The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-04

difficult to perform. 1t would not
surely be to the interest or comfort OF
the South to find in him steady, reso-
lutte, ''strenuous" enemy. | woulo
much rather see him wise, benignen,
and friendly He has strength ant
weakness. He lacks balance and WIS.
dom. He is walking pathway all
strewn with thorns and hedged witt
briars. 1t presents d life of trial anG
tc1nptation At the end of the vista
that stretches away for four years
from next March there are the cor,
onal and peans. 1t is possible for
the cypress wreath To entane tnt
bow. and the curses of a great PEG
pie to minole with the requiem. IF,
however. during his four years of pro-
baton and suffering. he shall be true
to God to his conscience, to the PeoDie
at large he will perhaps stand amid
the glory crowned in the great ma
tons Valhalla. But if he fail in the
discharge the :ery responsible. the
very delicate, the very eXacting, the
vast duties which belong to his exalted
office, and lend himself to party
schemes. to low prejudices and in
satiate greed and plans of robbery on
the part of the Plutocracy of the mil
lions of the toilerS and bread-win-
nerS, he will be the President not of
his country, but of an all-devouring
faction; not of the People. but of the
few monetary magnateS, of section,
and not of the entire land. In that
event he may we'll expect the anath-
emas of the living, and the unmeas-
ured scorn and contempt of the mighty
generations as yet unborn. There is
but zone star" as the eloquent Pat
rick Henry said, by which to steer. II
he shall sink the patriot into the par
tisan merely. he is gone, irretrievably
gone. He must let duty be his pole
star-duty to country, duty to himself,
duty TO God Almighty. Is it a time
of crisis, of trial. it may be of peril.
1t is a time for patriotism and wis
dom and strength, and not a time for
party service, of ignorance, of vindic-
tiveness and weakness:
Cromwell [ charge thee, fling away
ambition:
BY that sin fell the angels; how can
man then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win
by't?
Love myself last; cherish those hearts
that hate thee:
Corruption was not more than honesty,
Still in thy right hand carry gentle
peace,
To silence envious tongues. Be just
and fear, not:
Let all the ends thou aims't at be thy
country's
Thy Gods and truths: then if thou
fall'st O Cromwell.
Thou fall'st blessed martyr"
Nations have their historic periods,
and so have individuals There is a
tide in the affairs of men, Some are
wise and wary. and seize the Decision
so pregnant with results and win the
highest place in a great nations ia
yor. Others are destitute of
pith and soul and they go
out with the ebbing flood, and
passing into silence are forgotten for
ever. 1t is a great thing In a human
life to determine to do right. If one
resolves that right shall be done even
though the world perishes or the
heavens fall: if he regard duty as
above all consequences if he look
neither to the right hand, nor to the
left, but right ahead, keeping always
lin the middle of the road, as Sam
Jones says, he will reach the goal
will not be disappointed nor mortified
at failure.
There is enough of virtue and good
ness left to understand, to appreciate
justice and honor, righteousness and
right conduct, and he who pursues it
will gather to himself by a course of
virtue and equity the good, the pure
and the true, whose smiles of approval
the applause of plunderers and sycop-
hants and robbers of The people nn-
der the forms of oppressive, vicious
legislation. Let man high in au-
thority, and power have faith in the
People, turn a deaf ear to the Whis-
perings of corrupt and designing mar
plots and thieves, and be guided in
his own conduct by wise and sound
principles, and all will be we'll with
him. Let him bear in mind what the
wise and healthful Seneca has said
that Power exercised with violence
has seldom been of long duration, but
moderation generally produces perma-
nence in all things"
This country at this cime of vanality
and abuse of power and wealth, needs
very greatly wise, faithful, good
President. There is a South as well as
a North, a West as well as an East.
There are great uneasiness, an under
current of dissatisfaction. a spreading
of vicious, depraved views. Want, suf-
fering, antagonisms, Missionaries
abound. All is not sunshine, and
peace and prosperity. Human ills
abound, and there may be seen lean
armed, hungry victims begging
for bread, while splendor and
display, pomp and luxury abound
in the charmed circle of the Money
Kings. In our land the cry of want
and misery ascends to the Father OF
all mercies who sits enthroned above
tie circle of the heavens. Here are
oppression and riots and wrongs and
lies and SANDERS many. Beware of
them,
Will President Roosevelt see straight.
take in the actual situation. ana
stretch out the helping. saving hand
Let the President brace himself strong
~ for the right and the true. Let
him listen to the words of one of the
men of the North who fought against
the South: hear the noble Hal
pine, whose form for decades has
been still lin this alabaster arms of
death, as he poured forth in me1o
dlous verse the living charity,and love
OF ms own bright soul, and hearing
be generous to the South,
Gentle IN deed, and in word of mouth
FOR no craven brand on the fore
head shines
III the men who met US in volleying
And fought for the flag of the
South"
North Carolina has one moot stip
among us who sometimes strikes his
harp strings with melodious effects
and produces verse that is not directi,