The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-12-08
THE SPIRIT OF The WEST,

Gently wrote an article in which M
contrasts the spirit pervadinR th'
eastern colleges with the spirit 81
western colleges. DR.. Andrews say
that the difference is very real and
worthy of remark, though hard to de
fine with exactness The following
paragraph from The article mentioned
is very significant A colleague once
said 10 me When we taught IN the
East, we were obliged to be all the time
proddng our students. Here the table,
are turned our pupils are all the time
proddinR us. "
The difference, however. can be easily
accounted for 1t il not ut all -urpris-
ing, especially not TO those conversani
with the philosophy Of history.
The spirit of the Greeks during tn"
era Of their intellectual supremacy wa
quite different from, and immeasnrabIl
superior to. that characteiIziug the in
habitants Of the countries whence they
the Greeks had borrowed the pm
mary elements Of their knowledge. But
there came time when the intellcciu
atty Of the Greeks was eclip@ed by that
of the Romans. not because the phy-i
cal and mental endowmeuts Of tue
latter were superior to those oi tht
former, but because all the conditions
at Rome during its era Of literary glory
and supremacy were such ~ to favor
the fullest development Of every latent
power Of many of her gifted citizens
II was the spirit that pergaded the
center Of the Roman nation the Aplllt
that inspired and animated the Roman
people that rendered the wondrous
military, literary and Architectural
achievements Of the Romans possible
II was this same spirit that made the
Romans the law givefs Of future nations
And there were similar reasons for the
marvellous achievements Of the
Athenians during the Pcriclran age.
II was the spirit that pervaded the
English people during the age Of revival
that cansed the Renaissance To- cuml
nate in the production ofH Shakespeare
The spirit that pervades n country must
nj cessarily eliminate in man whose
natural endowments are Of the highest
order and whose mental organization
and spiritual tendencies are such IA TO
render him more responsive than any
one elre 10 the influences peryadlnR the
country II ha- often been said that n
great genius il independent Of his en-
vronment that he wlll create his IN
vironment This il indeed true within
only Every truly Rrca, man Is both u
leader and follower To the cxtrrt
that he IL u leader he partly thnl 10y no
means wholly creates biz environment
The spirit Of the times must therefore
be pIOpiious for the production Of u
Miltlades or an Alexander. Hannibal
or n Scipio, u Caesar or Il pompry u
Napoleon or II Bluachcr - Wellington
or Marlborough, GuAtayu- AdolphG-
or n Walcnetcin Washington or u
Grant The same applies 10 the literary
luminares produced by every civilized !
nation during it, Augusan period If
letters, and the same applies to thu
appearance of suCh statesmen ~ LETTER /
son and Lincoln IN the hour Of need
The intellectual activity of tn peopl,
OF distant colony IL not unrre
quently far in advance If that in the
mother country becAu-e Of the energy I
and virility u men in Youthful uatlon
or province in which the spirit If hbuy
auimates every poul This tact wnS
strikingly manifest III the Clt.c Of he
original colonies n the Atlantic
seaboard prior 10 the Revolutionary
war II was the spirit If liberty. ana
the c0DHe1uent intellectual ncuylty of
the Americans that gave birth To- the
declaration u Independence and 10 tn
federal contribution
The spirit Of the West is now in nd
vance Of the spirit u the East lar
reasons which are analogous f. those
that caused the founder- Of oar govern
ment TO entertain moro eplyh,.rcd
views than those prevailing IL Enpb,n1
the theory of government
md free institutous
The whole drift 81 thing. i, ~,
,ontbfpl W41 IL sncb a.,,=a,,,n,l,.
effort There il ut,,,..- ~