The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-07-07
Heroism.
JOS. II. HossINGER.

There is no nobler trait in the
character of man than heroism, that
element of his being which leads
him to confront the greatest of dan
ger in his defence of what he be-
lievcs to he the right. 1t is with |
life as with winds that blow across
the horizon changing with every |
circumstance and every thought and
feeling. Now they leave clear sky,
beautiful and serene, now a storm
cloud gathers and casts gloom over
the landscape, and now hurricane
which rocks the earth with its pow
er. The time has not long since
passed when physical courage on
the part of our first settlers was
matter of necessity as with their
rude implements and limited know
ledge they subdued the wilderness
and made fertile the desert places
in the very presence of the hostile
savage. So it has been also in the
various conflicts that have taken
place in the history of our country.
But physical courage is not the only
evidence of heroism. The man who
conquers and governs himself is
quite as much hero under some
circumstances as he who faces the
arrow of the savage or the bullet of
the foe. He that is slow to anger is
better than the mighty and he that
ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh
a city. When the passions are held
in subjection they are harmless, but
when they bear sway over the minds
of men they subvert all truth and
beauty in the soul. An army in
time of peace encamped in the field
or parading the streets of a city is
harmless, but when pillaging the
city, or engaged in fearful conflict on
the battle field, it carries devasta-
ton to that city and leaves the field
barren waste, the passion of men,
like the waters of river, OCCASION
ally overflow their boundaries, and
the maddened waves rush furiously
on, carrying with them the seeds oi
destruction and ruin but the truly
heroic stem the tide, oppose the rag
ing element, and with resistess en-
ergy and child like faith that new
er falters stand firm until the flood
, subsidies and flows smoothly on in
its accustomed channel, leaving the
spirit so calm, 20 pure and so holy
that it seems transferred from earth
and its triumphs to heaven and its
glories. Men of ancient times die
not fight so fiercely and desperately
that their deeds of heroism nigh
be rewarded, but that they nigh
not be slaves. So men can only be
, come true men by being brave, and
boldly meeting the stern realities OF
life and every thing not in strict ac
cordance with the admonitions Of
the silent teacher within their bos
oms, and prosecuting energetically
what ever will conduce to the high
est good-to their greatest worth
j. Truth is the main essential to hero
ism no trait in human characte
, strengthens man more than that o
truth. Ifyou would have the rs
pect, confidence, and admiration o
Q all classes of people-be true. Tru'
5 heroism does not belong to maj
alone. No man in the humble
, sphere of life in which she preside
e rs queen, is often more Of here
t than the man who in the hurly-bur
ly of business and conflict with thu
y world assumes to be her superior,
Comelia was proud Of her sons
but the world has quite as great rct
, son to be proud of Comclia. n.
is it the most demonstmtive strit'
which makes the hero. The younI
men who in the flush of youth rusl
to battle are brave and heroic an,
: deserving of all the praise GU
country may bestow upon them
but the sainted mothers who will
hearts bleeding and eyes blinde'
/; with tears gave up their boys to til,
country with Il God bless you Il
!. parting were the greatest heroes q
: all. Who shall measure the depth
V of woe through which they passed
and who shall be able TO estimat
. the countless hours of suspens
e which hung over them like tn
? shadow of n cloud until the goo,
= news of peace came and their son
4 were restored to the arms. We al
t may be heroes even in the hum
e blest position of life. Life is rea
/ life is earnest. We may all stan
0 up in defense of the right. A clair
J., to heroism is not the exclusive righ
l of either the rich or the poor, of tn
e prince or the peasant, of either tn
king or the paupcr. 1t is the rigf