Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-21

among the most Impressive ana lnSIruc-
tive objects that meet the eye Of the tour
list in Europe are the statues in beautiful
white marble Of Frederick the Great and
Napoleon, in their sick chairs, slowly
wasting away. Great patrons! AS pow
erfui as Yoric's skull! And in a little
while as offensive as that
Man was never made for man-worshIp.
Nor was he made to lean upon one as
weak and helpless and uncertain as him
self. Half the time he'll find his patron
leaning upon him. And the blind leading
the blind meet disaster. Great hopes and
expectations are for the most part idle
and disreputable and misleading dreams
and fanc;es. Divine honors and conf
dences bestowed on man defraud the Al
mighty of what man owes to him alone,
and bring their own punishment In shame
and failure.
Divine honors are due only to the Dr.
vine Being. And man is highest and SAT-
est in honoring and trusting only the
Almighty, whose image and superscrip-
ton he bears. When the Romans began
to make their erperors divine. then be-
gan the decline and fall Of their empire.
Divus julius was soon followed by Divus
Vitelius. Domitian. Caligula. and Nero.
And with such as gods, how low and
wretched were the people. Idol worship
easily passes into the degradation of the
fetch. And honor paid to vice
and crime quickly degrades those
who yield or pay the tribute:
while honor bestowed on truth and
virtue and high manhood returns to hon
or and bless the giver. A cup OF cold wa
ter to the righteous man in honor of right
eousness is sure Of an honorable re-
ward.
Man was not made to worship or lean
on man. Compassion and respect we owe
to all mankind because of the high dig
nifty of our race. and because of the inn
age and superscription borne on the face
and figure OF every man But beyond that
special honor Is due to special grace or
virtue. or special benefaction. or to the
Importance and dignity and responsibility
with which an individual is identified. In
common life we love and honor men
according to their virtue and grace. In
public life the individual is lost in the
public officer. whether it be king, presi-
dent. Judge. or policeman.
The gentleman and man horors all men.
but he is ready to pay special fear, tribute
and honor wherever it is due.
And yet the gentleman is the jealous
guardian Of his own self-lespect. He
guards as his sacred duty the just and
liberal rendering of his private and pub
lie tributes and duty to high and low,
he keeps gently. but far away. from the
least approach or suggestion of time serv-
ing; from the faint or suspicion of selfish
motives. OF those who do such things
he says: o, my soul. come not thou unto
their secret; unto their assembly, mine
honor. be not thou united!
To the honorable man such companies,
whether they be courts of kings or presi-
dents, or great social centers, are in
fected districts, diligently to be avoided
Procul, o procul este profani! They are
gardens producing fruits of Sodom and
the vintage of Gomorrah. They are places
Of worship where man-worshippsrs
abound; where, in evil mixture, good. bad.
and Indifferent, are confounded: where
even if virtues or graces are present. they
are not easy to be Observation-Disclosures
by fashion.
Indeed, the time and care spent on
their places and pursuits are poor paying
investments.