The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-13
IsIrDEcApENoE.


the Direction of FadIsln-There Are No
Great Questions and No Eminent
Men.
1t is a serious question whether we
are in a period Of decadence. The
whole world appears to be in a condi-
ton of intellectual inactivity, or at
least without those great mental strug-
giles which characterized the recent
past. We are numerously following
fads, exercising the mind on tribes,
reading and writing trash, and inter
ested in few general problems. The
long peace of the world has enervated
men, especially as there have been no
great problems of peace even. The pre-
ceding century closed in storm, the
American and French revolutions hav-
ing excited the energies of the world
The present century promises to close
in a calm that breeds malaria. The
last generation, active over the anti
slavery conflict and civil var, prolonged
it's excitement through the German wars
against Austria and Frace. The pres
emit general ton is relatively without in
terest; people have nothing especially
great to think about. When it was a
questions of saving the country or set
Ting great moral problems, mems
thoughts were great and their activi-
des on a corresponding scale. The
LII, Al Dor
and brains were in demand. The ora
tor, the poet, the statesman We're busy
in their greatest creations The in
tellect of the people was feverish. With
universal discussion Of weighty prob
lens the times produced men like
Beecher, Lincoln and Bismarck. Whit
tier wrote his Tin War Time" the san
itary commission was created, the de-
velopment of philosophy launched and
Italy united. The world was doing
something, and mankind was conspic-
uous for working as whole or In great
groups.
OF late, however, there is wide
spread feeling that we have nothing
to do and the people, like idlers, are
devising specious tasks for themselves,
mostly means of recreation. We are
in a period of dilettantism. 1t is the
age of bric-a-brac in art, of ceremon-
les and entertainments in religion and
of dress in society. Scholars gossip in
clubs, instead of debate in lyceums,
and college students are known chiefly
as football players. No new philoso-
piers have been conceived in this age,
no great persons have appeared or re-
markable adventures. 1t is an age
of mediocity, in which many come for
ward in every department, but none is
conspicuous. The whole world has been
recently convulsede over. a wedding. A
superficial book on Bohemianism has
made the greatest success in literature.
The principal interest in politics is an
easy way to pay debts. Socialism is
as deep as the public can see into gov
eminent. Claptrap interests men, and
public officials are capitalists instead
of statesmen.
rs all this an evidence of decadence,
or Is it inseparable from long career
| Of peace? When the great questions
are settled must the people turn to the
small? If anything important inter-
ested us we might go to war;, whereas
now peace is maintained by having
nothing to fight for. Such a languid
| feeling as the present could hardly be
reused to war. We are not interested
enough to dispute seriously, much less
| fight. We are making some progress
indeed, in the refinements of life, and
4 taY Jyyo 1oiy in, a G hy
catching up with great projects con
ceived when men were more vigorous.
But when an age is refining it is usual
| ly doing little else. The people are
polishing what they forged in the last
generation. This is a period of rhe-
| toric, when men try ito say nicely
instead of think greatly. 1t gives few
err thoughts to the world than 1t re-
states. BY correcting and beautify-
| ing the more vigorous productions of
other periods it does it's characteristic
work.
| Life is not as serious as it was thirty
years ago, when men lived for some
thing. The question then was how to
| do. whereas it is now how to live
1 Instead of acting men are behaving,
and the amenities of life are our chief
| interest.
| Trying chiefly to get rid Of the at
| tritions of society, we are learning to
use what we have rather than getting
anything for humanity. We are in q
period of adjustment and exercised ov-
er what to do with ourselves. The
present problem is mainly to keep men
good, or rather to keep them proper
Social life is about the highest prob
| lem we are considering. Men need to
| be recalled to the vigorous. The strug-
giles of life must be entered to produce
| a strong people. There is need OF
some of the old Puritan earnestness.
Life sure be more serious and lived
on a larger scale. The pleasures take
too prominent place, as in the begin
ming of the eighteenth century. The
ablest minds are largely engaged in
amusing the people. The drama is the
chief department that prospers, and
the greatest thing now seen is an opera
or pageant. We are celebrating great
deeds instead of doing them. If we are
| to be much in the near future, we must
look around for greater undertakings
There is enough to be done to make
| heroes. Though no new worlds can
| be discovered or races freed, there are
lines of enterprise waiting to be pur-
sued. Africa is yet to be settled and
| cix Y1leyy ha SiS ie