| Show DEATHS WORK AMONG THE GREAT TUB tim phenomenal mortality among those who have figured prominently in the history of this country can scarce ly have escaped the attention of the thoughtful observer of current events if it be true that death loves a shining mark maraj the grim monster has had bad a revel in high ranks during the past few weeks without carefully investigating the record we venture the opi opinion n that in this particular the first few weeks of 1801 out rivals the history of the infancy of any preceding year since the establishment of the nation Is not this a sign of the times in tile the passing away of the great and good defenders of truth aud and liberty the nation has sound reason for regret but not from mere sympathy for the families of those who are snatched away to the sphere beyond those who stand head and shoulders above the masses intellectually and morally are none too many we do not mean the matter of intellectuality as it stands alone but in combination with moral adherence to truth those in n whom the combination exists and who have the force of character sufficient to make th their air presence felt in the midst midat of the people constitute the lights of a nation when they pass to the great reat beyond their illuminating power power being transposed is removed from view when an unusual number of them are taken WT off the loss must be more or less strongly felt new lights arise to fill their places tile the infinite god makes use of men according to their capacities and dl die positions as his executives to hold humanity manity ki at large in some degree of balance this is done without impairing the free agency of the individual who reaches after truth and and tile the distribution of their benefits his efforts being in unison with the divine will these endeavors toward the good and true are seconded by the inspiration of the spirit of truth some are raised up and used perhaps unknown to themselves to work in line with the divine purpose some of this class have however had and expressed a deep seated impression that they were men of destiny others the prophets prophete are expressly and personally called of to perform special work in the development of h humanity um anity they are the chief inspru ments of divinity because god speaks directly dire otly through them to the people hence their relations with the omnipotent source of truth are closer than those possessed by any other class but when truth is exhibited and its potency exemplified it is the same power operating wherever openings and suitable instruments are found there are different views of goodnew goodness with some people to be good is simply to be harmless such virtue however excellent as far as an it goes to is but nominal or negative goodness in its full sense goodness must be productive duc tive it must sow bow of its kind and the labor result lua in a harvest good ness apart from action which leads to productivity is of no reformatory force being latent within its possessor except so far as relates to the fruits of personal persona example that example should however extend to the domain of activity that the results may be broad and deep it is men of action only who are the effective effect ite ife instruments in the divine hand and it is that claw class whose loes is felt when they are snatched away from the ranks of humanity it shows shelve an excellent trait in a nation to exhibit marks of respect to the memory of its leading spirits who havo have done good service to the people when they depart to the other life oh tile the other hand it is unutterably disgusting to witness exhibitions of a similar character toward those whose only title to the consideration of humanity has been the amassing of inordinate wealth and using it for selfish gratification the evil of the concentration of the wealth of the nation in a few hands is in bad enough but the adu adulation latigu which chis ia often given to the hoarders boarders hoar ders on the simple basis of their accumulations is worse as it stops not an all inch shot of popular worship of the golden calf if however the respect shown Is ia bo be cause its object has ham used lits his abilities to obtain the means of doing good to others and has conferred on his fellow creatures the benefits it was in his power to bestow it is wt 11 enough U u less concentrated wealth is thus used there is no merit attaching to its pod possessor as money cannot by any means be intrinsically transformed into a sab substitute either for intelligence or morality in the handi handsol hand of these two eon conditions dit ions however it can be ade a potent factor for ameliorating the condition of the more miserable section of humanity the year to is yet in its swaddling clothes but lias has already presented some str king phases among which may be noted the departure from the scenes of aumau action of an unusually large number of leading spirits olour of our nation what the balance of it will bring forth will soon be unfolded |
