WKxmTI
iPPUBV
THE HESREklA N.
man's generous summary of his virtues, will turn back disap
pointed, and search in vain through the pages of history and
biography for any hint of thai peculiar strength or sweetness
or;symmctry to which he owed his place in the hearts of his
friends and of his countrymen.
A confirmed atheist must be an insane person. Wc may
call ourselves atheists, but as long as we are human, our athe
ism is but a protest against another's idea of the Supreme
and the Divine. We spurn the conventional and received
doctrine, but our objections arc based upon some idea of
worth and excellence which we have conceived, and which in
our opinion does not exist in the theory which opposes. There
is no denying it, the real core of every man is his idea of
God. Was not Cicero right when he said uNo man should
be so madly presumptuous as to suppose that he has cither
reason or intelligence, if he docs not believe that the heavens
and the world possess them likewise; in other words, if he
believes that there is no supreme mind which keeps the uni
verse in motion."
Wc are too prone to admit the charge of atheism against
our fellow beings without noting the status of the accuser.
Perchance the accusation may have proceeded from a mind
-ofnarrowncss and superstition, that he who brought it was
incapable of rising to the higher level and purer view, and so
condemned what he himself was unable to apprehend. It did
not comprehend his ideal, hence his condemnation. It is bet
ter then to notice what the condemning tribunal is composed
of; see who sits in judment. Socrates say, that "if a pastry
cook were, accused before a tribunal composed of children of
having prohibited the eating of pics and tarts, he would cer
tainly be condemned." It is thus with accusations of athe
ism. We must feel that when a man condemns a sincere and
earnest statement because it differs from his own idea of the
case, he condemns himself, he proclaims his own limitations
and lays bare his own superficial state. When one can talk
fluently about his God and the inner divine experiences, we
have reason to doubt the depth and vitality of his apprehen
sion of divine realities, for t is a sacred reticence which the
soul maintains and the inner sanctuary is not to be laid open
to the vulgar gaze.- '
HERO WORSHIP.
It has come to be almost a passion with the American peo
ple to laud to the skies the deeds of its great men, those who
have particularly distinguished themselves by some great
achievement, or in some line of public duty. Hut this tribute
strange to say, does not take any practical form, nor does it
find expression during the lifetime of the person to whom it
ispaid. On the contrary, it is allowed to lie dormant while
the man is living; but no sooner is he dead than the news is
telegraphed to all parts of the land, and for days,nay,months,
our papers are filled with long accounts of his deeds, extoll
ing his manifold virtues and reminding his bereaved country
men of the irreparable loss they have sustained in his death.
Now this, carried to a certain length, is very right and prop
er, and we should justly be censured for cur ingratitude and
want of patriotic sentiment were we to regard his death as a
matter of little importance. Unfortunately, however, we go
precisely to the other extreme and allow ourselves to be treat
ed to long and tiresome disquisitions upon this subject till we
are compelled to wish, not that the illustrious hero had not
seen fit to depart this life, but thatjhe had never been born.
Hut even this wc would be willing to forgive were it not aggra
vated by being carried beyond theprovince of the. press.
The recent death of Gen. John A. Logan has again delug
ed the land with a torrent of articles relating to his career as
a citizen, soldier, and statesman, and wemay confidently ex
pect to be furnished for a long time to come with essays, bi
ographies, sketches, anecdotes and personal reminiscences
pertaining to the deceased. Now this seems to us a most ab
surd and silly course to pursue, more especially as it is in such
striking contrast to our treatment of the General while in the
flesh. There seems to be a vague idea among the newspaper
writers that, however uninteresting the life of a public man
may have been, the general public will, after his death, be ea
ger for any news, no matter of what description, having 'a
bearing upon his career. This is jut where a great mistake
is made.
Later, after wc have become the recipients of a voluminous
collection of obituary literature (if wc may be allowed the
expression), the malady assumes another and more formidable
appearance formidable in that it indirectly concerns our
private interests. For fear that all that has been written will
not be sufficient to perpetuate the name and keep green the
memory of our departed heroes, wc must needs erect grand
and elaborate monuments to their memory. An instance in
point is in the recent attempt of several enterprising and
zcalous citizens of New York to raise the modest sum of one
million dollars for.thcpurpose of erecting a monument to the
memory of General Grant. Without questioning the propri
ety of such a movement in this particular instance, it docs
seem to us that a much less outlay of money would answer
the purpose equally well, and that the body of the dead Gen
eral would not have cause to turn in his gravcat the indignity
oflercd to his name, As this noble project, however, was cr
tirely unsuccessful, wc have perhaps allowed ourselves to
make too much of it. One thing may be added in favor of
this sort of worship. It is a well known fact that during the
post year more distinguished men have died than in any other
period of our existence as a nation. And if monuments are
to be built as memorials to those who have not already been
tendered that honor, we will hold out a much more enticing
inducement to our typical small boy for him to attain to emi
nence than the shadowy outlines of the president's chair.
A' great many complaints have been made against a some
what similar course pursued of late by the Century Maga
zine. Wc refer to the series of war papers which hae been
published by that monthly for some months past. Its editor,
realizing that some explanation was necessary, has written a
communication to his readers, setting forth the reasons which
have induced him to continue the publication ot the papers.
It is unnecessary to recount them all, but his chief reason
will be sufficient to illustrate the point.
He tells us that each separate article is not intended to
please all classes of readers, nor that it is at all expected they
should. The object aimed at is that among the various kinds
of literary productions presented, every one will -find some
thing to his taste, and that if he so desires he may pass the
others by. Now granting .that this may be true, the question
arises as to whether in subscribing for such a well known
magazine as the Century, the subscriber does not exptct to be
furnished with more than but a small part suited to his taste.
Of course we cannot take our own inclinations as an index of
the general feeing but' if such a thing were possible we
would confident).. Jisscrt that, were the publication of the ser-
aprr, 'discontinued it would be a source of gen-
ies o'l war paprr, disc
eral sty,isfai;tion j'all
its readers.
Youluan find js. H. Hojperatthc University. Giw him
your muYlbcr ;mdVio will call for your laundrying.
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