The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-06-16
Wise HANDS NEEDED.
DIPLOMACY OF THE FUTURE DE.
EANDS THEM.
Present Day Thoughts.
BY "NEMo."
copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)

Copyrighted by Dave & Tabor.)
Away from that which is known, on
ward to that which is unknown away
from the thing that has been and is, on
ward to the thing that is not but will
be this is life 1t is stagnation, it is
death to try to live any other way. The
necessity is on us to be ever moving
forward out of the bright light of that
which is understood, into the partial
darkness of the next open door that
conceals undreamed-of happiness or
disaster. Very naturally, there is a
feeling OF apprehension and shuddering
and protest as Time, like train, hnr-
ries us across plains decked with flow
ers and then rushes with terrifying roar
past jagged and dangerous rocks and
mayhap suddenly suspends us over
chasms whose depths mean destruction
to those who fall therein. Yet what is this
but life ?Viewed arightitis a JOY meyer to
stand still viewed wrongly it is thing
to lear and feared most by those who
have gained least of that which is best
from the hurrying events of life as they
have whirled by.
+.*
Once again let us turn these indiyid-
ual analogies, whose truth everyone sees,
into national teachings whose truths
some of us are slow to see. Naturally
one needs must in these stirring times
take as a text for thought the present
conflict. For truths sake and because
of the sacred honor that is the underly-
Ing current OF our national life. no
matter how contrarywlse surface storms
NAV be, we have coDtended that there
is quality of mercy and OF great dig
nlty in what we are doing. Yet who
among US is wise enough to see fully
in advance the new vlstas of progress
or temptation to which the rush OF
events is leading us? It is easy for the
superficial ones to talk OF Il nation as
though it were in fixed and unchange-
able state, like an Egyptian mummy
wrapped in the pitch and cerements
and preservatlves of antiquity. But
tie nation that lives and moves and
has being instinct with progress, Is
least of all like mummy and those
who would swathe it with rigid bands
may indeed dlstort it but they cannot
repress it. There is tendency to al
WAYS bark back to our own remotest
past. with the c1edulous feeling that
the men of those days had been proph-
cts who foresaw, as lna vision, all
that would happen to us and made
constitutional provision to meet 1t.
Yet without detracting particle from
the value of their work we know that
the articles of confederation OF 1871,
had to give place to the constitution OF
1857, and that, in turn, has been
amended fifteen times.
~
This evidence of change is no sign Of
indecision, but simply an evidence OF
growth. Our ancestors could not posi-
bIy have foreknown the great surglne
western wave of population nor could
thew know that the climate OF the
south and the development of the cot
tnn-gin and the labor conditions thai
went with it would serve almost to teal
apart every strand of union, nor coult
thev have realized that the state Jeal
ousies of the early years would have s.
vanished by now that we scarcely hav'
q remnant of state distrust left. Thes'
things are here set forth merely to &C
centuate the fact that vitality mean
change. and that change is simply re
adiustnent to new conditions as the.
have appeared.
i +**
We already see as we advance in on
charitable warfare that the one slmpl
aim. to aid the Cubans, will be compl
Gated by number of new relations an
responsibilities. We are going to
, much in the condition of the countr
lad who is suddenly transported fror
the insulation of the farm to the Grove
cd walks of the city. He has to kee
u on the right side of the way or ups
. himself and his fellows he has to hol
9 his elbows in and learn an entirely ne
set of social rules. So shall We; tt
end OF the war is going to leave us
terly removed from the compact lsol
ton ol the past. We shall no long
he able to live for our selves or to ou
selves. Whether we will it or not mut
more definite international relations