The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-28
DEARTH OF GREAT MEN.
Review of Lives of Men. A Remarkable Scarcity OF
Master Minds in the World.

To the Editor A survey of the world
reveals a remarkable scarcity of master
minds
| In art no Michael Angelo or Raphael
commands the admiration of the cultured
classes. The living artists are imitators
and copyists of the .-.dstrious dead-''the
cid masters
Notwithstanding colleges and universe
ties have increased in a geome.llcaI ratio
| in the last two centuries, and educated
men so-called have multiplied by thous-
ands, still all these facilities with mil
| lions of men and money have faiied to
produce a Spencer, Milton, a Shakes
peare or Bacon.
Lord Byron, says Macaulay. died in
1924, at the age of SO, the most cele-
brated Englishman OF the Nineteenth v,A-
fury" A period of seventy five years has
not furnished his equal. No otner writer
ever created such a sensation by his pen.
He was the most rapid composer the world
has known, and has written verse which
will live as long as the language is
spoken" But for the immoral tinge in
his poems he would rank next to Milton
and Shakespeare.
Tennyson, while a master of measure
affatus-the glory of verse. Today no
star of the first magnitude adorns our
literary armament.
Three youths were members of the
holy Club"-the cradle of Methodism.
One, Charles Wesley, become the first
hymnologist of Christendom; another,
pit orator Of modern times. He often
prea ched to 10000 people on the commons
of London. Benjamin Franklin says he
could speak to 10000 in open air, and
every word could be heard distinctly. The
great philosopher tells how by sheer eio-
quence he compelled him to give his cop
his WILL to his Bethesda orphanage At
first he decided to give nothing because
he did not approve of it, as he was per-
suaded he resolved to give his copper,
then his silver. at last his gold. One
man in the congregation left his money
at home so as not to give, but was so
captivated by the marvellous speaker that
he borrowed from his neighbor. The cold,
critical skeptic David Hume, said it was
worth going twenty miles to hear Whit
field.
John Wesley, the last of the trio, be-
came the greatest moral rorce since the
Apostle Paul. the most wonderful evan
gelist and the foremost organizer OF the
Christian church Did ever such small
company produce SO many such men of
mark
No other character in history so blends
the soldier, sovereign and patriot as
Washington. AS a statesman, Thomas
Jt fferson occupies the most exalted place
among the leaders of the world. To be the
author of the Declaration OF independence
the father OF religious liberty in Vir-
ginia, the founder of the University OF
Virginia, and the procurer of the Lou
isiana Purchase is as much as any unin-
spired man has ever been permitted to do
for mankind.
1t is said that oratory is a lost art
Today neither political party has a match
less leader None can speak like Clay,
meme can execute like Jackson.
The pulpit has few stars. New England
has none so admired as Phillips Brooks,
the nation none to attract like Talmage,
and none so quoted as Beecher, the
Shakespeare OF the pulpit, and the most
superb orator this scribe ever heard. But
for the scandals attached to his name,
he would have been the greatest divine
OF his time. Today Bishop A. w. Wilson
is~the most profound preacher and think
er in the Southern pulpit.
In England no divines appear to sue
coed the immortal trio, Sturgeon, Parker
and Farrar.
AS public leaders, England has no
Gladstone, France no Gambetta, Germany
no Bismarck, China no Ii Hung Chang.
In architecture our State and National
Capitols attest that we have not learned
to surpass the Doric, Corinthian ard
Ionic columns in use before Christ. The
same principles of logic are in vogue used
by ARISTOTLE two thousand years ago
Profane history mentions no other man
who could perform so many intellectual
feats as julius Caesar, who may still be
called ''the foremost man in all the
verdi"
In invention there has been more ad-
vance than in any other line of investi-
CATION In this field we are glad to note
that the United States leads the world
Here Thomas A. Edison is the brightest
star of the nineteenth century Franklin
caught the fiery steed in the clouds and
this wizard of the wise succeeded in har-
Messing him in divers ways.
The sciences of mathematics and
astronomy have no son worthy to stand
| by the glorious Newton who showed that
earth, stars and solar system are he'd
| by one law.
Medicine has made wonderful strides in
| half century. Two centuries ago it was
scarcely worthy of the name Of a science;
| now hv non of sedatiyeg and antisenticS