seeking such exaltation,
but although "many are called few are
chosen" The great mass of those who strive
to emulate the character lack It's essenti al
requirements and fail of Its achievement In
consequence. The rock of their danger is
shallowness. They are not grounded upon
the sub. stratum, but upon the surface, and
when the winds come and the rains descend
they fall and are swept away by the current
Of fury they thought to stem.
The effort Of the patriot is ever n supreme
one, and II its violence does not disturb the
mental and moral stamina of the man, he Is
safe and his glory assured, in proportion to
his natural powers. But the great difficulty
Is that In most cases the shock careens the
judgment, and Il is no longer able to distin.
guish the true relation Of things, or to teach
the actor the exact position In this crisis. In
this situation he loses his balance on the
dividing line he seeks to maintain to such an
extent that, instead of proving himself a
patriot, firmly standing between the contend
Ing factions, he finds he has fallen over the
mark, and became partisan Of the opposi.
tion. His ability to advance to the line OF
duty without overstepping 1t, on trying occa-
sions, has always been the test Of true great
ness. He who has been able to stand forth from
the one side or the other, and hold the scales
of justice with answering frmness until the
end, thus commanding the support of friends
and challenging the inclination OF enemies
until at last both are brought, with one &C,
cord, to join in uphoding the same right,
because u Is riqht-he who has had the wis
dom and strength to do this has passed into
history as patriot and hero. But he who
in attempting the role, Ito use a popular and
pointed sinile, "stands up so straight as to
fall over backwards" and lands on the Other
side-he has never in subsequent period:
been regarded as in any sense patriot or a
hero, or as exhibiting any trait worthy of the
emulation of the young. He is, in fact, ever
after generally regarded with suspicion by
both parties to the struggle which illustrated
his character, and passes by the name Of
traitor. And this is the category wherein the
names Of the great bulk of those who essay
the endeavors Of the patriot find final record.
We commend It to the attention OF certain
Republican leaders of the present hour as dis
closing the snares in wait for patriotic feet in
perilous times, that they may avoid the
dangers that beset' them.