The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-03-04

M@t dAN 1@A4t ~ pNt~ .NAt uNHet A--tAN9 NWth1'Af a"hH|
anaeniaog q vulgar people Win 7Tad meneFpHyt e2p1emPgoe ways Of
living but as incidentally brave, 7aJ6 OF great deeds Of nobleneSi-God
has given us this great continent ana He has brought here upon il to BIS
present stage this vast society a. life intricate, coulleN fma Of wrong and
full 81 promise and He has ed ,Ghs wonderfuIl 1T Of crisis
Norman can describe this people or measure its characteristics as no
man vet manifest among u.s. can Interpret the dgui6 ice or guess the end.
OF the mighty movement which is passing before our gcS rbatwc are at
this moment a fallen nation, an apotate people, en-. we'd by a gutmnosI
materaism, and a disappointment to our God, Nd an awakening con-
science among us bears witness, On the other hand there are not wanting
evidences that we possess (he gift OF providence traits which when aroused
sill restore US to our appointed pacei nor altogether evidences that there
Is arising IN the heart Of the people a yearping for better things and emcr
gng from within her an tnarticulate resolution TO be something besides CONF
caL-to bel servant Of progress and honor There have begun to be
spoken, among a few, new words symbols Of a swiftgauerlng move,
ment. There has begun to move before young men a new standard,
a new ideal, white with a virgin beauty never before seen on earth, or
sought BY the sons Of men. suddenly there has been ctshIoued a new Ian,
guage, which tells Of unty thc essential the unacceptable unity in interests
and desdny(o Of men, Of the joy Of sacrifice OF the yulgaiy Of success which
.seOrns the things men hitherto have striyen for despBng all but honor and
freedom and truth; which speaks OF an ,arstocracy Of simple men who work
for love, but win not work for pay There are beginning to be sung songs
of painness and contentment and Of an almost yagabond joy in nature Sign
OF reaction against old conventions concerning happiness,
One thing do not discern, that must appear If this people is to rise to
its destny:-he man who shall led us Among the murmupd songs and
Whispered words Ihear no tones firm and authoritative AND assuring. In
the world there are more echoes than voices The crisis upon our nation
waits the coming Of the man whose gaze shall sweep the past and apbrcheud
the present as It's fruit and evolution, appointed in Its tQrn to pass into he
win see wha0 orther forms; the man in whose heart shall dwell the vision
LOT a world redeemed, and the divine passion to redeem Il. We need, and
must have a Leader. There must arise q hero great enough, in this time
or bewnderment, and perpexty; To think the solving thought, to speak The
master word, to point out and lead the way into the new Time The peo-
pie are not without those among them who think, speak, and act braveIy:
desperate indeed would be the case were it. So bat that commanding fig
me around whom can gather thegoodh cartsot the land is notyet revealed, The
0ympian voice has not yet spoken, saul has not stood forth in stature
from his shoulders upward higher than any Of the people to be dispsd by
the children Of Bca, but to lead to splendid victory the band OF men
whose hearts God hath touched, Al is ready for bis appearing. The issues
are Inspiring The opportunity is epic Adimystfrl6g new ]Ro1dsprlt
demands and must have an incarnation, an expression aud representative in
one great human character @
Tie must, and therefore, he vim appear lie evil be conceived In the
passion Of contempoaneous eyents, and born Of the sorrow aud tragedy that
walk the earth. His genesis win be IN the csnic movement that has pro-
duced this tumutuous hour He viii come responding to the ~multIudin.
Gus voices Of holy causes camorlug for their champion Out Of tic silence
,J mt ~ to din fdarp shall come trOmiuu To his soul OF COngripuCpug9s N
Of divine call to be the savior of the people
Tie will be the apostle Of simplicity. He win love the elemental things
the sun and the winds and the stars, and truth ana music and good wars
He viii write a literature fit for a powerful race dwelling on q continent
mighty in mountains and pralres and tremendous historic deeds lie vii.
show how sweet and beautiful life may be- he VIII gather his Joy QUITO the
splendid sorrow OF life and out Of its tragic grandeur
He will be great impatient soul, and unpactlcal-as dIviney uHmac
acl as Chnst's cross. He win be a reyerent soul; for he win worship whcr
he stands up before little children or any barred true spirit before any oxhI
buon Of sacrifice 0. Of willing ycarious suffering, q patriotism, Or Of love
Of youth and maiden sacred things full Of awe
lie Ilrestatc religion. He win reclaim the holy wachwod Of ou
fathers, and make them stand again forverites touYe and die for He will
teach US that prayer is not the mere begging otfaHors from q reluctant God
lbut the conversation OF human spirit with the great Universal Soul Of
(which 1t lis part. lie will convince us OF thcsreuttgeand aWfulnes OF
Judgment which needs not to wait some faroHd 6y for It's announcement, bu
lis daily and hourly going on. lie VIII give utteranco, iuedstaby impress
Isiye, to new motive OF morality-onc. which will make insignificant ant
Iof dubious quality the old indlydualsdc appeal, For THIS prophet win b.
the voice Of c yiDg again in the wilderness that a new order Of things is a
Ihand, appealing 70 all In human nature That s great and simple and uniyer
Ism. He will call us to repentance born not only OF remembrance OF th
hurt which the individual sinner infCts upon. his fellows, but Of the nor
Iror that human sin crippcs God,-that your sin and mine compromise
lNbNs NAnJnAA NF AAANNAN"1 "@ N-H 1872 Et ~ 49,
souls salvation, but my neighbour my nation nay, God Himself and Ill
universe, constitute the ultimate motive ofmoal liYing-the larger noble
higher, may we nottrust the more effective motive Of the cyangel 9hicl
the prophet Of the new time must bring.
To be great is to voice the truth That 3 struggling, inarttculate upor
the lips Of humanity. It'll to personify and exhibit the instinct which Il
gathering in The great common human soul II i to see clearly and firmly
the path out along which the race now must moves to conceive IT, nota 80
experiment to he undertaken, but as the one appointed eyoIjon to BE-. &C
lconplshed. TO be a man who shall lead us tosee the end and realization
Of the eTort,-and talk with it across the centuries TO bea prophet is u
commune with the souls 10 heaven 81 eyentsunborn. To be a leader is, AZ
forwards. to become a spirit, a thought, conviction, STANDARD, to becom
a habit, among men.
Isce in our land tile beginnings Of q great wofld-moyemenb which
needs only the wisdom, confidence, and enthusiasm Of Leader to Transform
Ithc face Of the earth. This movement viii be profoundly religious an'
christian; it VIII be IN some respects a return progress IS often a return T
primitive hutb) to primitive christianity. twill stand IN close connec
zion with education, and especially with the progress Of the fine arts an'
the diffusion Of sense Of the beautiful. But it viii be- first and lnmedi
atdy soca.
It. is given sometimes to those who are a little aside from the Duscs
scenes to discover first tie meaning and the trend Of passing affairs 10 i
perhaps the special privilege reserved for those whom God Keeps 10 obscure
positions that their hearts may be open for Che visitation Of Ills Spirit ans
their visions clear through long, lonely meditation 70 20 furthest into th
significance Of what happens around them.
The swift march Of events within the past few months impresss me
with the conviction thata pay ofthe Lord sat hand Mynation Is mott
longer sleep amid tie thundes d the gathering woe. The patient faithful
have not to much longer walt the appearing Of some figure get apart by AL
mighty God To point out the path TO earth's impatient peoples and Y le6
the brave and true into IT,
~NAI aWAaEn ~a F- nAM nl