The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-12-31
Observations
People Seem to
be Same in Any
Period Of Time
BY HELEN EssARY

one step inside the revolving door
OF tho entrance 10 the Capitol and
you felt 81. The afr OF depression.
or hefuddlemont. OF surrender al
most. 10 the inevitable.
Wandering from Senate to House,
alonc halfaeserted corridors, star
Ing down al members OF the highest
legislative body in the world as
they slumped IN their seats in the
UPPER and lower House and vague
" listened 10 their colleagues
long. meanderinC speeches, l
thought.
This is most dreary spot, What
has become OF that glorious elati0n
that drove us into world saving
and war We must have shown
more originality when We were
po'lywogs in those frankly WOODY
DAYS before we decided 10 have
minds Of our own. People are real
ly terrible
It's time to take 70 books for en-
couragement and wisdom. I'll go
10 the Congressional library. I'll
look into some old newspapers and
see what the brave people OF the
republic were thinking and doing
when this American nation was
young. surely We had more sense
than we have now.
The library was both peaceful
and purposeful. In the big vaulted
reading room. men and women went
silently about. getting books from
shelves or just sitting quietly, read
ing. Lost happily in a world OF
Imagination. The document and
newspaper room was bright and
sunshiny. The clerk in charge, a
very elegrant gentleman with
cultured voice and pink cheeks. or
dered out some samples OF public
opinion and behavior in Boston IN
1903 by way OF the New England
Palladium.
All, l said, as turned the first
pages of the Palladium. We were
a great people then! No class
prejudices. No sectional hatreds.
We worked together as one big
loyal family. My eyes caught
promptly an essay entitled THE
Virginian". Good, here no doubt
IS scholarly New England paying
what, in those days, was called
eloquent tribute TO the citizens OF
a sister state. read as follows:
This article is translation from
the French Journal Des Debats. On
the whole it may be acknowledged
as an uncommonly accurate pic
ture OF a native Of a particular part
Of southern America.
THE Virginian is proud, fond of
expense but paying a fellow as
seldom as possible. A guild OF to-
bacco in his mouth, seated negli- 4
gently on a half overturned chair.
he boasts Of his hunting. counts
his horses, and tells you how many
slaves he has bought and sold in
that year. He is tolerable fond OF
his wife. Caresses his children
willingly but is to distraction fond
Of his young colt.
He is vain, superstitious. In
dulges in every pleasure to excess
lis more amiable in society than
estimable az home. And is a great
patriot as long as his personal IN
terests permit"
Oh. dear! Oh, dear! What a dis
couraeing discovery. I had hoped
TO find the Founding Fathers more
kind. Less bigoted. But what Is
this paragraph? Not a reflection
of international distrust! Some
English journalists remain still
prey to discord. Every line they
print is marked with blood"
And what Of other parts OF the
world IN the good old days when
life, liberty and the pursuit OF hap
piness were taken solemnly?
All, Here is a message TO the
national legislature from TIL. JEFF.
ferson imparting information on the
part Of Spain Of a treaty between
the United States and Spain"
And the rumor in Washington
that the French have taken posses
sion OF Louisiana" Likewise an
unpleasant Memorial TO the Board
Of Health on Cowpox"
And here. a t.mid hope that in
regard to the impeachment Of a
Judge Adison that ii party spirit
had anything to do with the i'm.
parchment it will have no effect in
his trial or the decision thereon"
l was right at first. People are
and always have been terrible. 1t
IS only in books that their peculari-
ties become entertaining. This is
why Libraries are so agreeable.
In conclusion let Us re-read this
1864 thought OF Abraham Lincoln:
Human nature will not change.
In any future great national trial
compared with the men Of this, we
Ehall have as weak and as strong,
IF silly and as wise, as bad and as
good