The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-12

or dvind1ed into mere ta3enf: that m nv.
ing sung - 10 Dure eAan an echo OF oone
shat y dead: that al art y ~ more tAnn :
rejection Of The gicri0 q ths at thas b
past.
We know frou histories, data <Aat tAls
Of human greatness has pceva6led IN tho
past ~ much - n prevails In the present
Every epoch has denied the existence OF
the gentus and strength which nature
and time bestowed upon it Each aGN hes
sought TO disallow and to disprove me
claims OF every tan son Of the morning
who has honored the age with his pres
ence.
TIE enthusiastic Southern racer have
mot been % vicious in this respect a.
nave the strong races u the North. The
GAat-the Ceat-amonr modern peoples
mas been most disposed to recognise Q
modcum OF the greatness Of the passing
aga When Daniel o'Connell was the
uncrowrsd king OF Ireland he could hard
" be said TO lack the appreciation Of his
countrymen. The French are not wholly
incapable % understanding that genius
may flourish In the present tense. But
among English speaking peoples and the
Teutonfc races generally Shere Is either
tosA oblivion TO passing greatness or
. positive and acrimonious dental OF its
existence. The Germans would a. soon
expect to see Prince Beowoif coming up
again from the slaughter OF the Grendsi
IN MS cave as to see Humboldt ON the
streefs Of Heidelberg. or TO hail Butcher
on his black horse riding through the
BranienburR gate
from AL this the writer totally dissents.
Ine unoeiief OF the age In its own great
ness ana the greatness Of it, products Is q
faiiaey. hurtful to civilization. cruel TO
mankind. AT bottom 1t Ia not true that
the great men are all in hronSe. We doubt
whether the majority Of the great men
nave taken the form Of statuary. There
- strange delusgon In the mind on this
Question. an unaccountable blindness and
weakness with respect to the stature and
power OF men. II We allow the greatness
OF the past. We must also allow the great
ness OF the preSens-for the past was the
presenter else We must suppose that the
universal evolution Is working resrogres-
siyely and disastrously in man.
The close of the nineteenth century, iu-
stead Of being barren and unfruisful in the
production OF genius. has, We doubt not
Its full share OF that sublimest auais,v
known TO earth. We doubt that the Ger
man race has ever produced stronger
man than Prince Otto Eduard Bismarck.
OF Schonhausen. Great Britain has today
thinker equal TO Plato and greater than
Francis Bacon. He Is Herbert Spencer.
She has poet who Is superior TO Milton
IN all the essentials of great song. and he
Is Aigernon Charles Swinburne. She has
two or three scientists Of this age who
have done more for the natural history OF
life than Newton did for the history and
law OF the planetary worlds. America has
one man. an unlettered man. whose genius
has carried him further into the arcana
OF force and has brought forth richer
treasures for the benefit of the human race
than has the genius of any other single
EXPLORER in the wide years OF time. Ameri-
ca has living orator greater In the magic
OF hts power than was Everett. greater
than was Webster In his best estate.
America has living editor who is greater
than RAYMOND. greater than Greeley.
America has a statesmanr-in the West
whose courage Is equal TO that Of Patrick
Henry. and whose plea for the under man
Is as incisive as that OF Jefferson. And
finally America has poet who Is the equal
OF Robert Burns.
JOHN CLARK RIDPATH.