The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-11-17
WHEN WE ARE NOT
" ~ ~ 81 STRONG.
FACING TEMPTATIONS OF sue.
CESS.

FACING TEMPTATIONS OF sue
CESS.
The Dark Valley Of Prosperity.
[saturday Evening Post.]
The great test of the individual Is
not poverty, it is wealth 1t is not fail
ure, it is success it is not struggle, it,
is attainment.
In days of battle against adverse con-
ditions, man has his mental faculties
unified, consecrated and focused on the
conquest of his enyironments5 on
placing himself on higher plane.
He bears the trials of daily life and its
dlscouragements as braveiy as he can,
because the Angel of Hope points out
to him the light shining through the
clouds shows him the green fields and
restful pastures just beyond whispers
to him heartening words of sweet as
surance of happier days to come-the
days when his dreams shall all come
true.
But when the strain and pressure OF
anxiety is lightened, when the mists OF
doubt and hope deferred melt into the
dawn of realization, when the future
seems assured-then comes the relent-
less test of success.
t
The American nation is to-day ia
cling the temptations of success. We
have defeated a third-rate Power OF the
earth we haye surprised and startled
Europe with the force OF our arms and
the bravery and skill of our soldiers /;
we have risen like modern Colossus
of Rhodes and straddled two hemi-
spheres. We have been victorious in
! the first "war of humanity" in history.
But let us be great enough, as a
people, not to be carried away by our
success. We have rescued Cuba and
the Cubans from the hands OF tyranny
and now 1t is our duty to prove to our
selves and to the world that our cause
was Just and our spirit true, by pro-
viding, at the earliest possible moment
a proper Government for these new
wards of the nation.
There is danger that our success vii
make us unduly vain, arrogant and as
sertive; that we shall feel we can over
ride the whole world. Our dream Of
territorial expansion may sweep us lntt
channels of new danger. Let us be-
ware of the treacherous phases of sue
cess, the subtle tests that will bring te
the surface national weakness, unnotet
or undeveloped in our days OF struggle
The man who:picks his steps CAREFUL!
on rough road is less liable to faI
than the self-confdent vain man wrap
ped up in the mantle OF his Owl
infalhbtlity and 50 sure OF his patl
!, that he need not watch his steps.
AS a nation, we should accept GU
successes with modesty, with calmnes
and with dignity. We should see tina
there ha, been much in the war
which we have no right to be prout
Q We started into fight with crimln'
l. lack of preparation, and more OF OF
g soldiers perished by Government me-
I. lect than fell before the shot and she
= of the Spaniards. Let the measure
a our success give us new courage, ne
n confidence, new faith; but let II
"a elements of our weakness make
T. more watchful, more humble, nobl
70 and stronger to WELD our new pow
AZ for the best good of ourselves and Il
o' world.
70 What is true of the nation is equal
10 true of indivuals. Our soldiers al
~ sailors have been brave and herol
o" they have faced danger undaunte
>" they have been equal to their opp
~ tunity. The people are laudlng t
~ Admirals who led our ships to victe
. at Manila and Santiago. The Gener
~ who led the invasion of tropic islal
30 10 fighting the horrors of war in
~ worst phases, and the more dangere
ambush and fever and. pestilence,
." Justly honored by the nation. l
these leaders must not become int
'e icated by the spirit of their succ'
o~ They should feel the Just pride OF b
" ing done their duty, not the pc
vanity of posing as heroes.
But some of them are showing
on much eagerness to face the camera
hat they did to face the cannon. Vine
ms, new picture Of one OF our newly
,ot cessful Generals comes out every q
when he appears in full uniform
hundred picturesque poses, that 81
!. self-corsciousness in every novel
ST there is danger of such a man be
TO unable to stand his success.
and >'A>~