The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-09-25
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle.

Paper Read Before the Cha,tta,lQua Circle.
IF WE take it for granted that all
men were great who have been
i given that name, then the world
has seen any number of great
men. AS matter of fact, tho, there
have been but few men who were real
ly great. All nations boast of great
men, but when we compare their acts
and achievements with those of a man
like Lincoln, then their greatness seems
small indeed. However, they have pro-
duced men who, while according to our
standard may not have been great men,
were at least remarkable and interest
ing; interesting because of the things
they did and the unknown source of
their power, so beyond comprehension
as to be almost unbelievable. The sub
ject of this paper has been called
great man and he has been called a
knave. 1 do not believe he was either
of those, but am certain that he was
remarkable man.
In the history of our own country we
find no instance where the necessities
of the time did not produce the man of
the hour, but in looking back through
the riOtOus and rebelliOus history of
France we can see the time when cir
cumstances cried aloud for dictator,
but no man was found who was great
enough to grasp the reins of govern
>ment. Not SO, however, in the seven
teenth century, when the time brought
forth a man who laid his hand upon
the ensign of authority and by force of
his own personality compelled snbmis-
sion to his will by both people and king.
If there is anything for which France
is indebted to Louis XIII. it is for the
eighteen years during which he sur
rendered the government of his king
dom to the hands of Cardinal Armand
Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, who won
fame as churchman, soldier, wise
and able statesman and as an exalted
example of devotion to duty and coun-
try.
"When have once made up my
mind, l go straight to the point. 1 NOW.
down everything that stands in my
way and then cover it all with my red
cassock." In these words from his
own lips, we have the keynote to the
character of man who from 1924 to
1912 held the French empire in the hol-
low of his hand apd whose indomita-
BILE will ruled, not only the people,
but which also made the sovereign play
second fiddle in the empire and the
first in Europe. France can never for
get his services, for while he belittled
the king he added luster to the reign.
Under Richelieu France reached the
pinnacle of glory and fame, but finally
went down to perdition beneath the
internal and secret malady of absolute
power. The destruction of the French
empire was probably the result of just
such power, so unwholesome and
dangerous as Richelieu's, yet man
capable of welding it is to be admired.
Richelieu is easily the most prominent
character in the history of France.
Officially he was the servant of a royal
master; in reality he was master of the
king, and we might say to the credit of
that weak monarch that he had sense
enough to accept and play an insignif-
cant part in the affairs of state and
that he upheld with some fidelity q
man whose power CALLED all the while
it was serving him. Much evil has
been spoken of Richelieu, and perhaps
with some reason. Stern, harsh and
relentless in his public life, he is still a
man who has been much misjudged.
Posterity seems to have forgotten his
good deeds and preserved only the
memory of his harshness. It seems to
have been his great fault to be more
concerned about his object than scru-
pulous as to the means he employed in
accomplishing it. His principles we're
called unchristian and his conduct
characterized as brutal. In his own
time he was looked upon as q most