The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-09-17
ooRREsP sPoNDENoE.


Even under the derlded mon
archies OF this world certain rulers
stand forth as landmarks OF their
eras, at times when civilization and
progress seem to flag and even to re-
trograde, these men rise above their
fellows, rise above their environ
ments, turn their backs on the slug
gish past, withstand the wooing
and Establishments OF an alluring
and enervating present, and with
prophetic confidence gaze into the
mists of futurity, recognizing forces
beyond the ken of ordinary mortals
and steering the ship of state rather
with reference to an ultimate destin-
alton than by adherence to mathe-
matical courses Every nation
which boasts OF civilization and a
history has had these men who have
contributed to the advancement of
the one and the pages Of the other.
Yes, every nation of record has had
men in the lead whose far-sighted
prescience into a glorious futurity
has apparently dwarfed their vision
OF groveling present.
The names Of Alfred the Great,
Napoleon, Washington, Lincoln,
Frederick the Great, and others are
little pages in the histories of their
respective countries. When the
national energy languisbes, when
national characterization becomes
indistinct such men seem to gather
up and concentrate in themselves
the wasted dissipated traits of great
ness that have become eliminated
from the masses. Their greatness
survives the insensibility of contem-
poraneous verdict to be enshrined
in the more critical and appreciative
estimate of succeeding generations.
What emotions of veneration and
respect are aroused at mention of
such namesl What purposes of
high resolve assume decided form
under the inspiration of such lofty
examples The vision receptive Of
and appreciative of their greatness
descends not to contemplation of
their weakness and foibles Their
greatness is revered, their peccadil-
| loes unnoted. Even Hawaii
And yet while an age may pro-
duce man phenominally great, it
may also exhibit another unutter-
ably despicable. Even on these ISL
ands there may be man who rivals
Torquemada and Cotton Mather in
bigotry and cruelty, whose mind is
an unswept warehouse of impure
and unclean thoughts, and whose
most genial expression is bitter
sneerl 1t would be quite in keeping
with the Infamous character OF such
freak that he should subscribe an
honored name to his vile, perjured,
and malicious impressions of the
times, even as a jackal might don
the skin of lion to prowl among
the dead This excrescence OF ma
ture, this tumor on mankind, might
at one time have DETAINED the char
acter of saint, a martyr, for exam
pie, to dread leprosy, whose nobility
he could not comprehend, and
whose example he was incapable Of
initiating. That he would have
been an artist as a witch burner,
more fanatical than Peter tho Her
NIT, more cruel than Nero and
more diabolical than Satan himself,
his crafty and implacable face bears
attestation. The deadly exhalation
OF his noxious correspondence is in
stantly fatal to the flower Of truth,
The merciful lenient graces OF reli
gion, OF which he advertises himself
sole proprietor, do not enter into
his make up, but the Gendish char
acteristics that are premonitory OF
and eclipse hell itself are so engrafted
in this individuality that even his
scientific opinions are tinctured
with bigotry and malice No char
acter is held sacred and no religion