The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-23

which develop in time the great current
OF thought and purpose. Otherwise he
as an evidence of crystallized purpose,
overlooking the fact that those convic-
tions which finally BECOME the guiding
impulse of human action must have
man nature and directed to what for the
time being. and in the light of existing
conditions. seems to best serve the cause
OF humanity. , tsgz
AS the most magnificent demonstration
Of power Is man In the concrete, moving
forward as yast.0resistless force. SO the
surest evidence Of human wisdom Is
thought in the concrete, when it Is the
thought of people, moving along. the
line OF human progress, because 1t IS
guided by the almost unerring instinct
with which the spirit OF progress seems
to be endowed. So true is this unerring
instinct that even when people havs
moved by some common impulse that
seemed born of the very spirit of de-
struction, the ultimate benefit proved
that what at the time seemed to be but
the riot of madness in the end demon
strated that correctness of the instinct of
progress. MI .ea
1t. detracts nothing from the need of
praise due Washington to say that in
fathoming the principle of human nature.
in measuring the force and correctness
OF ripening thought, he must yield the
palm paint to one greater than ne. or al lime, men
stands at the head of those who were
able to measure the causes~and anticipate
the result of human thought and purpose.
of human nature was the fact that he
carried to the most exalted station the
influence of his early environment. From
the lofty height to which he attained, he
could still sound with unerring judgment
the depth Of the great sea of humanity
from Which he Sprang, and thus 1t was
that amid all the conflict of petty purpose,
OF warning faction, and 'clashing preJu-
h c tlarxyor ha az
calmly conscious of the gathering forces
which would not only sound the death
knell of treason. but forever destroy the
system system of .i slavery which he hated and
human nature, his faith in the American
people, enabled him to await the ripening
of American thought. conviction and pur-
pose with that calm patience and abso-
lutte assurance with which the mariner
awaits the coming Of the tide.
While Washington must yield the palm
to Lincoln in this. yet Washington stands
as one who possessed to a rare degree
the ability to judge Of the ultimate con-
Ylction and purpose of a people; but his
knowledge Of human nature was not so
much the product of early environment,
nor even of sympathetic associations, but
his faith in mans devotion to lofty pur-
pose sprang more from the unerring in
stinct of his own exalted conceptions.
put this is always a sure guide to the I'll.
innate, concrete thought and purpose of
man. and it enabled him, surrounded as
he was by intrigue and conflicting ,pur-
poses, to hold to that abiding faith in the
ultimate purpose of the people which sus-
tanned him In every trial.
When the soldier and statesman contrib
ute to national growth and grandeur,
yet the handspring of all national great
the achievement of the soldier and exalts
the purposes and aims of the states
man. Without patriotism, courage sinks
to the level of brutality! and statesman
RI fbn a of +fe0-, @I1+ f4c
Again, important as war is as factor
In the evolution of human progress, it
must not be forgotten that after all the
silent but potent force, and that force in
all ages has been the character and SEN
timent of a people.
All history abounds with the evidence
of this truth Sometimes it has been evil
denced by great reactionary movements
which have practically reversed the de-
crees of war, again it has been evidenc-
ed by. the character Of a people furnish
ing the inspiration of a great achieve
ment. or in the absence of that character
Fastening the hour of national decay.
Time will not permit of a review of
We only have to look beyond the fleet
ing lights and shadows OF history to dis
cover in the background the force of SEN
timent and thought as a great historic
Washington stands pre-eminent in the
hearts and minds of men, His achieve
ments as a soldier, his far-reaching judg-
ment as a statesman, are dwarfed in
comparison with the spirit of his exalted
patriotism When the story Of his
achievement as soldier, when the Ia
bors of those who laid the foundation of
our government live only on the musty
page of half-forgotten history. men will
stand In admiration, contemplating the
exalted character of Washington, the
patriot II. The browning e, glory E ,. OF Wash
than all other associations, was his re-
fusal to enslayefthe people whom he had
fought to liberate. His grief at the
him as capable of betraying his trust was
only equaled by his indignation at the
thought that there could be among his
associates those who, even driven by the
stress of desire for a hrmer government,
were willing to turn back the wheels of
human progress and substitute a mon
archy for republic. Unlike Caesar, the
crown was not thrice offered ed Washing
righteous wrath and Indignation sufficed
for all time to carry the conviction Of
his sincerity of purpose.
We have pointed out something of the
differences between the statesman and
the patriot States1nanship, from the fact
that it cannot far outrun the great cur
rent Of popular thought. must Of neces-
sity adapt itself to time and condition.
What may seem the craftsmanship of
one age may become the idle dream of
another, but patriotism is endowed with
Immortality. it is the love OF country t.y
of humanity. andoin its character 1T is
the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
trust it is no trespass upon the cour-
tesies Of this occasion to illustrate this
thought and this comparison by ref
erence to existing conditions. In the
drama of the last few years the states.
man has played MS part but .,ot the great great
has been the motive power and the guide
of American action. The American peo-
pie looked with mingled horror and SYM
pathy upon a suffering neignpor; erushea
tyranny, driven to slaughter and sacrifice
by the instinct of Spanish brutality.
Some perfidious hand, inspired by a
treacherous hatred, obliteratfng all
thought of humanity fired the train that
hurled American seamen into eternity.
No statesman could have foreseen this
event Between Spanish egotism on the
one hand and on the other the sympathet-
lie puIsations of the American heart
beating with quickened and intensified
force, war was the inevitable logic OF
sequence.
The fortunes of war led to the crush
Ing Of Spanish power and the humbl1ng
of Spanish pride in the distant Orient.
Statesmen could formulate the terms OF
treaty, statesmen could play the role OF
diplomatic courtesy, statesmen could
name amounts and terms, exalt their
mission with the air of mystery, but the
current Of American thought and SYM
pathy Kept moving on IN d IeSistlesS tloo
that would have consigned forever to
oblivion the suggestion of leaving the
people of those distant isles writing be-
meath the weight Of Spanish hate and
cruelty.
While patriotic motive and sympa thetic
impulse, quickened by the Inspiration of
free institutions. may have carried US be-
yond the pale of Washington's vision. yet
We are guided by that same broad, patri-
otto principle that was the crowning glory
of Washingtons character. Statesman
ship. as we have said, keeping touch with
conditions, thought, and purpose, may be
changing in its subject and transient in
It's object but patriotism. born of lofty