The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-06-09
W. m. H. comme3eeme3t

o-osO@9
society. affecting alike The statesman
aud the laborer, the prince and the
pauper, keeping them IN touch with
the past and urging them on to better
things In the future.
But tradition bears its face turned
toward the past while the scientific
spirit keeps its eyes fixedOn the futnre'
1t is this antagonlsm that keeps the
modern nations In the well balanced
present. The war between them Is
wholesome, tending to destroy what is
worst and to preserve what is best In
them both, We, as leaI' eines and as
nations, must continne TO live In the
shadow Of the past. 1t is inevitable,
but when we sink into the darker
shadows aud the scientific spirit is dis
couraged, superstition and stagnation
result. Tradition has Its mission and
we should respect It, but we do not
need to stop our onward march to en-
slave ourselves to 1t. The Chinese
committed that mistake, and are even
now laundering around In the mazes
Of the past from which il is hard for
the modern world to extricate them.
Spain, which In the zenith Of her pow
er, was mistress Of both continents, did
not realize wherein her powers lay.
Repressing the scientific spirit to the
Strengthening OF her old traditions, she
laid the basis Of her downfall. Sue
cumbing, she has dozed under Its COM
plete influence for two centuries, and,
today, suddenly awakening, she finds
herself relieved OF her last and most
valuable colonial possessions.
On the other hand the scientific
spirit Is no unmixed good. 1t has
never fed the fires Of patriotism, has
never been the inspiration Of national
literature, has never furnished the
theme for poetry, or given either sub
ject or Incentive TO art. 1t is cold, color
less, formless. II was not the foster
mother Of "the glory that was Greece
or the grandeur that was Rome"
Where II hourishes faith decays and
iconoclasm Is rampant. FIinc,,
affected by all the social and political
currents and cross currents, aud the
most variable Of the European nations,
has given II an exaggerated Importance
with the result that wild fluctuations OF
religious, political and social theories
have occurred, shaking its very founda-
tions and overturnlng government after
government, as in the revolution. Had
not her philosophers cast aside the
steadylng and binding inhaenee Of the
past and relied TOO implicitly upon
phllosophic theory, gravely reasoning
that man was happier In a state OF
nature, and that government was q
crime, the world never beheld tht
bloody scenes OF "9S' nor the gory
reign Of Robespiere and Danton.
A nation, rich in the memories of By
gone ages, full Of the glory handed
down to IL from time immemorial,
abounding 10 the fullnese OF the heroic
past, affords both the matter and in
centiye for the grand creations Of th'
poets and artists. Those finer flower
Of humanity have drawn their highes
and most powerful inspirations from
the past. This influence has been tn
motive Of patriotism and all thos'
generous passions which transmit mel
into heroes. II unifes people as heir
.,-..-.. -, - aaa.,o,
,s.,. 20. n,omo,o. oroa,,onoa \,
rivalry in the pursuit Of common aims
" "'' 40 ~ ,s '
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when ianu '''Ro'o i'' 'osenus'
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Ana ,,a sIorv canno, las,u
, Th,o mo,n;,o wo laave scboo, IN
/, ond or,er into lite,s scbool and tbi
,,u n,oh.h,, ho o,r ,.s, mo.,;ro n
a j,bs class of 1900. for we will soon b
+ sca,tsred IN tho vinds NJ heaven. eac
a ons ondeayoring to rise to som
on,,oroo and IN nrovo h,mself wor,b h
n, tho exnecta,ions of bis parents an,
, h,s ,o.ohors Ru, wbarever wa ma,
, no wa will aver rsmember viii
q rlsasure our old assoc,ates and IN
msrv hsnnv hours snent here Wa mr.
. .bon, IN break those relations whie
r.,,,, in closss, ,,es and bonds =