The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-12-31

than . crust of bread and q shelter.
How pathetic 1t might read II we
should paraphrase little andd make
Scripture say, "The foxes have holes.
and the birds of the air have nests. but
the Sons of the People have not where
to lay their heads"
Individual In Reality.
The right to use history will also
teach us that the terms government"
nation" society" are only abstract
conceptions, and that the only reality
Is the individual who lives, acts, suf-
fers. and that this Individual, like
Christs poor. is with Us always. His
presence. before our very eyes. should
be the flaming torch by whose light
we should read with charity and SYM
pathy. Thousands of Americans
through slavery days read the history
OF the Jew in bondage without q
thought of interpreting those annals Of
serv1tude by the object lessons Of
slaves at their doors. They could
teach about the slaves in ancient his
tory while hearing the lash of the
slavedriver or the groans of the vic
Tins Of brutality. Behold the
heathen!" said John Randolph to a
missionary society as he pointed to a
gang of chained slaves passing the
church. Women shed tears over the
sufferings of the Christian slaves in
Rome and could not for those tears
see the cruelties around them.
History Needs Application.
or what use is all of this teaching
Of history If we do not give it flesh
and blood, If we do not apply 1t to the
living individual who acts and suf-
fers in our sight?
History records revolution, but
seldom speaks of the sufferings of the
oppressed who brought about the rev.
olution. Every thong, every torture,
every lash upon the back of the
scourged, every thumb-screw and rack,
every fagot and stake, every loath-
some prison, every instance of mans
inhumanity to man, every bastile and
dungeon was building up. like the slow
growing coral reefs, the American
revolution-the most far-reaching
event in the history of man. This
revolution, brooding for centuries, was
well-nigh over when the shot heard
round the world" was fired at Lexing-
ton. The war of seven years was only
to plant more firmly and seal with
blood the great truths that came from
ages of intellectual ferment, for all
permanent victories travel in the
groove of thought. This whole contest,
beginning with the first rude awaken
ing of the human mind, and Towering
in the final crushing defeat of British
brutality and stupidity on American
soil, was fought out to establish the
right to labor the right to labor's re-
n fJn rifr
pursuit of happiness-fought out not
to establish religious federation, but
religious liberty, intellectual liberty,
individual liberty.
Forms Record Of Mistakes.
And so history, as generally viewed.
is the story Of dead things or tale of
something that never happened. 1t
is record Of mans mistakes, from
which we gather little profit. Herodo-
tus, the Father of History, cleared his
skirts when he said, "It is my business
to relate what is told me, but I am
under no obligation to believe it."
Emperor William, of Germany, who
is little understood by the modern
apes, parrots and phrase-mongers, said
recently:
"Our people are taught to learn by
heart the names of generals, battles
and tactics of the Punic war, but they
know nothing of the Seven Years War,
and less of the wars Of 1866 and 1870.
Historical lessons should bear upon
the problems of today. Too much i'm
pOrtance has been given to memorized
learning, too little to character and the
needs of modern life. we want vigor-
Gus men who can serve their country
as intellectual leaders. These myopic
students are good for nothing, for
what can a man see without eyes?
Men should not see this world through