The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-12-30


The still and pulselsss world.
1t is the end of the dying year, and
the last year, but one, Of the dying
century. We sit musing before the
bright freight. counting the mile
posts past, and asking the ever to be
answered question, what has the fu'
ture for us, Father Time, remorseless
time. sweeps onward aud neither jubi-
liant songs nor solemn dirges OF those
who fall in the battle Of life can
stay him in his onward march. DE
psuses not, either for the victor or the
vanquished but every heeting moment
he drops an answer TO some moment
Gus O uestion and every rolling hour
he raises some new and mighty issue
to be solved.
Out Of the deep we cry. through all
this changing world Of changeless law y
and the only answer is the echo OF our
resounding cry. We plan, we scheme
we struggle. we build our hopes on
what seems the surest foundations, but
time comes with Its "nippirg frosts
and we see our fondest hopes blighted
and destroyed. Where was the weak
point in the structure3 Where have
we failed to build Alright: Have we
strength for other efforts, and for still
others? We can simply say with
Goethe, "Life's a battle, I'm man
be this enough"
In our youth, we all have dreamed
dreams. We have entered LIES battle
with q simple faith in our ability to
conquer. and with a trustfulness In
men, intuitively recognizing that
There is nothing 50 kingly as kind
ness and nothing so royal as.truth, "and
vet after time had borne as past few
mile posts we have found that friends
sometimes have failed Us, and some
times where We look for gratitude we
have fouud ingratitude and envy and
faith begins to slip from us, and the
lamp Of hope begins to dim. Finally we
wake MP TO the realization that they
only the victory win who conquer
within"
As with individuals, so with nations.
The first year Of this century witnessed
two Of the greatest men the world has
ever produced facing each other. Ma
poleon Bonepsrte, the Oorsican, was
first consul Of the French republic
Thomas Jefferson, the Virginiau, was
President Of the United States Of
America.
Evidently. when Napoleon secretly
acquired Louisiana from Spain, his am
bition had begun to reach out and long
for power in the young and growing
West. But European complications
and the statesmanlike diplomacy OF
jefferson compelled him to sell Louis
lana to the United States. Hawthorne
says: THE first truly American gov
eminent began with Jefferson, for II
was under him that the authority OF
the people was first fully and practically
recognized. II this DO true, then the
American government began with the
birth of this century-in any event II
was then only in its swaddlipg clothes
child In age and a child in strength
But what is 1t to-day? 1t is leading
all In science. in the arts. in inventions
in manpfact ures and in riches Com
pare il with the republic Of which Ma
poleon was the first consul-that cen
sulste lasted but FIVE years and gave
way to the empire. Our little republic
composed of q few million souls. inaug
urated along the Atlantic coast. has
spread from ocean to ocean, and today
Is the mlghtiest power upon the face o.
the globe. Why has one lasted anc
waxed great, and the other 80 quickly
endedi Let great Frenchman. Lamar
tine, answer. He said " Because th'
one was built upon the eternal prinoi-
pies Of Gods truth. and the other upor
skepticism and the doubling Of al
+. truth" Mirabeau. typical Of the found
of the one. when dying called hi
,men about him and cried, Cover m
with flowers, intoxicate me with swee
perfumes and let me die to the soun'
of delicious music but Washington
and franklin died committing thei
souls and their country q future to thei
God" With men 30 with nations!
What will the next hundred year
bring 10 this great Republic OF ours
whe can answer oat Of the deep VI