The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-06-28

We differ with Shakespeare on this
question. He is wrong in the begin
ming and ending, but right in the mid
die of his postulate upon greatness.
Men are not "born great" in this
country. That's mistake. Neither
is greatness thrust upon them.
Greatness don't lie around loose ready
to pounce on fellow by accident.
There is no such thing Us accidental
greatness. Accident may sometimes
open way to become great, but that's
all it does; it does not and cannot fur
nish the genuine ingredients. True
greatness wears natural crown ana
its thone is in the head. Men do
'achieve greatness, and this is the only
quality OF greatness worth having. But
unless the cerebral properties are Ia
vorable it will never be achieved. OPP
portunities don't bring it, accident
don't confer it. Take the case OF
Grant, the child of luck and golden
opportunities. Is he great The
higher he is pushed up on the scale
the palmer he shows his imbecility.
All the accidents and opportunities in
the world could not fasten any great
ness upon him. And take the case OF
the Vicksburg Herald. That paper
has recently moved out on a line OF
greatness. 1t seems to have succeeded
in satisfying its on conscience that 1t
had "achieved greatness" and to be
now resting in that comfortable delu-
sion. But is the Herald great We
do not deny that the accident OF its
location and the opportunities afforded
it give it the chance to become great.
But is it great ? That is the question.
We recognize greatness in the New
York Herald because that paper not
only commands great income and
has great run, but it is among the
very few journals of the United States
that can afford and dares to occupy u
lofty plain of patriotism and states
manship above parties, and indepen-
dent of them. 1t can and does,
upon suitable occasions, condemn any
party OF sustain any party without the
loss of power, Its influence is immense
because it has the world for an audi
ence and its views are not dwarfed by
the necessity of sustaining or condemn
ing this or that party. Instead OF be-
ing weather-cock a1d following the
popular current, as many unthinking
men allege, it has the moral audacity to
plant itself in the very middle of the
most turbulent current and to say to
the angry element, peace, be still"
1t does not follow, but it leads public
sentiment. 1t does not drift, but it
opens the channel for the current
to run in. The New York Herald is,
therefore, great paper-great in re-
sources of mind and money, great in
scope, great in power. But the Vicks-
burg Herald is not great like its New
York namesake. In material force, on
the financial point, in the extent of its
auditory, and its intellectual, physical
and financial capacity to stand alone,
it is not equal to the New York Herald.
1t seems to have developed, however,
an embryonic conception of greatness
in its newly asserted independence of
parties. 1t is on the road to greatness,
but can it travel like its great New
York prototype? We think not. We
think there are many obstacles in the
way of the journey, Atal! events we do
not consider That the country is in duty
bound to recoa nize the claims of the
V. B. Herald to greatness simply upon
its own assertion. Greatness can't be
built on individual assertion.