The New York herald., 1879-03-16
The Pedestrians and the Sea Going
Bcit.

England has her turn this time, and the
little Englishman will carry away the great
belt which he has honestly, fairly and
handsomely won. Perhaps he could have
won it against more troublesome competi-
tors but the ordinary citizen who would
not care to make five miles an hour for any
considerable number Of hours will deem
the gait good one when he finds by count
that the winner has made distance which
gives an average of within fraction OF five
miles an hour for every hour he has been on
foot these six days. At every stage OF It's
progress this match has awakened great
popular interest as piece Of sport and rs
an international contest, and there seems to
be almost an enthusiasm among the people
in this sort of exercise.
Every test of manhood commends itself
to the popular taste and excites in the
people at large an attention and interest
scarcely comprehensive to those immersed
in trade. In that class Of society which
presumes itself to possess the. he.intelligence
of the whole community, and to be superior
to the light humors of the many, the topics
of prime importance, the facts really worthy
to be known and studied, are-H How are
stocks? What is the price of silver in Lon.
don? Who will be the next Speaker? What
will California do about the Chinese? Who
will be the candidate of this or that party
for next President? Great topics enough
if you choose, but, after all, not SO SUI
premely different from the great COM
mon problem of the people Who is
the best man? But the people do not
limit their inquiry to occasions or circum-
stances, as the world of trade and finance
does Who is the best man to corner grain
in Chicago or gold in Wall street. or to
make up committees in the House-these
are conditional phases OF the problem in
which the people take no interest. But they
are perennially ready to be excited to the
highest stage by any new phase of the plain
topic, Who is the best man? What people
in the world produces the bone, muscle,
blood and nerve and combines them in the
happiest proportions to make the man who
can put down all competitors in fair test
that mimics some one of the great emergen-
cies OF lite? And it seems to US that this is
not an idle fancy, but that the people are
nearer to really important inquiry than
the merchants and bankers and lawyers,
with whom superiority is in the main
generally determined by some trickery.
For all history turns on the determine
ton of this very problem, on account of
their interest in which the light-minded
many seem to be reproached by the grave
and superior few. Not only do the great
issues of history turn on this point, but the
history of nations is all one continued and
stretched out trial of the superiority of
breeds of men in given circumstances; de-
terminations Of spirit and sts,saina, of nerve
and muscle, of sheer physical force, or of
the moral qualities that fit men to train
we'll, to take their discipline kindly, or of
the intellectual qualities by which they hit
upon new devices and continue new con-
ditions and new issues for the ceaseless
struggle. The manhood of three hundred
freemen. trainsi to combat. against
myriads Of pigmies bred in Eastern slavery,
that was the game they played at Their
mopyle. Roman manhood-the combina-
ton of the best physique, the best disci-
pline, and the most stable thought ruled the
world while that mbination was reality !;
and the horsemen from Central Asia swept
up to Vienna because the polluted races in
their path, fallen from ancient greatness,
were inferior in the simple attributes Of
manhood. As the grave direction Of human
destinie, seems to be CO nducted on princi-
pies adapted to determine an issue of man.
hood and of physical quality and endur-
ance it would be a somewhat ridiculous
proceeding to spend some five or ten years
of life in the study of results in history
and deem it idle in the crowd to be inter-
ested in tests of a similar nature tried be-
fore their eyes.
Pedestrian exercise as presented in the
conditions of the match just ended is a test
of quality, of temper and of tenacity OF pur-
pose or will that mingling OF mental and
moral elements which sportsmen cover so
happily in the one word game" Without
physical quality of the first order and of q
variety adapted to the occasion. and that
quality in condition fitted to stand the
last strain OF endurance that might be de-
manded, man had no business in this
race. 1t is simply temerity and bravado for
o man on the basis of n mere personal
opinion of his merits to enter conflict to
the requirements of which very SUPER
fetal inquiry could determine that he is
unequal. That Is not sport. 1t is line of
conduct born of vanity-and want OF wit.
Good temper--that easy nature aud tram
quill disposition, that buoyaat elasticity of
spirits which does not fritter away q mans
force in irritations or emotions, that
makes him docile and ready with those who
have to deal with him, makes him an easy
running, finely finished, we'll oiled ma