Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-06-20

ruined his president. his friend. his
cOuntry"
"And 1 nearly did. Mr.. Jefferson!'
broke out Meriwether Lewis. ''Do not
praise me too much. l was tempted'-
The old man turned toward him, his
face grave.
"You are honest. | value that above
all in you. You are punctilious to have
no praise not honestly won. Listen.
now!' He leaned toward the young
man, who sat beside him. II know
I knew all along-how you were tempt
ed She came Observation-Disclosures
very day you left
Lewis nodded, mute.
I'm some way. knew. the conspir-
ators fought against your success and
mine. l knew what agencies they in
| tended to use against you. 1t was
this woman. Had you failed should
have known why. know many things.
whether or not you DO. l know the
character of Aaron Burr well enough.
He has been craZed. carried away by
his own ambitions. God alone knows
where he would have stopped. He has
been a man not surpassed in duplicity.
He would stop at nothing. Moreover.
he could make black look white. He
did so for his daughter. She believed
in him absolutely. And, knowing some
what of his plans, imagined that he
would use the attraction Of that young
lady for you-the power which. all
things considered. she might be sup
posed to possess with you. l knew
the depth Of your regard for her. the
deeper for its hopelessness. And more
than all, knew the intentness and res
olution of your character 1t was hon
or saved you, your personal honor; that
was what brought us success. No
country is bigger than the personal
honor Of its gentlemen"
The bowed head of Meriwether Lew
is was his only answer. The keen
faced old man went on:
Il knew that before you had left the
mouth of the Ohio river he would do
his best to stop you. knew it before
you had left Harpers Ferry. But I
placed the issue in the lap of the gods.
applied to you all the tests-the Sc
verest testS-that one man can to an
other let you alone! For a year.
two years, three years. did not know.
But now do know. and the answer Is
yonder flag which you have carried
from one ocean to the other. The an
swer is in this map, all these hides
scrawled in coal, all those new thou
sands Of miles of land-Our land. God
keep it safe for us always. And may
the people one day know who really
secured it for them. 1t was not so
much Thomas jefferson as it was
Meriwether Lewis.
each time l dreamed that my sub
tie enemies were tempting you pray
ed in my own soul that you would be
strong: that you would go on; that you
would be loyal to your duty, no matter
what the cost God answered those
prayers, my boy! Whatever was your
need, whatever price you paid. you did
what l prayed you would do. When
the months passed and you did not
come back | knew that not even the
woman you loved could have called you
back. knew that you had learned
the priceless lesson of remuneration, of
sacrifice, through which alone the great
deeds Of the world always have been
done"
Meriwether Lewis stood before his
chief, cold and pale, unable to complete
much speech. Thomas Jefferson look
ed at him for moment before he
went on.
MY boy, you are so simple that you
will not understand. You do not I'M
derstand how we'll understand you.
These things are not done without
cost. If there was punishment for you
you took that punishment-or you will.
You kept your oath as an officer and
your snMritteD oath as = gentleman.