The Labor enquirer., 1886-03-20
would corrupt and destroy the fairest

form of civilization.
Sentiment in ali ages has been the
dominant power that has moved the
masses and Tayed the nations OF the
earth, leading them ofttimes to glory and
the grave. The manifestation of Senti-
ment as ruling passion seeking gratifi-
catiun has of course varied in character
and intensity, in the various stages of
human progress and evolution. Every
period ofhuman history has had its
special personifcation of the dominant
Sentiment of that age, the focalizatlon of
a dominant social Sentiment in some
one individual more that another, or in
special object such as statue, ensign.
banner or picture, becomes an inevitable
necessity of the human mind, because it
gives objectivlty or defni point to an
abstract idea, or impersonal principle,
that would otherwise be vague, lntangi-
BILE and seemingly delusive.
The idea and Sentiment of artistic
beauty, seeks realistic expression
through the agency of the brush, paint
and canvas. What would imaginative
or mental conceptions of mathematics
amount to practically without geometric
signs called figures A mere negative,
that's all. Therefore, to give realistic
expression to Sentiment, signs, symbols,
statuary, monuments, individuals, be-
come absolutely necessary. Sentiment
thus becomes per ionallzed, or individu-
allied, and is more effective.
Greenwood cemetery is not city of
the dead from truly sentimenta, ,tand-
point, for clustering around the sculp
tured monuments therein are the CEN
tered hopes and as irations of mans
affectional nature, expressed in the Senti-
ment of love and hope of immortality.
Sentiment, whether of low or high de-
gree, likewise finds expression, personi-
fcation and focalization as an objective
reality in some one individual more
than another, as circumstances and occa-
sion may require, to represent the social,
collective or dominant Sentiment of the
age. Individuality of lead becomes,
therefore. an absolute nece sity, aud is
associated with the law of progression
and evolution. Consequently we see that
in all past histories there have been
leaders of thought, and leaders of action
-"chieftains" represented the
aspirations, hopes, desires, passions,
loves, of their age, all of which in their
last analysis express but one or the same
thing-Sentiment or feeling.
Parnell, Gladstone, Garai aldi, Wash
ington, Jefferson, Paine and others, as
mere indivldualites, are no more tn n
otheri erindividualities intrinsically, but az
the social and collective personifcationf
of progressive sentiments of societary
reform, tbev become conspicuous central
figures of human history. The principle
of leadership in all movements must of
necessi Y be recognized, for the idea is as
indestructible as the science of geometry
on which it is based. The present i'm
perfect sentiment of the love of personal
artistic beauty is represented in the
leaders of the so. called world of fashion.
Alexander the Great and julius Caesar
NAV properly be considered as represent
ing the dominant Sentiment of the age
in which they lived. The martial spirit,
the love of glory, fame and conquest, as
the ruling passion in Caesars day, d
under its inspiration Rome became the
mistress of the world. But in accordance
with the law of evolution and the evrr
restless nature of man, the love of glory
and conquest failed to satisfy the needs
and demands of the progressive spirit of
the age.
And the power of Rome waned and
declined, until comparatively naught OF
the once mighty Rome remains, but the
sad ruins of her once magnificent tenn
Piles. Greece, the memories of whose
greatness still fingers in the affections of
the human race, loved better and more
wisely than Rome. She was dominated
by higher and nobler sentiment than
her sister Rome. She loved art, learn
ing and philosophy, but even the love
of these things, though pure and holy of
themselves, and deathless and lmmor-
tai in their nature, failed to fully satisfy
the ever changing desires of mans un-
satisfied loves; for the human mind is
g. constituted that man cannot be con-
tent with the treasures of art and phil
osophy alone, for they do not represent
the highest aspiration and attainment of
human sentiment. Consequently the
love of art and philosophy as domi-
nant sentiment or power waned and de.
clined, and the once famed glory of
Greece has departed; and to-day the
traveller wanders amidst the ruins of her
former greatness and splendor. But
gradually, as these sentiments subsidized
as dominent forces, there arose another
phase of human Sc timent-the love of
mystery and superstition. This senti-
ment, separated f. ON the light of sci
ence, reason and superior fintelligence,
and welded to ignorance, became the
dominant power that.ruled the nations
of the earth during the long night of the
middle ages. tits needless to dwell in
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