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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1889)
mi 14 THE HE S PER IAN. mm clomciits of ft uil(,ltty imtloii begun to coalesce. Tho patriots of America rone as iv limn in defense of their Innllennblo rights. The IlrHt, cnll to tlio uprising wits Issued by Otis and Henry. Ench represented different Hcctlonn of the country nnil different typcH of character. Otis was tlio spokesman for Now England; Henry, for Virginia. Massachusetts and Virginia were tlio loading colonies In tlio Itevoliitlon. Now England society was democratic in tlio extreme; that in Virginia wiih intoiiHcly nrlHtocratlc, but each wiih IndlHpenHlblo to tho other. Tlio patriots of Massachusetts fought for principle They had been trained In'schools of theological discussion. Their minds wore acute and penetrating. They becnino tho most skillful politicians. Every man was a patriot, clear-hended and full of understanding. .Tnmes Otis represented mon like these. ThoHcenoof Otis' flrHt tri umph Ih tneinorable. In a dimly lighted court room, In which wit tlio royal Judges, dunked by tho Insignia of royalty, the fearless ad vocate of liberty gnvo volco for tho first tlmo to tho Hontlmeut nlready oxlHtlng In evory heart. Tho speech of James OtlH against tho Writs of Assistance was a trumpot-enll to action. ItH warning notes had scarcoly consort to echo, beforo an answering call cumo from tho southern colontos. Tho memorliihle words of Patrick Henry in tho Hon no otllurgcsses made Virginia a unit. His speech advocating resist ance to the oppressive measuros of Englnnd meltd Virginian patriotism Into u compact, blowing mass. Ho nan tho llrst to sound tho alarm ugalnst tho Slump Act. His words announced tho coming conflict as tin II a ih of lightning foretells tha storm. No man at that tlmo, fifteen years before tho itovolutlon, was ready to bellovo that tho colonies would over sopnrutofrom England, Tlie colonists loved England as men lovo their boyhood's home. They wero proud of tho ruins, tho traditions, tho struggles, and tho victories of tho English people. Hut w hen James Otis ceased speaking ngalnst tho Writs of Assistance, tho American Revolution hud begun. Though l'ntrlck Honry stunned tho Virginian House of lturgcsses by his boldness, from that day Virginia went hand in hand with Massachusetts In tho struggle for Independence. Mr. Kifor Iiiih a rapid, nervous delivory. A litllo inoro deliberation would .havo ndded force. 11m voico wiih pitdiod u litllo higher than nntural tone. No mado no gesture, and Iiis poBturo was slightly monotonous in con sequence. Tho next spoakor was "W. L. Stephens, whoeo subject, was, IIKNKY IIAVHI TIIOIIKAU. A radical change in thought took place In New England during the first half of the present century. Tho turmoil of the revolution had passed away, and social and Intellectual stagnation succeeded. Man became a machine, a slave to the commonplace t'onvontljiinllty was .crushing out all that wa1 human. Whoever dared to display any traces of Individuality was beaten and scourged by church and society until he gavo at loist formal adhoranco to conven tional forms and beliefs. Development was completely ar rested. Sympathy, toleration, individual llborty, wero unknown. This dlso-ised, hypocritical, pharlsalc society was rovolutionlred. Without sign from heaven, the upheaval cami . A plea wont forth for the omnnclpntldn of humanity, and for liberty of conscience. In tuitively, tho rueo grasped at thn means of escape from civil and re ligious thraldom. Not Now England and America alone, but tho world was moved. The revolution In mind affected the entire orbit of evory man's thought. A standard of exeollonco wob established by which tho literature of all tongues Is ovon to-day Judged to bo worthy or unworthy of perpetuity. It was a spiritual expansion. Ubornl views In religious and In secular things took firm hold of tho people. Tho despotism of conventionality wns overthrown. The "Individual became tho world." l'ulplt and press hurled the bitter est invectives at the Interpreters of the moveuiont. Uko tho an archists of to-day, they wero objocts of suspicion and contempt,. Iut they were without fear. Through thorn truth wont out, and was felt In tho uttermost partB of tho earth. Tho value of theso loadorH to tho ago Is Inestimable. There wero two phases of tho movomeut; tho religious and the secular. Tho former was promoted by Emer son i tho lattor by Thorouu, No man In tho history of our country Is so hard to understand and appreciate as Honry David Thoreau. Ho Is called morbid and mis anthropic, but only by thoso that do uot understand htm. Ho was so easily Influenced by surrounding conditions, so susceptible to tho lightest Jmpro3slona, that ho withdrew to Nature in order to jireparp himself, untrnm moled, for Intercourse with hfs fellow-mon. This is what Is mistaken for morbidness. Nomoro was ho a bigot, or a mis anthrope. He loved humanity, and craved sympathy ; sacrificing everything for society, nothing for himself. Ho belloved that In sol itude tho soul can have freo Intercourse with Clod. In this atmo sphere of the soul's supremacy he received thelmpulso to tear himself nway from tho evil, and adopt the good. Thoreau retired to Walden, a wild and solitary place, frequented by thieves and cut-throats. Itwas an eyo-soro to the neighborhood, but In his works It 'Is converted Into a fairy retreat. Ho withdrew from social life because he was thoroughty convinced that tho devel opment of man Is retarded, If not prevented, by tho restrictions of society- Ho proposed to demonstrate, by u practical example, how an Ideal life could be led, freo from nil tho lumber of conventionality. His life thoro was not intended to bo ono of inertia, but full of activ ity. Ho did not innrry; not because ho failed to realize that tho family Is tho corner-stono of every strong and healthy common wealth, but because his Ideal family could not bo realized. Other ment disgusted by tho emptiness of ordinary social life, havo given thorn solves up to cynicism and hatred. Thoreau was more noblo. Ho withdrew to solltudo to provo that, until soul and Nature uro har monized, no spiritual expansion is possible. Howontlnto retirement to prepare himself for social life, In which he might bo forevor after wards free, vigorous, and Independent. Thoreau had an Indlr.n's lovo and vonoratlon for Nature. To him Nature was perfection, mid tint attempt to Improvo her, mutilation. No Indian lamented the Inroads upon the forests inoro deeply thau ho. Ho thanked (lod that no axo could cut down tho clouds. Evory phenomenon of Naturo, howovor trivial, corresponded to a general law of tho universe. He pleaded earnestly and effectively for inoro recourse to Naruro, and to receive from her whatever Impulse and Instincts shohnd to offer. Then thoy could return to society, with double tho capacity for new enjoyment and new service. Thoreau was no Idle dreamer. Ho was u man of action. In llos ton, when tho Christian church, a sluvo to the calloused prejudices of creeds and dogmas, In tho belief thut It was acting In accordance with tho fundamental laws of our governi it, approved tho sondlng of Anthony lliirns. u fugitive slave, back to bondage In Iloston, Thoreau, first of all, darod to defend John Drown. With asoul over flowing with conviction, ho oxclalmed: "I know this well: If 1,000, If 1(H), If 10 men whom I could name, If 10 Iionnt mon only, ayo, If onk honest man In tills state of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, wero actually to withdraw from this co-partnership, and bo lockod up In Jail therefor, It would be the abolition of slavery in Amorlca." When John Drown lay bleeding In a Virginia Jail; when lator tho country was suffering tho agonies of civil wur, tho full force and meaning of Thoreau's teachings burst upon tho intolllgonco of tho people. Thoreau has beou accused of favoring tho abolition government. In ii perfect st nt oof soclory, government Is reduced to a minimum. Ho was prepared for this condition, but. was In advauco of his ago. In his forest retreat ho refused to pay his tax and gladly went to Jail, becauso he knew, no matter how dark his cell or how thick his prison walls, his convictions wouldhelp to mould tho character of tho raco. Certainly a beautiful example of tho 1'urltnn spirit of free dom. Thoreau's llfo, asa whole, represents tho hlghestldeal of an Individu ality that should bo thofoundatlon of allcult.iredandprogresslveso cloty. Ho knew that society was diseased; the best, the most so. Ho sacrlllced himself In ordor to point out this disease to his agu. He graduated from Harvard whan Harvard brains worn la groat de mand. Every profession would gladly havo welcomed him. His In tolloct could have procured him social prominence and wldolnliiioiico. Vouhg men on all sides were rushing Into active llfo and gaining rec ognition for' wisdom and discretion. Thoreau could havo boon foremost among thorn all. Ease, comfort, leisure, wealth, an hide pendent llfo, and powerful Influence were within his grasp. Hut lit erally scorning all, ho gavo himself up to his age, mid taught It, ouco for all, a lesson of purity and simplicity, tho silent liiflueiico of which Is active and potent to-day. A man miiy becomo great whon strengthened and upheld by tho conveiitlonnlltlesof his times. Much greater Is Thorouu, who utterly disregarded the liomngo and sym pathy of tho world. For the sakoof a great moral principle, without hope of reward, ho took his stand alone. Independent, and solf-sufll-clent. Tho pure mid simple mm! who has Inspired and humanlzod tho raco should command Its grutltudo and rovoronco, Mr. Stephens strength lay in deliberation and omphasis. His voico was deep and onunciation distinct. Ho was slightly nervoiiH and ill at ease. Tho laBt speaker wits Miss Myra Clark, who eulogized