The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1901-08-17
The Principal Of Associated
Effort.
Concluded from Page 2.)

Concluded from Page 2.)
understand one another and
Easily act together. The grand
manouvre to which Napoleon
owed his victories, the concentra-
tion of great forces on G single
end, is thus placed within the
each of all parties and of all
ec's. BY these facilities of inter
course, men are brought within
one another's attraction and be.
come arranged according to their
affinities. Those who have great
object in common, find one an
other out, join their forces, settle
their "modus operandi," and act
together with the uniformity of
we'll disciplined army. BY no
great stretch OF the imagination
we can conceive of coalitions so
extensive through the facilities
described, that when a lew lead
ers have agreed on and settled a
plan of operation, an impulse
may be given in few days to
the whole country, and a voice
like that of many waters called
forth from immense and widely
separated multitudes. Here, then,
is power that moves nightly
upon society, and it is a great
moral question how it ought to
be viewed and what obligations
it imposes.
Passing over the consideration
o. the perils to which the abuse
of the principle exposes, it is
obvious that it has many advan.
tages and recommendations.
"Men can do jointly what they
cannot do singly. The union of
minds and hands works wonders.
Men grow efficient by concentra-
Ting their powers. Joint effort
conquers nature, hews through
mountains, rears pyramids, dikes
out the ocean. Man left to him
self, living without a fellow-if,
indeed, he could so live-would
be one of the weakest of creatures.
Associated with his kind, he gains
dominion over the strongest ami.
mals, over the earth and the sea,
and, by his growing knowledge,
may be said to obtain a kind of
property in the universe. Nor is
this all. Men not only accumu-
late power by union (; but gain
warmth and earnestness. The
heart is kindled" An electric
communication is established be-
tween thoss who are brought into
mutual sympathy and yoked to-
gether in the exercise of noble
end. "Man droops in solitude.
Nothing animates him like the
voice of his fellow. The mere
sight of a human countenance,
frightened with strong and gem
erous emotion, gives new strength
to act and suffer" Union not
only brings to a focus forces
which before existed, and which
were Intellectual through separa-
ton; but, by the feeling and
interest which it arouses, it be-
comes creative principle, calls
forth new forces, and gives the
mind consciousness of powers
which otherwise would have been
unknown. Man, awakened to the
consciousness of such powers,
looks with new eyes on himself
and on the world in which he
lives. This great truth, when
seized on clearly and vigorously,
burns like living coal in his
soul, and stirs it to its very depth,
breaks up old associations of
ideas and est ablishes new ones;
just as mighty agent of chem
istry, brought into contact with
natural substances, dissolves the
old affinities which had bouod
their particles together and ar
ranges them anew. A conception
like this, perceiving something
better, catching glimpses of dis
tant possibilities and prophesying
improvements proportioned to
conscientious effort, and reading
noble lessons OF the probabilities
in the events which pass before
him, gives wings to his soul and
energy of purpose.