The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-11-30
DESTINY.

No man, no men no people can shape
the course of human affairs. Man, the
individual, may be to degree respon-
sible, but in working out his salvation
he follows the guidance not Of his work
aday mind but the suggestion OF sub
conscious promptings. So it is with
nation. The statesman who succeeds is
one who sees the direction of national
impulse and seems to originate en- idea
when he merely proclaims consum-
nation. Man knows as little, perhaps,
of why he performs his routine OF life as
do his vegetable kindred which are some
times used for fiTewood. Both accom-
plish their destiny because the germ OF
that destiny is born with them. Science
has named it the subjective mind in man.
In the so-called lower life it is alluded
to as the nature of the thing. But it is
all a fate so sure that ones egotism is
staggered by its serene unhuman being;
and because of this we call it the soul.
The idea that a nation has soul is
not new. Allusion to the genius OF
people can be traced as far back into the
ages as history or tradition reaches.
This genius or soul comes with the birth
of the nation and departs when the ma
ton has accomplished its destiny.
The workaday mind of a man is said
by science to be a mere continuance Of
the soul to save itself contact with raw
externals. It gives such inspiration to
the human mind as it pleases and enough
to serve its purposes. And because all
things human are faulty, and especially
vain, this nakeshift mind OF man some
times arrogates to itself much egotism
and selfwill and carries the body into
foolish ways. 1t is as prone to error as
the sparks are prone to fly upward, but
it is especially unwise when it thinks
that it is thinking. Only when the soul
is using this human instrument does it
perform worthy functions, and human
mind through which the soul shines
clear and constant is reckoned sanity.
The human works of such a mind are
called the works of genius.
Art, literature, architecture, science
are various names for the manifestations
Of the genius CT q people. To the degree
that these things develop toward perfec-
ton, to that degree is nation said to bt
civilized. Those nations which have
developed the arts to the highest degrees
have been the most religious. Wher
such people have ceased to be religion:
they have lost their taste AID ceased tx
be artistic and, having served their pur'
pose, their nationa'ity has departed from
them.
The English artist, critic and author
John Ruskin, has said that the religion
of people is always reflected in thei
architecture. He might have said tina
the same thing applies to all the arts ant
sciences, for when men cease to build
paint and invent for the glory of Co.
they begin to live and work in vain, TO
there is no soul in any thing that the
do. Egotism and error, calamity an
death come to the nations that forge
God, just as it comes to the individua
man.
All the beautiful examples Of architec
ture and sculpture that have been Pre-
served fran the works of antiquity ar
OF religious nature. All of those mos
perfect pictures an exquisite works {
architecture and sculpture that still SUI
vive in civilized countries were painte;
builded and chiseled by devout men wit
the service of religion in mind and tn
glory of God as their end.
Work can be either pleasure or
sweating pain. If ones soul is in tt
work that is Cone the Gays of work al
white days and only idleness is dull
The man who loves Eis work is a hapE
man in the doing of it, and when he
Old and works no more tho memoir of
is never failing source of pleasur
And the man who has no soul in his wol
has no good will in it. 1t is not GOO
work. His mind, uncontrolled, runs ri
and deals with unheal5hful desires ar
indulgencies. Eavy, hate and soI:Isi
ness fill such men TOO full for hea tn
either soul o. body, and the soul depart