The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-06
TEE VANITY OF GREATNESS.

General Lew Wallace is seeking to
have twenty-five American names de-
clared immortal by an act of congress.
This will appear TO most people a novel
proposition. In country where the
most humble citizen may rise to the
highest rank, and where actual worth j:
the only passport to greatness, it would
seem superfiuous to pass law cannon.
izing or immortalizing twenty-five OF
any other number of names. There
may be doubts, in the first place. about
the capability of the Fifty-third con
gress to designate the names worthy OF
this honor. From its make up, and
! gagged by its conduct thus far, we
might conclude it was better qualified to
determine the quality of whisky or
horse flesh than to pass upon the merits
of Americas great men. In this respect
General Wallace may have chosen well
he selected his congress. If condensed
| ignorance and human credulity are
factors necessary to the enactment Of
such law, ne has waited wisely, and it
behooves him to strike while the iron is
hot.
1t is not explained in preamble or
otherwise how twenty-five men may
enjoy the boon of immortality without
the consent of, at least, majority OF
the people who read and think. Two
or three hundred men, even backed by
the hereditaments of power, would be
assuming great risk to pass upon such
question without first submitting it to
popular vote. Everything goes by ma
jorities in a republic where the people
rule. There is imminent danger. too,
that such a law would interfere with
the aspirations Of deserving men who
are to come after us.
The list might be extended, it is true,
but time and events might extend it to
such proportions as to rob the generals
original roster of twenty-five Of its lustre
and significance. A fitting object lesson
might be taken from the too liberal be-
stowal of ID. d. and L. L. d. on too large
class of mediocre citizens, as has been
done in late years. Honors, like ma
terial things, take less proportions by
being divided.
Another difficulty is that posterity
must be made party to the deal. Who
is to say that the generations to follow
would ratify the action taken by, what
will seem to them, this benighted age?
1t is only fair to presume that they may
judge by the different standards, and
there is great danger that some time in
the coming centuries an act abrogating
this law might be passed by the same
body. We would call it cruel thus to
put the seal of oblivion on our immor-
tails, but laws are subject to amendment,
and the peoples verdict is liable to imi-
tation and change.
Immortality is boon which has fallen
to the lot of few men within the historic
period. The roll of heroes in war could
hardly be extended beyond Cyrus, Han.
nibal, Alexander, Julius Caesar, Fred
erick the Great and possibly Washing
ton and Grant. The field of literature
is sparsely dotted with Homer, Milton,
Dante and Shakespeare, but not Wallace
The fine arts might credit undying fame
to Titan, Michael Angelo and Raphael.
In civil government America might
claim the honor for Hamilton and Lin
coin, but even these two illustrious
names can only be entered for proba-
ton extending far beyond the limit of
the present congress.
To put it mildly, there is an apparent
indiscretion in the generals action
which seems to be overshadowed and
contained in an almost inordinate
vanity. He will be fortunate indeed if he
escapes general suspicion that he ex-
poets to be embraced in the list, and a
becoming modesty would suggest that
he is the last man to father the bill. He
is the author of great book. and upon
its merits he will stand or fall. If pos
terity awards him the honor he SO
covets he viii need no act of congress.
but he will certainly make little adj
vancement via the royal road which he
has so inconsiderately chosen.