The record-union., 1898-03-27
MEN AND NATIONS.
BY Memo"

| copyrighted by Dave & Tabor)
How thrilling it is to gaze on the face
| of a man who is aroused either in de-
nunciation of evil or defense of that
| which is right. His very face will APP
| pear transformed; out of it will have
| disappeared all traces of pettiness, and
| as his head is thrown back and his
! eyes flash, the best that is in him will
| shine forth These supreme moments
are to be cherished They throw things
into their right proportions, when it
seems to the aroused one that even life
| itself is a small matter in comparison
with the truth that must be spoken.
Personal ease and comfort are deSpised
| until the tongue has uttered the words
that are inspired by a released nature.
! The important thing at such moments
is seen to be, that the thing to be done,
must be done no matter who the in
dividual may be who does it; but that
the one who is aroused to do, must do
or be false to the greatest that is in
him. And to that aroused life the
! truth comes home that failure to do
and to dare may mean that the deed
and the daring will never be done; for
no two human beings follow exactly
| the same lines of life or meet the same
| opportunities. A call to a task is, there
| fore, found to be a solemn thing that
| tests and Sits down to small limits
| those whose tasks are done in the dread
| fear of their never returning if left
undone. Thrilling is it to see a nature
on fire. The members of the body must
! suffer if needs be till the work is fin
ished. The feet must run and not be
weary, the body labor and not rebel, the
! brain act and not falter; yet neither
| feet noI body, nor brain have any in
! terest in the duty; they are merely
servants who must suffer till all is done
/ by the individual who sits in control
of brain and all lesser organs.
!
| Multiply all this many million times
and then yield yourself to the wonder
! that fills the soul when a whole nation
| thrills and rises in infinite majesty. The
| onward sweep of the tempest, the re-
! sistless power of the tide the stipend
Gus motion of an earthquake are trifies
| beside it; for this is a motion that is
! alive that has brain that has purpose.
| A whole people aroused to action is a
| spectacle of awe When by a species
| of revelation a million minds think
| alike and move forward to discharge
| the task that is before them. individu
| ally and collectively, the sublimity of
the sight transcends infinitely the sub
| FINEST that inanimate nature ever set
| before human eyes. Where there have
| been trif1ing or even important differ
| ences before, there will be one vast
unity In the presence of the national
duty. leveling down of pettiness viii
be accompanied by leveling up of pur-
pose Strangely like a man is this body
| of men and of minds. Deep in the ma
tional consciousness it is understood
! that love Of ease and the getting of gain
in untrammeled peace are mere dust
in the balance when weighed against
national duty. Like the man. nation
awake is forced onward by it's inner
conviction of what is right and just;
| and the consequences it must leave to
the arbiter of national fates, from
whom cometh national inspiration and
| from whose heart of mercy comes d.
rect the feeling of mercy and commits
Grafton that possesses the breasts of
men, women and children at this mo-
ment of national uprising. And in our
| thousand times ten thousand hearts we
| feel that
"Once to every time and nation comes
the moment to decide.
In the strife of Truth with Falsehood. for
the good or evil side;
Some great cause, Gods new Messiah, Of
fering each the bloom or blight.
Parts the goats upon the left hanc. ana
the sheep upon the right,
| And the choice goes by forever, twixt
that darkness and that light.
We know deep in our national heart
that now is the moment to show to
the distressed that justice is our meat
and our drink and mercy to the weak
our daily thank offering to God, who
! has brought US out of our own weak
ness into strength. We know that OPP
| portunities and calls come to nations
as they do to men, and that wise is the
nation that knoweth the day Of its vfs1-
| tation. And much as innocent mem
| bers suffer when a man is aroused, we
know that many who now live must
| die for an idea, an inspiration, ma
tional purpose, yet the cost is cheap in
comparison with the deep national
shame remaining silent when utterance
would save, and INDECENT when an &C
ton would bless
| The bodies of starved pacificos cry
by thousands of thousands for retribu-
ton. The call is to you, America. To
whom else should they turn?
| Not Good to Eat.