The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-06-17

built up during infinite ages from
the minute shells of the foramini-
fera, of which there are millions to
an ounce. The great Barrier Reef,
parallel and close to the East coast
of Australia, extends in an almost
unbloken line for twelve hundred
miles, from twenty To hundred
feet thick, and was formed by coral
zoophytes, few lines long. How
many thousands Of years have these
microscopic creatures wrought to
effect this work, compared to which
the Great Wall Of China is feeble
structure. Mature" said good
old Sir Thomas Browne, "hath
furnished one part of the earth, and
man another, The treasures of
time lie high in urns, coins, and
monuments, scarce below the roots
of some vegetables. Time hath
endless rarities, and shows Of all
varieties; which reveals old things
in heaven, makes new discoveries
on earth, aud even earth itself dis
covery. But man is a
noble animal, splendid in ashes,
and pompous in the grave, solemn
lizing nativities and death with
equal lustre, nor omitting ceremon-
les Of bravery in the infamy Of his
nature.
1t is to this nobility in man that
perseverance appeals. 1t points to
, God in nature as his great exem-
, plar, that, so far as he can, he
should never wealy in well.doing,
, never depart from the line of duty,
| nor flag in the march of progress.
) 1t poi ats to the many courageous
, ones, few of whose names live in
, history, to show what has been al
ready accomplished by the enlight-
ened determination of handful Of
illustrious men and women. They
suffered, it may be, calumnies and
} insults during their lives, were
Il scorned and rejected of men, buf-
> feted and spat upon, but mankind
! grew wiser by their work, and i'm
mortalized their memories after
death. The men we honor in our
day were those who were secuted in
u their own-of whom the world was
; not worthy. When we think OF
. these things, every brave heart dis
!. posed to faint on the way may take
y courage. No matter how humble
! or how exalted his condition, how
II popular or unpopular his role, his
; path of duty is all his own, in which
: he must walk with persevering
y steps. As Chaucer says, "Be lus-
!, ty, free, persevere in thy service,
And all is well"
"The greatest part of mankind" !"
= said Browne, "must be content to
y be as though they had not been;
g !, to be found in the register Of God,
q not in the record of Nan" Yet
'e those gifted with talents may, by
u endurance and effort, make for
themselves an everlasting name,
, and, better still, may live again in
! the hearts and lives of the genera
e tions who come after. Whatever
u wrongs exist, intelligent persever-
q ence will right them; whatever ig-
y norance misleads, enlightened per-
" severence will overcome them;
!, whatever customs degrade, perse-
q verence will change them. In the
: face Of difficulties or dangers for
ourselves or others, it is contempti-
' BILE cowardice to sit down and weep,
= and wiring our hands, and pray to
), Hercules for aid. Rather let us put
:, our own shoulders to the wheel, re
q ly on our own assistance, and fight
= the obstacle to the bitter end. "God
). helps those who help themselves"
y or, in other words, God helps them
! who persevere. The perseverance,
i of men like Clarkson and Wilber-
y force broke down negro slavery.
= Clarkson was the moving mind and
: Wilberforce his political instrument.
= The subject of Clarkson's Latin
u desse rts.tion, which gained his Col
II lege prize at Cambridge in 1874,
= was, "Anne lceat invitos in servi-
. tum dare?" lis it lawful to make
q slaves OF others against their will?'O
. And to the day Of his death in 1S46
q he was still the champion ofperson-
> al freedom. His magnificent sue
a. cess was the fruit of his quenchless
zeal. ~
= The emancipation Of women is
= !. the great social question OF the pres
Is ent. Many noble minds Of both
- sexes are fighting to free her from
ne degrading subordinaticn and unjust
ne conditions. Their methods may
q, differ, but their object is substan.
ne tially the same. And so we would
'r- wish each Of them "God speed J
tk tk Continue the good fight against all
VII IL. ooJ avarv atrccopdinU daV