Evening star., 1924-12-15

or the futility of the early century
pamphleteers against Thomas Jeffer-
son as iconiclast and antichrist, and
his mere detractors will themselves
either attain repellent fame as de-
tractors of greatness or else they will
pass out of memory and no one will
ask: sa
Who or what they have been
More than he asks what waves
OF the mdmost ocean have swelled.
FoameG for q moment and gone.
''The four closing years in the life of
woodrow Wilson were harsh, unheroic,
uninspiring years In public affairs, such
as generality follow the emotional
climaxes Of war. and 1T is common
place to describe them as years of
personal tragedy to him. A vast dis
lllusionment, a timorous distaste for
bold action, a kind of sham efaced-
ness and cynicism in the recollection
of its dreams, and faith in the tri-
! umph of moral ideals. seemed to hold
! the Nation in it's grasp. AS far as
Woodrow Wilson himself was con-
cerned. it Is well perhaps not to con-
fuse the bodily pain, the paisied side
and all the cold malignities of the
time with the essential meaning of
those years. Adversely had been
wanting In his career. and now it
was come upon him, and he was to
refinement. and the country was to
gain knowledge Of its power to smite
the hearts of just men with love for
the bafhed fighter who had known
none too much of popular affection in
his career of self-reliant conquest.
He carried his head high in the
dying days Of his public service,
omitting no duty his strength could
bear, meeting the gracious courtesy
OF he ~,
equal courtesy, as they rode away
from the White House, so deeply as
sociated in American history with
memories OF sorrow and pain, as we'll
as pomp and power. while unseen
of human eyes to each Of them alike,
tragedy with sceptered pail comes
sweeping by
I'm the days left to him as the first
private citizen of the Republic, un-
like Burke. he did not waste his
strength in windy opposition or fac
tious controversy.
''The very depth of dignity of his
silence won through to the imagina-
tion of men. and when he spoke, the
world stood at attention heartened
to have knowledge that his high
hopes for mankind were undimmed,
and that there wasS no faltering in
that firm faith of his that liberty
guided by reason and not by force
was the contribution of his century
to human advancement. 1 doubt not
that regrets visited his mind for lost
opportunities that might have been
better used. but a durable satisfac-
tion must needs have fortified his soul
in those long sequeStered days, that
even the DEVILS advocate must bear
witness that:
He 1ad loved no darkness
Sophisticated no truth,
Allowed fear.
"A grace which his heart craved came
in the exaltation and excitement OF the
vision of A valiant new generation
on the march, intent to light its
torches at the still burning fire of
his purpose to substitute for the ar
bitrament of war and death the reign
of law, to restore to the land of his
love and his loyalty It's surrendered
ascendancy. and to guarantee to the
principles he had fought for eternal
validity. The puzzle and complex of
his dual nature seemed at last to
fall into mould of simplicity and
consistency. we die but once. and We die
without distinction if we are not will
ing to die the death of sacrifice.
Honor and distinction come only as
rewards for service to mankind
IhOS w oodroW wilson had spoken
in the days of his strength to high,
hearted American youth. and now he
could Of right claim the supreme dis
tinctfon as his very own, And so
even as death enfolded him in its
shadows men paused in their busy
lives and came to comprehend that a
man of great faith had lived in their
era, revealing to them its beauty and
dignity. that a prophet had guided
their country and stirred the heart
of mankind in an hour of destiny
and that an incorruptible liberal
afame with will to advance the slow
ascent of man had Joined those whom
, men call immortal and stood among
that high fellowship
Constant the Northern Star,
OF whose true, fixed and lasting quality,
There is no fellow in the armament.