Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-08
JACKSON AND LEE.
A Striking Peroration.

/ Hoge's recent lecture in Charlestown
on "Opportunities-their Want and
Waste" together with the extract i'm
mediately preceding and leading IN to
II.
In beauty OF conception and grace OF
diCtiOn, it will compare favOrably with
the best specimens to be found IN the
standard books OF OratOry. Concluding
his lecture, Judge HOge said:
you may well be spared the in
stances and examples 10 be drawn from
every life around Us to prove, If proof
be necessary, the criminal waste of OPP
pOrtunity which belongs TO each OF
them. Their abundance would confuse
rather than enlighten. Indeed, it would
be no pleasant office for you, for me, for
any one, To turn over the pages OF our
brothers experience and read record
sacred To the memory which preserves
H. Not intruding then upon
that which should be inviOlate, it is
enough for our purpose, tonight, TO IN
woke that retrOSpeCtlOn with which
Thought and her shadOwy brood re-
call the past; and, asking ii our steps
have not led us, at least to the TIRES
hold of an impressive and practical
truth, leave the question To the unut-
tered answers of your own hearts. Be
srleS. no necessity cOnstrainS us 10 look
% the varied and unequal experiences
of our individual lives for whatever
demonstration We may need. As | have
SAID, all aggregates are made up OF units;
and So the aggregated records OF lndl-
yidugl conduct are digested into that
grand summary Of them all which We
know as history. Upon its full trcasu-
~ We may draw for proof or illustration
with certainty that every demand will
be honOred.
No name, which the nations have
united 10 honor, is 50 great that 1t may
claim exemption from the precept which
would bring it before us. No power so
imperial; no sword 50 successful; no
pen sO mighty, that we might not sum-
mon them, however remote and obscure
the era Of which they would speak.
The experiences of the ages are subjects
of our command and q word is witness
waiting % bear testimony -
might. eliminating some prominent eX-
ampIrs. teaching by which History Is
said 20 become Philosophy, Law them
before YOU i'm all the strength of their
impresSiyeneSs; but why stir the mould
which lies upon the sunken graves OF
the past? Never was a present more
eIouuCut I'm its lessons TO any age or
generation than il 5 To us whose for
tune it has been to make, rather than
read. history. The very mountains
which horizon your valley still echo to
the utteranCe OF great events as they
were recorded. Recall We nothing Of
all that has passed before our own eyes,
I'm rapid and terrible reality, yet Ike the
phautomS OF some dreadful dream,
which can teach us how Criminally and
fatally opportunities have been wasted =?
Who NAV forget the hour when a word
of wisdom, fifty spoken, would have
IiSpcrsed the gathering clouds OF civil
strife and rolled back the red tide OF
advancing war? And yet no lips were
wise enough and bold enough to syllable
IL. An. craftsmanship then lost its OPP
uurtunitv. Who does not remember
when Grcek'hai Joined Greek in the fierce
lock of inevitable conflict, how from
Carrick's Ford to Gettysburg-irom
VirkSburg 10 neutrality-suspicious.
after opportunity was lost until the end
came and conquered people lay bleed
iug-Hke Caesar dead at the base OtPom-
uev'S Statue-irOm needless and super
iluOus wounds Alas. II
avails nothing to awake thesememorieS,
save 10 swell the long catalogue OF vast
rt opportunities.
And vet this recent history Is not
without its brilliant examples To teach,
NOT only ourselves and our children, but
the wide intelligence of an admlrlng
world. with what results, To the honor
of "a name and the glory OF a people, OPP
u1rtunitieS may be seized and wrought
into the reality of great deeds the menu
urv of which Is undying.
As speak, there comes to us the
name of one. cuology of whom, to your
ears. at least, could never seem eNuber-
amt or exaggerated. No chance or pos
,ibiI,tv of war escaped his keen pcrcep-
fiuu. mo- opportunity of successful con-
Hfrf cludrd his watChiul purpose and
rraIy execution. But yesterday, rs It
were thr drvout and simple professor
filled tine humble measure OF obscure
dirty i'm one of our schools; to-day, a
world houors with the immortality OF It's
united praise the great SOLDIER OF or
rurrUNIrY. / need not speak ms name
here and i'm this presence; nor Will II
need storicd urn ormOuumental bronze
to pcrpctuate It's memory throughout
an the coming years.
Permit me 10 turn one leaf more OF
I.r
is mo- LONGER of war Defeat had been
ruuub.ed. Even disaster had been IL
umiucd 10y the Splendor Of the resist
ancc which had So long postponed IT..
Submission to inevitable necessity had
N.cu crowned with lofty and imposing
dignity. What them Ii was hard 10
abandon the dreams of four years; 70
surrender the hopes which had neryed
fLrarm for battle or chcered tine solitary
sadness of the bivoUac; TO turn the
hand, which had just graSped the sabre,
to the homelv plough; or tread the long
burrows of the COrntield with the step
which had kept time 10 the march oil
victorious legiouS. They who had 50
often been borne far into the front ranks
uf war found IL no easy duty To hang mp
their bruised arms and return 10 the
uuiet pursuits whose mOnOtony was
frightened by no gleam OF hopeful pat
riotism. To such men came the dangers
| OF hoplesSncSs, OF despair, OF wretched
| and aimleSS lives But voice was
heard-thc voice Of the great Captain;
NOT i'm its Wontcd tone of high command
/ but uttering the words OF urgent,
anxious and atfeCtionatec counsel. Hear
I inc il. the sullen reluctance with which
I tine hand chung to the weapon 1t had
worn so long, gave way; the listleness,
which had succeeded the fever-stimulated
effort. kindled into energy; and the
heroes of a hundred battles arrayed
themselves for the STRIFE which peace
hath, no less than war. This was the
opportunity of the proud cd leader to
/ cheer his comrades once more. \ re-