The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-10-16

The Elements q Greatnsss In statssman
shlp.

I'M ENSlTv AND DEVOTION.
The Elements q Grsatnsss In ststssma.-
SHY.
II one were asked to state in q phrase
the principal elements of greatness in
craftsmanship. the qualities which en-
able a man to grasp the emotions. pas
sions, desires of mankind and mold them
to q purpose, the answer would proba-
bly, be INTENSITY and devotion" TIE
devotion may be to self, to party. TO
country or to principle = which last
named object, properly considered. in
cludes all the rest-but no matter what
the object. there must be devotion. read
mess to die for the cause. or send others
to death. regardless of consequences to
the individual. and these sub-qualities,
so to speak, carry with them the idea
of intensity. which is . sort of sublime
egotism. belief that the welfare of q
people depend upon the breath of one
man. At least that is one phase of the
devotion referred to. The very great
est of men have been enabled to see q
little further; but most of the great
men who have nodded States have died
in the hrm belief that their death would
throw the wheels of progress out of gear.
Richelieu's last signing ejaculation.
'.Poor France" was of this character,
and Cavour spoke in similar fashion.
Dying, full of sins as man could be-
from the preachers point of view-when
surrounded by priests who were urging
him to accept The last offices of the
church, he turned impatiently. saying:
s.Pray not for me, pray for Italy!" He
had created Italy; made a Homogeneous
mass out of the most heterogeneous ele.
ments; subdued the most refractory
spirits; melted all opposition from within
and without in the fires of his own in
tense devotion; perilled his salvation;
pleged his soul as stake in the great
game he was playing, and, diving when
in sight of the object of his labOrs. he
felt no surety of its permanent possess
sion. ''Pray not for me. pray for Italy!"
and Cavour died, while Italy lives and
grows in strength in the spirit which.
evoked by poets and adventures, found
field for its development through the
labors of the statesman.
And there is much wisdom to be gain
ed from even 3 casual glance at the clos
ing scenes in the lives of the great SOL
diers of the Senate. In the last century
there fell . man of the kind. whose
death was the most dramatic, as his life
had been the most extraordinary. in the
annals of England. William Pitt, Earl
of Chatham, was one of the few Eng
lish statesmen who had the sense to I'M
derstand and the courage to oppose the
war which severed England from the
richest of her American colonies and led
to the establishment of the greatest,
proudest and most powerful republic
known to the worlds history. Of him.
as of all great men, many stories are
current-One of them brought fresh to
my mind BY the refusal of Gladstone to
be shelved in the House of Peers. When
Pitt accepted the Earldom of Chatham
and left the turmoil of the Commons
for the placid dignity of the Lords. it
was Chesterfield who said of him that
he had 'tallen up stairs" But the ma
jesty of his mental powers shoDe forth
even in that enfeebling atmosphere
He opposed the taxation of the Amer
lean colonies with all the vigor of his
matchless eloquence; denounced the war
against them in memorial language:
"You may ravage." said he, "yOu can
not conquer; it is impossible. You can
not conquer Americans. might as well
talk of driving them before me with
this crutch;" and he lifted up the wood
en- support which his infirmities
had rendered necessary. And then. on
day still more memorable. when the
disastrous war had about come to an
end, he raised his voice once more against
what he conceived to be an ignominious
peace. He came down to the House to
make his last speech, worn, bent, almost
lifeless with disease. His eve shone,
however, with the fire that had often
quelled opposition. and he commenced,
saying: II thank God have been en-
abled to come here this day to perform
my duty, and to speak on a subject
which has so deeply impressed my mind.
am old and infirm; have one foot
more than one foot-in the grave. am
risec from my bed to stand up in the
cause of my country-perhaps never
again to speak in this House." And
then he reviewed the history Of the
struggle, reminded his hearers OF the
disastrous results he had prophesied.
and added: so it proved" In s. few
minutes he sank into the arms of those
near him. and spoke no more. The scene
is grandly commemorated in COpley's
great paintiDg.-6. Louis Gtsbe Demo