Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-06-17

clared much that is valuable; but it
is as if he were a John the Baptist,
making straight the paths for
new Messiah or the very Messiah
of a new order himself, bearing the
gospel of New England to a people
made over by our eastern brethren.
Mr.. Atkinson is an able and patrlo-
tic citizen of whom we may be wei
willing to learn methods, facts, and
to gain such light as a man OF his
lofty character and pure purposes
NAV afford. We have much to learn
from many quarters and who in this
world has not? 1t were ignorance
and provincialism to complain OF
him. If we were conscious OF our
own history, confident of our own
powers, going forward with man
iy self-reliance, we would not have
to complain at all. We should COM
plain of ourself that we are too prone
TO allow these claims. Too many OIL
our own people are expecting what
a western journal calls "the north
ernization'' of the South. 1t will
be sad day for America when any
community of American people
shall be found so plastic as to De
thus moulded by any other commu-
nity. We should complain OF our
selves that we study the history OF
all the world and neglect our own.
In our own past we may lmDlDe
seIf-consciousnesS and manly eOnfi-
denee in our own powers far supe-
rior to our rself-assertiveness and pro-
vincial braggadocio.
Far from learning in this a new
sectionaiism, such studieS Will teacn
a new national spirit, breadth ana
liberality. 1t is only the conscious
Iy strong, great and noble are broad,
| liberal and true. 1t is the weak ana
hesitating, those who lack selt-con-
fidence and self-respect, are marrow. :.
suspicious and provincial. Our own
future will never open up grandly
| before us until we know ana 1eel
that it is comprehended In our own
past. None can conceive hgheF
aims for us than we have conceived
for ourselves. Go to our own hlsto,-
nv and learn that you have planned
as erandly, as highly, and as noDly
as any portion of the American peo-
ple. Read it in the works of Jetter-
son. 1t may be found in the writ
inos and public career of Calhoun
and i'm his plans for rail connections
and Improvement of our great IN
land sea-" the Mississippi" You
will find it in the grand conception
of jefferson Davis, the protector o.
the transcontinental rail way, or al
least. the man who labOred mos
efiectually and assidiously for lt'
success. The views of the. homes
and able, but Grabbed and cross
grained, true Bourbon, ToomDs
may be read with profit. You ma.
!. study the subject in the pages OF De
Bow and all along the RECORDS 0
that splendid line of southern com
mercial conventions which hav'
never been excelled, if they haV'
been eaualled, in America for thor
Ough theoretical and practlca
thought, and discussion. In III
record of these conventions may D
found ably, clearly and ,praetlcaii. !.
presented every projected enterprlz
. of to-day, tranScOntinental lines
communication with Mexico by raj
j steamship lines, trade with SPANS
America. the Tehauntipec railway
> the Isthmus canal, the Florida ca
, nal. manufacturing and agriculture
Improvement, all that we are nov
i realizing, clearly and practically SC
out. They could not rise aDoy
, themselves, or that slavery Whici
! although it wrought we'll in its day
q had o1tlived its day of usetuines
y and Law upon the land as leade
: clog upon progress. They could ne
. rise above that sectiOnaliSm Whic
went with slavery. Because OF tn
/, they could not realize what they 6
: grandly conceived. Neither OF
o own necessities nor the wisdom
!. others have taught us any materl;
9 aim our own history does not r.
: cord our own previous conception
: Tn educational work. in manuia
' turing, i'm every field, our own PEI
3 ple have given this assurance, th9
/, they are worthy citizens OF IN
!, American republic. We have plal
ned grandly in peace, beneath IL
o weight of slavery, when it had d
g come an economical curse anu
i clog; we have put forth superh'
!. man energies in war, in the nel'
q in providing the munitions OF w;
# and the means of living; we hay
y endured grandly in peace. III
% weight of slavery removed, our o.
g plans have bloomed out and go
. to glorious fruitage. :,
N + am earnest in this, tor, II
W have not conceived these things Y
3 shall never realize undreamt
% dreams. Our present is bearing fru
a because we have sown the seed. III
child enfolds all the fol ces which
70 found i'm the nature OF men. IN
A. which is not in the one will nev
in enter into the other. That peop
q for whom no light CLEANS in I!
5. West can see no glory OF the suhri
of in the East. No past, no lutul
r. Much we must learn, much gain
Iv from our thriftier and more a
n yanced neighbors, from their iarg
ne experience. We may look an
n where for the accidental; the esse
n tial we must have within OurselV'
10 or we shall never acquire 1T. NO
IN can give us character, native Vig'
70 force. will, the stubborn texture, |
no steely fibre of GRAND MANHOo
vo If we do not make ourselves &C
of scious of these we cannot effective
II. nse them, Know thyself," a
he know thy work." are demand
an of communities as well as indiV
nails. We must recognize TIT
nd things, not as the ignorant prov
,rs ciaI who despises the world beyo
mr. his valley home because he kno
no nothing of it T.; but with the 8
in. esteem of the man who reco&nl
al both his own manhood and, to
act full the manhood, virtues and gt
,at qualities of his neighbor. The N
eli who sees no good in himself s
ks none anywhere. and the same
we true of communities. Slavery de
he sectionalism at an end, in the lar
, II life of the nation and full fellows
to with the world we are realizing
of dreams of our own earlier y0r
ast If becomes us to know that we HI
nd dreamed such dreams. 1t behoo
wn MS to read that page which is Il
,rn almost a sealed book although
the show by our works some dim {
ma seriousness of its contents.
vas Out OF that past and out OF
I'VE struggle which came to unsettle
ned destroy only TO correct and re-es
ION lish. have come the openings
of new era and the beginnings
nm new progress, We are yet i
faat transition stage from the old lile
to the woods, the happy, easy, ial
avs feet life of a community ones
10 and devoted to. a few objects,