Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-19
English People,
IBy DR.. T. B. Robinson.l

people. lHey Have DCCn III CIIlOol
in every era of progress. They
have been the handspring and
pendulum of the steady advance
ment of mankind for thousand
years. They have been the lead
ers Of the human race. They have
raised men from primitive life to
present culture. Other people
have ebbed and flowed and vascil-
lated in human progress but the
English have gone right On. Ma
tons rose and fell and left no trace
but ruined walls and sod covered
relics while Englands march has
never halted. The Saxon blood of
Alfred was pumped with vigor-
Gus heart and it fed the bone and
sinew Of future national greatness.
The fierce conflict at Runnymede
between King John and the Mobiles
was but slight exponent of rising
strength and power. Liberty was
born with the English. Their
heaven has been ever blue with
freedom. They have nursed and
nourished liberty from childhoods
weakness to manhoods strength
and their sun of liberty has never
set but rose like a great hope.
Spontaneity of action was born
in English brain. They first gave
the full value to individual man.
This individual freedom has been
the source of unmeasured advance
ment. A good illustration of the
force of individual liberty and
progress, that comes from it,
may be seen in the influence
of the free assertions of Luth-
er in Germany though at the
risk of his life in a country and at
a time when individual- opinion
must agree with national heads.
There were, probably, many equal
ly strong men as Luther but they
did not chose or dare to assert
liberal opinions at variance with
establishments. But there grew
more and more with Englands
greatness, strong and liberal tim
bers who asserted themselves free
ly. All this tended to intensity
individuality and increase the
rights of man. To-day England
is the foremost nation in liberty of
action, freedom of thought and
individual rights. The English
language, the best handmade of
reason on the face of the earth
contains higher ideal of physical
and moral progress than any other
tongue. When men have learned
it they become better citizens and
abide better by moral laws. When
good, progressive people are CD
served it will be recognized that
they have good and progressive
laws for only good people can
have good laws. The highest law
of mankind is the moral law. Let
this highest law be examined and
it will be found that the English
possess it in higher degree than
any other nation in Europe. This
is an incontrovertable fact. What
is ment here by moral law is the
idea of right and wrong, the ethics
of mans relation to his fellow, the
science sociology, in short the
golden rule. This law recognizes
as a fact, that all men are born
equally free and that they have
equal rights in the pursuit Of
happiness and power. 1t asserts
that woman is equal with man and
tacitly frames methods for her
moral and physical protection.
This is English in origin. The
English have always been truth
full nation. They have been a race
whose assertions have generally
agreed with facts. Some have died
at the burning stake to prove that
they were truthful. Death was
chosen rather than lying. There
are several tests of national truth
fitness. One of the best is a
nations novels. The authors re-
present the cultured part of the
people and write what is counte-
nanced by the masses. The authors
of English novels have not allow
ed their heroes and heroines to lie
to escape punishment but noticably
they compel them to stick to the
truth regardless of results. A
typical English, theatrical audience
will not laud liar or thief in his
success. Their silence condemns
him. Shakespeare and George
Elliot are the best examples of
truthful English novelists. They
have written conscientiously truth
full to human nature. If untruths
have occurred it has been an error
of judgement The French and
some other nations novelists will
allow their heroes and heroines to
be, to prevaricate, to deceive, to tell
part truths in order to escape pun
ishment or to accomplish desires.
Another test of nations truthful
pacc &c theatrical ,o1oyc The