The herald., 1896-07-05

slow; that many false notions became
rank 'heresies, and that the doctrines Of
African slavery, Of states rights, of the
union Of church and state, and those
selfish social distinctions that are meas
ured by personal wealth, the latter too
often unjustly gained, should have Sc
cured so great hold upon the embryo
citizen, and should have so often warped
his better Judgment as man? We are
not here to condemn others, especially
those who, when tested by the knowledge
they had and compared to that possessed
by those of their descendants here pres
ent, were, perhaps, broader minded, pur-
er and more patriotic than are we. We
refer to the past only to learn a lesson
for coming days. We rekindle the bea-
con fires. of the early years of the infant
republic that by their light we may at
tempt to peer into the mists of the swift
coming future. We reverently raise the
curtains that hide from the common gaze
the battlef1elds on which patriotic Amer
ican citizens have died that we may, per-
chance, commune with the spirits of
Washington and Lincoln. and possibly
gain mysterious answer to our anxious
question:: "Watchman, what Of the
night?'
The twelve decades that have passed
since our nation was born amid the
changing peals Of old liberty bell, in the
y
of development and growth. Ordinarily
the on-lopker would suppose the develop
ment complete and the growth one of
maturity. but the thoughtful student
of history knows better. He realizes
that as nation we are yet in our
youth, and as individuals we have hard
ly got beyond the primary department
in national politics and unselfish pat
riotism in our efforts to become gradu-
ated American citizens.
Important questions involving our re-
lations with other nations; questions
relating to commerce and finance; to
free trade and protection to morality
and education; to the relations between
capital and labor; to those who are ma
tive born and those who come as immi-
grants to our shores. A careful consid-
GRAFTON of all these will readily show us
how much we have yet to learn, how
easy 1t is for intelligent and honest men
he alone is right and entitled to conf
dence. Sacred history tells us that
when David. the monarch minstrel Of
Israel, was about to be gathered to his
eternal rest he placed the crown of
kingly authority upon the head of Solo
mon, and with all the tenderness of a
fathers anxious love he charged him.
saying, "Show thyself mani"
On this our nations anniversary day.
we know of no holier thought, no wiser
suggestion, no better advice to him who
would attain to the highest ideal Of a
true American than to say in ringing
words. Show thyself a man! To be a
man in the fullest sense one must be in
telligently informed as to current events:
his mind must be broadened by contact
with his fellows; his ideas must be pro-
gressive and ennobling; he must be con-
siderate OF the privileges and opinions
OF others; and he must have a keen
sense of the rights Of his neighbors and
his personal obligations to those less
Favored than himself. No man can hon
estly claim the highest prerogatives of
American citizenship who haughtily
draws about himself the soiled mantle
OF personal egotism, and by look or
word declares.r."I am holier than thou. /"
Men are holy only as they are pure:
they are good only as they are generous;
they are entitled to respect only as they
respect others; and they are only worthy