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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1877)
104 Nkcessity op Dkyei.owif.kt. i "Warn I so tnll lo ranch the nolo. And rone 1 1 tlir ocean in my span. ' V. I must be nioflsiired by my pout, For 'tis thu mliiil that miikuB the man." It gives us pleasure to note with what rapidity wo have developed. Hut a few centuries ago, ami not a white man trod the feitila soil or breathed the genial at mosphcro of North Ameriea. Only a lew short years have rolled away since this, our own beloved country, was tin known to the civilized world. Yet from the germ planted in what was then the unknown parts of the earth, we have grown to our present stature, and stand to-day among the foremost nations of the earth. And to what shall we attribute this wonderful and uuparalellcd growth but to the intelligence of the people. We claim therefore that the intelligence of a ration is the May of that nation. As the intellect is the nucleus from which c.uan ntes the iutlucnce of man, so we claim that the intelligence of. the nation is its nucleus from which emanate all those characteristics which give to it its rank in the catalogue of nations. Our country to-day is blessed with free speech, free press and free institutions. Our country stands to-day as a sort of monument be fore the world. It is there for inspection, and upon this monument is written intel ligence, industry and economy. AVe have passed through many struggles, learned many lessons from the past, and look forwatd with hopes for the future. Dark clouds have hovered o'er our path way. We have been beset with foes from without and from within. "When the yoke of Great Britain was pressing hard upon us, and the clouds of darkness and de spair were hovering near, and dimming our mortal vision; when the rude hand of the Mother Country was about to exterminate the products of its own planting, then the American eagle soared aloft and as sorted Iiis rights. The clear sunlight of morning shone in upor the scene, the en veloping cloud was dispersed, and the storm passed by. Such, indeed, was the case, and with what admiration do w point to the record of those men wh brought us through this struggle I W point to them as men of intelligence, in tegrity and inlluence. Their record proves conclusively that intelligence is necessa ry lo the success and happiness of a fal len race. The intelligence of the colo nies, then, we claim, drove back the lirst enemy that sought to invade their territo ry and struck terror into the rest. Coming down through the annals of American history, in 1801 wo arc con fronted by one of the most appalling scenes of modern times, the civil war. One of its alleged causes was the lack o ' ennununication between the North and theSouth. And how natural was this. All the great thoroughfares ran east and west, giving little means of exchange of thought hetwien the North and South, conse quently there was a feeling of distrust be tweentho people of one section and those of .the oilier. Then if a lack of convey ing intelligence had any tiling to do with the hastening or augmenting of the civil war, shall it hot stand as a lesson not to lie forgotten, and as a warning to future generations ? Hut the civil war has passed slavery has been abolished, and wo are free. Truly this can bejsaid to be "The 1'indofthofree and thehomcof the brave." Our Teuilory to-day i untiauimeled by any foreign enemy. AVc are bound and riveted together by the intelligence otgthe people. W'a rejoice to know that our country has done, and is doing so much for the elevation of mankind. "While there are many things in our midst which we cannot countenance, yet for the educa. tional enterprise we cm only utter words of praise and commcndalion. And we predict, that with a continuance of these efforts upon the part of our countrymen, the future will dawn bright and clear up on the American people. Ah yes! Me thinks I see the dark curtain of futurity withdraw ila dismal folds, and a light of uncommon brilliancy breaks in upon my vision. Heboid I sec a country where f