artist exclaim: "Immortal work." Turning quickly the Emperor asked: "What is the average life of an oil painting?" "Five hundred years,"answered the artist. "Immortal!" the Emperor scornfully repeated as he passed on, thinking, doubtless, of his own strange career. I have read that when Horace, the Latin poet, ventured to predict immortality for his work, he could think of no higher symbol of immortality than the Eternal City and her temples; and so Horace declared that his verses should be read so long as the vestal fires should burn upon the sacred shrine of the temple. Centuries ago the vestal fires went out, never to be rekindled. The very temple has crumbled to ruins, and today the antiquary is unable to determine where on the Capitoline hill the great citadel once stood. It is close to blasphemy to assert much concerning the perpetuity of earthly governments; but the great trial through which we passed triumphantly, warrants the hope that our beloved nation, found (F) ed upon the intelligence and loyalty of the masses, shall not soon pass away. To sum up, in conclusion, all lessons in one, the war should teach us POWER CONFIDENCE IN THAT ALMIGHTY DECIDES THE DESTINY OF MEN AND NATIONS. I have said that the war was not a necessity. I believe it true. flict was inevitable. But con Two hundred and seventy years ago an idea found its way to Plymouth Rock. That idea was democratic equality. Two hundred and seventy years ago another idea, through the introduction of negro slavery, became the basis of Southern life and morals. That idea was aristocratic usurpation. Between these God has set eternal enmity. The negro was, for fifty years, a prominent figure in American politics, for the sole reason that with his fate was bound up the cause of civil liberty in the New World. With the negro a slave, aristocracy triumphed With the negro a free man, democracy triumphed. One of these principles must prevail. It is suggestive to note how, at this distance, we judge every public man of that long period by his attitude toward the slave. By that, and by nothing else. Calhoun rendered the State many and important services, but this avails his memory nothing. He was the chief bulwark of slavery and secession. Clay's public life was long, and varied and useful, yet we recall little save that he strove by compromise to marry justice to iniquity. Webster, idol of New England, defender of the Constitution, how he dimmed the glory of his early career by that miserable defense of the Fugitive Slave Law! And so we judge them, one and all, by their attitude toward justice and humanity. The lowliest soldier who fought be neath the flag, understanding the nature of the conflict as between liberty and despotism, is destined to a more enviable renown than the greatest of these giants of compromise. 66 The Emperor Nicholas once ordered his engineers to lay down for him a rail. way from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and presently the engineers brought him a map on which was laid down, in a zig-zag manner, the designed road between the two capitals. What do you make it crooked for?" said Nicholas. "Why, we turn this way to touch this great city, and to the left to reach this populous district, and to the right again to accommodate this grain region." "I see," said the Emperor, and, turning the map over, he made a new dot for Moscow, and another for St. Petersburg, took a ruler, made a straight line, and said, "Build me that road." So God builds across the face of the centuries his imperial highway of truth. And at the last, governments, and churches, and men are judged on this one issue of their relation to that eternal law of righteousness which can never know defeat. |