St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-03
AMER 1cAN AoH1EvEMENr.

The present is fast age, and the
American nation is leading the process
sion. Iiie accomplishments of the cent
ury now about drawing to close have
far exc eeded in their Importance to the
human race those of any like period
since the world began. 1t has been an
era OF discovery, of invention, of indus
try and Of progress. The race, emanci-
pated from The shackles that had for
ages bound it to tradition and supersti-
ton, has at one bound attained to de-
gree of perfection undreamed of by the
most optimistic of philosophers. And
in the march of progress the Yankee
nation has led all the rest.
The preeocity of American genius and
enterprise is the wonder of the age. A
human want is no sooner felt than sup
piled. Ocean navigation was revolu-
tionized by the invention of the steam
boat; cities far separated have been
made near neighbors by means of rail-
roads; continents and oceans are trav-
ersed by electricity so that the inhabi-
tants of the farthermost parts of the
earth can hold personal converse with
each other; the electric spark dissipateS
the darkness of the hemisphere, and
time and distance are obliterated.
Whatever the American finds TO do he
does with his whole might. Cities
spring up from the forests or the plains,
and within the span of single genera
ton surpass in magnificenee, grandeur
and commercial Importance the capitals
of the old world that it has required
ages to construct. Rome was not built
in day, it is said. The fact is due to
the absence of American pluck from
the seven hills when the ancient capital
of the world was projected. Had a
Yankee been in the place of Romulus,
the splendors of that seat of the Caesars
would have oyershadowed the world far
sooner than they did.
eff tits done tits we'll 'twere done
quickly" is the motto of the American.
An idea once conceived is executed with
the rapidity of thought. 1t took Chi
cago but few months to rear the
White City, which recently was the adj
miration of the world, and all its mag
nificence has vanished within few
weeks. 1t was story of the Arabian
Nights practically told, and illustrates
the indomitaDle pluck of our people as
perhaps no other modern instance has
done. In the same city university that
should eclipse all institutions of learn
ing in the world was planned. The
first dollar for its erection was donated
less than three years ago, but today it is
in successful operation in all its depart
ments, with faculty composed of the
ablest educators in the world and an
attendance reaching up into the thou
sands, and the institution endowed by
many millions of dollars.
But with all their pluck, with all their
contempt for the obstacles that nature
has thrown in the way of progress, the
Am orleans lack in persistence and con.
tinuity of purpose. and they lack in
thoroug hness. Our scholars are ac-
complished, and ofttimes brilliant, but
the majority of them fail in the respect
Of depth. They enter upon investiga-
tions, but do not pursue them to their
legitimate conclusion. They reach
conclusions and declare them. They
are generally right, but are not demon.
strabie from any recognized course of
reasoning. Our inventors attain re-
suits; sometimes they cannot tell how,
and they do not care so long as the re-
suits are visible. They reason by intui-
ton rather than by induction. They
can seldom explain the process by
which they have attained their ends;
they are satisfied with having bent the
forces of nature to their purpose. Proc.
esses of reasoning are too slow for the
American. He leaves those for his
more phlegmatic brother in Germany.
who can take attained results and
adduce from them the laws that govern
force.
Our lays and governmental system
are largely the outgrowth of expert
ment. Few among our statesmen have
views of finance or taxation based upon
a thorough knowledge of those systems.
Few have that intimate knowledge of
economic conditions that in other co I'm
tries is regarded as Indispensable to
the wisest legislation on those subjects.
They are content with superficial I'M
derstanding of the subject. and jump at
conclusions. If those conclusions hap
pen to be wise. we'll and good; if other
wise, the laws are amended to suit the
contingencies. Ultimately satisfactory
results may be attained. but during the
experimental stage there is often con-
fusion and contention, resulting in bust
ness uncertainty and disaster. Their
motives are unquestioned; the means
they employ are often mistaken.
What the American nation Is most In
need of is continuity of purpose-a pa
tient working out of problems accord
ing to the laws that govern all things
human Rut this faculrv will cnmo In