St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-27
THE LESSON or A LIFE.

HCHlDIdHCe fsdllnS, CAD-O.
At the Wendell Phillips memorial services
at fremont temple, George Williams Curtis
spoke thus: ''To no act of his, to no private
advantage sought or gained; to no use of
his mastery powers, except to promote pur-
poses which he believed to be essential to the
public welfare, could they ever point who
charged him with base motives or person al
endsn
The constant aim of bible writer's is to
paint human character in such vivid col
ors, and with such a perfect outline that
mankind may not be mistaken in its identi-
ty, and may be assured that in gaining it
they will find success and happiness.
SOlomon's proverbs abound in maxims
regarding the worth and beauty of character.
GA good name is rather to be chosen than
great riches" ''and good name is better
than precious ointment" he said Christ
pronounced blessings upon the pure in
heart the merciful and peacemakers. Paul
continually eXhorted believers to strive to be
blameless, and Peter taught the early Christ
ians to add to faith, virtue, knowledge, tenn
perance, patience, goodness, brotherly kind
ness and charity.
From the commandments given to Moses,
which laid the foundation for all character,
to the perfecting spirit of Christ's teachings
in His New Commandment, the beauty and
glory of life are shown to consist in charac-
ter. The New Testament gives clear pic
ture of a character ''without guile;' and Just
so far as any one can reach that ideal can he
be considered successful.
Wendell Phillips is dead, and the only part
of him that the grave could not cover was
the character he left as the embodiment of
his life. Whether he held high positions or
no; whether he was surrounded by the roses
and lilies of life, or walked on thorns mat
tiers nothing now to him or us, the only ques-
ton we need ask is, what lesson may be
drawn from his work that will help and en-
courage us in the difficult tasks set before US?
What clue did he hold that we can grasp to
guide US through the labyrinth of doubt and
temptation that lies before every soul
Such lessons, and such clue are more val
liable because the same principles underie
all characters. Antigone in Sophocles saws:
1.-THE divine commands are not of YESTERDAY
or to-day. no, they live without end,' and
as character is the result of obedience to
those commands, there can be nothing acct
dental or unforeseen in the work The I'M
DERIVING strength of Wendell Phillips life
was his devotion to truth. No thought
of deceit, no faint of moral cowardice clung
to him. He dared to seem the man he was.
"The inner substance and the outer face"
all kept in exact harmony. Perfect integri-
rity, loyal adherence to truth distinguished
every word and action.
The same inlexible law of strict truthful
ness must govern all genuine character.
Truth is the keystone of the arch and if it
has been left out in the building the work is
untrustworthy and unsafe.
We do not estimate this fact at its proper
value. Deceit is the curse of our civilization.
We strive. to seem the character our ac-
quaintances and society will admire, regard
less of the means we employ. We are too
cowardly to be natural, which means truth
full, and so we shuttle and prevaricate, and
teach our children and employees to be false
and treacherous: and go on building, like
the foolish man of the scriptures, upon the
sand.
Be sure no man need cherish the faintest
hope of salvation through Christ who is ca
liar. The Bible says 'Lying lips are an
abomination unto the Lord,'' and that the
Lord hates lying lips; and again ''Whoso-
ever loveth and maketh lieu shall not en-
ter into the holy Jerusalem
Another reason why Wendell Phillips
''bore the white banner of his manhood"
unstained through all his fierce battles with
inhumanity under every guise, was that he
his foes. equal freedom for all men of
whatever race" was his war-cry, and he did
what he could in a loyal heroic way to make
it victorious.
Faithful throughout all things; faithful to
daily duty; faithful to unpopular truth;
faithful to God and humanity he was always,
but he never made any conditions with in
justice.
The would be reformers of to-day can take
lesson from this prince of reformers and
agitators, that may produce better results
than all Ithe Blowhards have ever accom-
plished. "To compare great things with
SMALL" let our temperance leaders, who ex-
alt their intentions of fighting on the line of
no compromise with intemperance, stand by
their colors, and not, for the sake of revenge
on personal enemy, throw temperance and
honor to the winds, and strike hands with
the scum of the streets, roughs tainted with
Jail, workhouse or prison.
Men who buster and Drag of what they