The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-11-04

future generations. We are now con-
fronted by the anomaly of the most
destructive factor of social life, acting
as the medium through which social
ideas have been transmitted from one
race or nation to another. And this
factor is the iconoclastic one of WAR.
A bloodless social revolution is rara
avis in the field of progress. Litera-
ture is medium for the transmitting
of social ideas, but it is obvious that its
influence can be eXerted only upon a
people already possessed of literature
or who may sound the depth of the
social life from whence the ideas are
drawn, as presented through that liter
ature; otherwise, literature's influence
can only be national, and the social
ideas embraced by it, effective only
within the national boundary.
Friendly intercommunication be-
tween nations will act as a medium
for the transmitting of social ideas, but
only to limited extent, as when COM
mercial instincts or frequent friendly
visits bring together the people of diff
ferent ideas. So. also, nation may,
from its isolated position, whether
natural or assumed, develop within
itself all those primary ideas necessary
to social life, and bequeath them from
generation to generation, century after
century in almost the form of their
conception. This ultra conservative or
isolated condition of society is ever a
bar to progress.
| TO progress, a nation requires the
infusion of new blood or new ideas
from time to time, otherwise it will
degenerate. China has, socially speak
ing, been an isolated nation for many
centuries; the basic ideas OF its social
life are peculiarly characteristic of
this isolated condition, and in the
main are the same today as existed in
the COnfucian era or even thousand
years earlier. Egypt also presents us
with the characteristic conditions of a
nation isolated from it's neighbors and
productive of social ideas indigenous
to the race and country. Early
Chaldea also presents us with similar
characteristics. Here we have three
great nations of long life which prove
to us that so long as their social ideas
were isolated, were jealousy guarded
from others, their social progress was
slow and the basic ideas of their social
existence, practically the same at their
latest period as in their earlier life. But
just as soon as the element of war
enters into the combination, note tie
difference.
In tracing the ruling ideas of early
peculiar racial conditions existing in
early social life. Egypt, long the DOM
inant force in the east, was a dark
raced power, the Hamitic Chaldean and
BabylOnian were lighter races, Semitic
in character Both were isolated geo.
graphically and had developed their
social life from within. War Occa-
sionally brought them together; but
rarely, and only in their later life, were
they overrun or held long under the
influence of the different social ideas
Hence the influence of the one upon
the other was never permanent; seldom
even temporary in character. Another,
and yet lighter colored race than
either of the above, was the Aryan
With their advent upon the field of
life began the march of progress and
that race today holds the advance
fortresses of civilization, but gained
and held only by the most determined
war.
"Westward the star of empire wends
it's way" With the advent of Xerxes
of Darius and Cyrus, the great leaders
and warriors of the early Aryan race
war was made the engine of progress
The Medes conquered the Persians
united, these conquered the Babylo
mans, the Assyrians and the Egyp
tians. And when Egypt in 625 B. C.
fell before the "mad Cambyses," the
Aryan race had successfully come in