Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-12-11
THE Campaign,
M q
[From Tie WaOerley Progress, by J. l..
LoDeE, D. d., Editor

LODGE, ID. d., Editor.
The present article will close our review
OF this celebrated poem. Nothing in thl
world is perfect fortunate for all If an,
real merit lies in given action to minimize
or gain pardon for the inwrought evil o.
weakness unavoidable. P0etico Hcentia mus
atone for errors graver than those la gram
mar; rhetoric as often illustrates calm ra.
tiocination and prevents judgment as il
soothes the ear and delights the taste. Ia
the lines following high fown extravaganza
will not endure the test of historical or prac
tical analysis:
- With native freedom brave
The meanest Briton scorns the highest slave
1t is assumed that Addison has only the
English people in mind, II being altogether
unlikely that either Caledonia or Erin would
be included in such vaulted praise. Love
o. cou ntry is more than virtue-it 10 the
sum Of very large class Of virtues. Some
thing, too, may be pardoned the enthusiast
who vapors of the Incompatible advan.
tages, privileges, honors, destiny of the
land of his birth and the government under
which he lives. Our own conscience is ten
| der on this point, fer we have a terminating
recollection that when boy with tongue
and pen we let off many q silly sky
rocket about "this glorious Union," "the
land Of the free, the home of the
brave" etc, dd nduseam. But much will
be forgiven extreme youth. Every man
ought to be privileged to be fool at one
period of his life. History, however, which
is not supposed to be composed by novices,
and whose only real and proper use Is to
preserve just and exact statements Of fact
for the education, inspiration, or warning of
unborn generations. should be as rigidly
impartial as the hand that holds the bal.
ances of justice. In every case, but spe j..
cially In that of the historian, the advice in
The Odyssey should be needed;
On god or mortal to obtrude lie
Forbear, and dread to flatter as TO die.
But our astute poet, who already descries
the "tide in the affairs of men which, taken
at the flood, leads on TO fortune" decides TO
leap upon the influx OF opportunity and
abide by quite other than the Homeric coun
sci. 1t will suit him better and pay well,
too, to practice the philosophy of Corporal
Bunting, indicated by Bulwer Lytton, in
Eugene Aram )" "You see, sir, there's one
thing we learn alore all other things in
the world-,o butter bread. knowledge
OF others means only knowledge of
which side breads buttered. In short, sir,
the wiser, we grow, the more we take care
of ourselves"
The student of English history can hardly
accept the phrase "native freedom" as any.
thing but mere puffery. For centuries kings
and barons tyrannized over their persons
and pilaged their substance, without stimu-
lating TO that desperation of courage which
wrested from John the first concessions lead
ing to partial liberty. Spasms OF native
freedom" as in the time OF the first Charles,
ran into regcide, followed by fanaticism run
m a sn sain IN
the high handed oppression and exactions
Of the restored exile Charles H., when the
Cromwelian protectorate had lived out its
briel course; or misconceived ideas of "a
triotism banished rghtful line of kings 10
welcome strangers TO the English throne.
Several nations-DOtdbly Greece, Ireland,
and France-demonstrated under equally
desperate conditions, II thousand times the
unconquerable instinct and passion for Tree
government; Ireland not having once given
up the struggle, but to this day tugging at
the chains her tyrants with native freedom"
running in their veins perslstently rivet
upon her limbs. Mores the shame that
now, enjoying the very best form of gov
ernment yet devised for an enlightened ma
ton, with "native freedom brave" England's
poor victim may not have the boon which,
whether the best thing for her or the worst
is the inherent right Of civilized men. That
a republic Is best or even possible for Brazil
Is a debatable matter; but disinterested
minds concede that country's Ttghf to make
the experiment, though it end in anarchy,
TO be cured by return TO the form monarch!-
cal. Modern times have not afforded more
shining example of all that constitutes true
nobility and sublime courage than the Scot
tish people who demanded only the right TO
live among and love their wild hills and
har boa fl,o. thf,a oil fab 1f hat
same "native freedom brave" from Edward
10 Anne filled their mountain gorges with
blood and their poor cro.ts with desolation.
Wallace and Bruce, in marble or Ia dust,
will forever testify TO the invaders lust
The iniquitous opium trade, forced upon
the Indian Empire to enrich this nation of
shopkeepers, illustrates her "native freedom"
TO make money out of the debauched bodies
and ruined soul 8 of her worse than slaves.
England has always been eager TO free the
slaves, provided the slaves belonged to some
other nation. She is not without associates
in duplicity, and together they stand the
most egregious and intolerabe hypocrites
the world has ever seen. The darkest feature
in their meanness is the blasphemous asser-
ton OF the Divine appreciation of their
thievery; for, as Thackeray says, in "The
Newcomes," There is some hypocrisy OF
which one does no. like even TO entertain
the thought; especially that awful false
hood which trades with divine truth, and
takes the name of Heaven in vain" A bout
1776, "native freedom brave" was ru nnng
very high--in Americ0. In '6l-'65, it was
running very high again. In the first in
stance, all the power OF England and her
hired Hessians was evoked to- crush it out.
In the second, the bare and unchanged policy
of England dictated neutrality till she saw
that the stronger side WAS bound TO win.
"Native freedom?" Bosh
A thousand glorious actions, that might
claim
Triumphant laurels and immortal fame,
Confus'd in crowds of glorious actions lie,
And troops Of heroes undistinguish' d die.
This beautiful and truthful sentiment calls
forth at the same instant regret and joy
Grief that heroic action goes unappauded,
either because it fails Of observation, or,
seen, the actor is deemed too obscure to
merit notice. This world takes note Of in
sigma, not men. The shoulder-strap is itself
a mute demand for distinction, for obse
quious attention. What il will d0 on the
field Of battle it is not required 10 answer
Joy we experience, because we know, with
Emmerson, that greatness once and forever
has done with opinion" IL needs it not
Greatness is original. IL depends not upon
antecedents~ 1t consults not cOntempora
ries. Genuine worth is self born, seli-nur-
tured, by its own energy, creating forms OF
expression perfected before their issue, in
sublmated Thought 1t must disregard
opinion because superior TO opinion. God
laughs at the tool who thinks he could have
improved upon the universe. The great
man pities and contemns the view taken of
his actions by the pulling pack in the marsh
es who cast dust at him on the mountain
top There is no law forbidding the dog
TO bay at the moon. The dead heroes who
fill up the bitches have glory for their wind
ing sheet-they were not more than heroes
though their names we're cut in marble or
in brass
TO this present purpose, we forgive Marl.
borough much for his keen perception OF
this eternal fact. Having noticed the ex-
emplary bravery ofa common soldier taken
prisoner, he said Isl ton nsattTe 0oait beau.
coup de s0lddts conane t0i, il serGit tnosncs5le"
If your master had many soldiers like
NON hn uunrid ha iav nj nrihla NIp ma ao1f