The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-05-25
THE SUPER-MYSTERY'
Splendid Graduation Essay
of Thos. Butler Dowda,
of Palatka High
School.
Given the Place of Honor in the Pro.
gram as the Best Essay"

A short time ago, after months of
dc,ibe,at;on, solemnly, and with a
deep sense of duty ard service to
mankind, our President decided on an
entrance into the world conflict, the
result of which will determine what
manner o. civilization is to dominate
the human race in the generations to
come.
And more profoundly than ever,
since the matter is now vitally our
own, do we ponder the question as to
why, even in the hearts of a peace-lov-
ing people like ours, the heroic waste
fulnes8 that we call war continues to
be the only sure way of establishing
the ideals in which we trust.
Tn riuch we know from the depths
of our souls, that when war like
this becomes a necessity. the need for
our appeal to it rises from something
fer r1ore compelling tllCn mere bru-
tality and greed Of power.
By no process Of reasoning can we
understand the instinct that holds US
in so mighty grip. We can but feel
that war is the great mystery, the
master-tr2gc in the destiny of ma
tons, and that it owes its persistence
to impulses deeper than all logic and
older thHn humanity Itself. And we
c&n c1ly trust that behind the an
guish of such a test of fi-c and sword |
there is some f2thomlcss mystery of |
love and spiritual rcbirth.
Tho II, for ,Iror
our race, and persists froll generation
to generation, a battling heritage of
glory and woe. We buy life with
death and peace with blood. No great
people ever begins its history with
an era of agriculture. 1t is always
tic successful ending of some great
conflict that establishes q nation; and
strength of arms and preparedness
for war that holds it to its destiny.
On the service and self denial of its
dying soldiers rises the future of
each new country's life; from the tram
pied battle fields of struggling armies
grows tlc golden grain by which its
people live and work, and there
blooms the scarlet flowers of sleep
which fill their souls with visions and
dreams.
We cannot fathom nor analyze this
instinct that so holds US. 1t is last
for blood, call to duty or tc glory,
or wh"t you will. We only know tat
a flame of courage and devotion leaps {
to meet the futter of flags, the roll
of drums, and the rhythmic tread of I
feet. 1t is an instinct with the val '
liant cpirit of physical bravery TO. its I
sevcrctst test and the mingled agony 7
of blood and tears for its sign md G
seal. r
And We, too, know that by some /
strange combination, this defiant fear /
Iessnecs Of bodily harm and hurt is t
by its contact with the o
soul, and issues from out of the beast n
lness and horror Of wars carnage
and death endowed with the undying "
qualities of chivalry, patriotism, cour- t
sge end faith. "
Like the frail dreaming son of the n
great Emperor, mankind shrinks in a
'ickcning horror from the blood and s.
'Gin of rocking battle fields. But s
ike hin, too. we feel above our O
,rowS the shadow of some eagles lA
ging, and let but the bugle blow its Il
.istant call. or the captain order the 81
hargo, and the soldiers shout their n
attIe cry, and to US cores. the dele W
ium of fight, the ecstasy of battle. s.
he Ilre of danger and the frenzy of
he fray. HI
Trafalgar, Marathon. Salamis, Has re
ngsS, Gettysburg, Waterloo, Cressv, NJ
lGnicourt, or Thermopvlac. Find the II
amos thGt stir blood ike these. Men II
i.e BY the thousands for the square NJ
I cotton bupting that hanuans to be tn
heir country's flag. or face untold ne
ortu2e for some ideal vision that holds al