The Red Cloud chief., 1898-02-25
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
BY MEMO"
(Copywrighted by Dave 4 Tabor.)

AS w tSIiiuHibH' Dptth'hS WIN N
certain amount of reserve, 1t is gener.
ally Il tie that u understanding of an
event in its relation to other events is
increased by distance. For instan %,
let me suggest that we understand the
voyage of the "Mayilower, the settle
ment of Massachusetts,, the expulsion
of Roger Williams, the migrations
westward from Virginia and New Eng
landau these things, in their relation
to other events in their effect, much
better than did the actual participants.
So also of men. In the case Of really
great ones it needs a century almost to
measure their works to strip them Of
any false glamour of praise or gloom
of blame. As with a general IN the
hands of his valet, those in constant
association with the great feel too often
that clothes and chance make the hero;
or il they do see greatness in their adj.
mired one, they fail to SO any detrac.
tions from his loftiness, for both love
and friendship are blind-(many Of us
can thank fortune for that, or else we
had been rcckoned as naught long ago.
~
BY reason of the investigation Of the
later students of Washington, we are
now ready to concede thai many of the
violent assaults upon his character and
purpose-made during his lifetime ard
shortly thcrcaftcr-wcrc M generous
and unfoundcd. Thanks also To the
candor of modern historians, we al
now see further that he was by no
means n demi.god striding along on
lofty mountain tops. but II humble I'M.
assuming, ordinary citizen, whose de-
vOtion for his aus made up full often
for the scampering, runaway lighting
that he was obliged to resort to.
We see that few of the startling
victories of the Revolution were
by him. We also see
that his Fabian policy; here one day
and away the next; but scarcely ever
v~enturing on a pitched battle, wore
out the enemy by ignominious iloun-
behring's rather than by armed resist.
ance. His greatness was more in his
noble courage in clinging to an endan-
gered cause, i'm the face of the mutter-
ings and discomfort of many of the in
fluential people, who, like the loyalists
of Cuba at the present moment, were q
most serious influence to combat.
-
Washington, the Reconstruction, is
peace like myself, than Washington,
the Revolutionist. Then his calm mind,
from the blood and hustle of the
battle field, rose to its highest. Made
D commander of the men by the trum.
pet call Of patriotic duty; he remained
4 commander of men after the turmoil
was over. His genius vas in the selec-
ton of advisers, in the judicial cast of
that weighed the pro and con
most carefully, in the pOwer-shared
by many Of his cOmpeers-of seeing
into the future, 80 that we who are
almost ready to turn the corner of
another century, + forced to marvel
at the foresight Of a group of men, who
so admirably laid the foundations of q
western empire that the strain of Al
unexampled expansion has never yet
succeeded in rending asunder the work
they cemented with their wounds,
their lives and their sacred honor.
-
More glorious than war are victories
Of peace. The sweeping out or wear.
ing out of enemies, remarkable though
~ upPSoIo WYNN wv ioon oaNh Ut u
equipments and the inner
dissensions to be contended with; these
would have availed us no more than a
successful revolution seems to avail 4
American republic, had the
garnering Of the fruits of the victory
been left unattended to. These patri.
otto statesmen planted our glorious
tree Of freedom. 1t was planted once
and once only (please God, never to be
but its fruits are perennial
and are still ours to gather. We are
not called On to nOurish that tree with
our dead bodies, but our living ones
must be devoted to its service. To a
jealous regard for all that il represents
we are summoned-each one OF us that
the name OF american" They
who gather from every tribe and nation
under Heaven; joining hands with us
in devotion to freedOm-all from the
least to the greatest-may serve the
cause that Washington and the RevOlu-
tionists brought into III history. For
saking the strain of our necks, looking
backward to the beginnings, let us
look around and forward. Let us
grapple with evil, wherever we find
either the designs of wealth or the
worse crime OF Indifference threaten
ing our heritage; and let us further
understand that sincere watchfulness
is the only way to insure for our chill
dren's children, an 1 theirs after them
a government that is in a decided meas
ure based upon the will of the people.
-
The lives Of great men, when they
fail to stir us ordinary ones, are waste
and Improbable, so far as we are con.
cerned. But in every noble resolve
that a great life inspires in a lesser life
there Is the living again of the dead
May the logged devotion of Washing.
ton be resurrected by each of us IN
these terrible times, when men would
seek to confuse us by loud warlike
noises that almost drown the gentle
pipings of peace.
The whining river that toward the sea
Resistless runs. still swelling constantly,
Does not derive Its force and fullest flow
From any sudden sweep of storm or snow;
But draws Its certain strength from constan
wells,
Graded on stainless heights where stlllnes,
dwells.
So doth Columbia's ever swelling tide