Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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- em~ It E'ert- Gli E9D ESTABLISHED 18635. NIEWBERRY, S. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1893. PRICE $1.50 A YREAR STENGTHENING OF CU.AACTE An Address Delivered before the Alumni Association of -Newberry Coliegv, New brry, South Caroina, Tuesday, June 13, 1893, by the Rev. Bartow B. Itamage. Mr. Prcsident and Felow- Grduat&s of Newberry olleg: Your very courteous and kiud in1vi tation to address yot; on bis occasiot was received with grateful recognition of the honor conveyed, and I greatly rejoice that I am permitted to be v itih you to-day and renew those friendly relations which separation has sus pended for a number of years. It is not my purpose to dwell upon the changes, whether sad or happy ones, which have come to us since I last had the pleasufe of seeing you; nor do I wish to carry you back into the lecture rooms or study halls of our old alma mater, nor even her play grounds. Each of these has served its tne and, left its impress upon our lives. Rather would I have you recall the face-that the serious and exacting duties of life have begun-and not only begun, but with many of us have con tinued for some years past. This thought makes an address of this kind have, for me at least, a specially ten der, serious and even tragic interest. For whatr does it signify? This: We who have at different times in years gone by left the walls of Newberry .College as graduatez, and commenced the battle of life in earnest and for our selves, meet together each recurring eom'mencement to hear one of our chosen fellow soldiers relate how this Cftt battle of.life has gone with him. ltells not of his separate conflicts tid struggles:-of his faults and mis takes-of his succe,ss and failures but he takes a general review of all and tries, after careful thought, to dis cover and to reveal their true purporv and real value. . If we ask him how _,And-wien he has learned the lesson he .*odld impart, he points,.as authority and confirmation, to his achievements, or, perchance, to his scars. For ereu victors,as you know, often 1t.iraway with them marks of their conflicts, - wbich serve not ouly as signs of their struggle, but also as proud tokens of their conquest. The hardest battles and the bravest battles fought or won take p;ace in tbLe hearts of the children ~oren. Therefore, to make an address of this sort profitable, it Js well, I think, to have it based upon sonie such evi dence and authority as -this of which I am speaking. and thus try to say some(bing which may suggest, to some of those who may listen, some way or means of meeting and conquer ing some of the difliculties encoun tered in individual and national pro gress; and so rise to a higher concep tion and realization of luman life. Lt t us, then, declare now a truce, as it _eren ths great st-ruggle of life, and S ~ietly doipi and thiik orr it all, tfy to: prepare -ourselv,es to go :forth again in- due time better fitted fe itruggles.ad-equests. Witb a deep sense of t be vast inipor taJceeIfy- subject, and of the urgenta need of it in life, and with the earnest hope that it may prove helpful to some' of you, I venture to speak to you to day upon SRENGTHENINC OF CHARACTER. ..ong-ages ago, alold legend runs, there'ived a great King, whose dearest wish~ was - that his son should. become as renowned as himself. While the boy- was still-an infan t, duty called his father, the King, to the -battlelield in a -distant. hand, from whence he might ne-ver re~turn. The only instructions .the father gave. to the mother in re gard to the training oif their child was this: '-Take him to yonder wood every day, and let him try to turn over a huge stone whicb you shall find there. When he-has succeeded in doing this, send-him to me." Faithful to.her tIissi he mother took her boy to thbe spot each day,.w here he played around b'e huge stone, pressing his baby fin gets upon its sides, and lightly passing his dimpled arms over its base; and when weary would fall asleep in its -Hsadow.E Woeld those poor little hands,so .small and -weak ever be str.ong enough to move that heavy -stone?' Wlfat long, long years of pa t'ient toil it--must needs take to perform .Yeas psse. Te.sones'eemied to -grow firmer in the groundZ Green moss covered its . broad surface, and white daisies.peepued out timidly from beneath its sheltering sides, -The boy, older grown, ~b4gan to re alige how arduous was his task. He labored long hours through many years, but .the stone remaiued firm and~unmoved. But be continued to labor, and strength camie gradually. At last, one day, the stone was moved - -.aonly a little, it is true, but it was loosened-and then, with almost su perhuman effort,he rolled it.back from ita place.. What, think you, met his sight? There in thbe spot where the stone Jay so long, tbe son found his father's sword and sandals. He knew then whby the task was given him, atid rejoicing - a the strength he had acquired, and in all the glory of young manhood, he iaved the great sword high in the air, and with a glad heart started out to Join his father in the war and to share with him thehardships of the battle Mld. -SEach of us, my friends, meets with -obstacles that must be overcome bywge stones t bn must be rolied away lfom our upward path. If we con -yer, we add str.ength to our characters and are enable a to- take our places on th'ebattlefield of lite. Each conquest we gain gives us greater strengtb, and at, the same time furnishes us with sword and sandals-the means of car ?rying on a struggle that is greater and a requires more strer'gt bi;-that strength w Nhich can come only through severe discipline, hardship, patience, perse ~verance and toil. That is the only --way to acquire this coveted strength. Strength! What a wonderful word! 'tymologists tell us that the old He brew writers had no less than twenty fiv'e different words for our one En glish equivalent-'strength." Every -.posible shade of tmeaning was t hus expressed, much of which is lost in ohr single word. The pritnitive meaning of the parent verb is singularly suggestive, especially when applied to that peculiar type of! strength-wfiich is-"the glory of young -men." Its ancient meaning is "to pant"; just as one pants for breath 'henl' e:gerting every power in somie -great contest. What a picture such a m~eining brings to o;ur rind! A pic tuire as of one whbo has set for himself Sdiffieult task to per-form, requiring every ounce of strength and pluck within reach; wvho has brought into play all his best energies; who is hon estly and gloriously taxed to his ut muost, and-whose breath comes qzuick - nd fast as he bravely faces the issue hefore -higzt determined to dare a'td to do even to the fullest of his powers. And& it contemplates somte sort of victory to be won at the last. It is not tinies. We choose our own founda tion, select our own material, mark out the site, and build to our own liking. "Man is his own star, and the soul that can Render an honest and a perfect man Comrr ands all light, all inifluer:ce, all fate: Noth ing to him falls early, or too late. Onr acts our angels are, or good or ill. Our fatal shadows that walk by us still." Every thought we have, every feel ing we experience, every act we per form registers itself on the soul, and has its inevitable influence on our lives. Thus character is undergoing constant change, for better or for worse, and being elevated, or else degraded.. "There is no fault, or folly of my life," says Mr. Ruskin, "that does not rise up against ne, and take away my joy, and shorten my power of possession, of sight, of understanding. And every past effort of my life, every gleam of rightness or good in it, is with me now, to help me in my grasp of this art and its vision." "Nothing can work me damage but myself," said St. Ber nard; "the harm that I sustain I carry about with me; and I am never a real sufferer but by my own fault." The block of rough stone is before us, and we, with hammer and chisel in hand, are daily carving out our own destinies with our own hands. Eacbr fresh stroke adds to, or detracts from, the beauty and.symmetry of the figure. Mr. Lerves, in his I4ife of Goethe, truly observes: "Instead of saying that man is the creature of circum stance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of cir cumstance. It is character which builds an existence out of circum stance. Our strength is measured by our plastic power. From the same materials one man builds palaces, an other hovels; one warehouses, another villas. Bricks and mortar are mortarI and bricks, until the architect can make them something else. Thus it is that in the same family, in the same circumstances one man rears a stately edifice, while his brother, vacillating and incompetent, lives forever amid ruins; the block of granite which was an obstacle on the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone on the pathway of the strong." The highest type of character can be formed only by strenuous individual effort. A noted writer on the subject declares: "What is needed is constant self-watchfulness, self-discipline, self control. There may be much falter ing, stumbling, and temporary defeat; difficulties and temptations manifold to be battled with, and overcome; but if the spirit be strong, and the heart be upright, no one need despair of ul timate success. The very effort to ad vance-to arrive at a higher standard of character than we have reached-is inspiring and iuvigorating; and even though we may fall short of it, we cannot fail to be improved by every honest effort made in an upward di rection. And with the light of great examples to guide us-represeutatives of humanity in its best forms-every one is not only justified, but bound in duty, to aim at reaching the highest standard of charactor. Not to become the richest in means, but in spirit; not the greatest in worldly position, but in .true honor; not the most intellectual, but-the-most--virtuous;- not-rhe -most powerful and influential, but the most truthful, upright and honest." Among all the contributory powers or forces in the formation and devel opment of character, education occu pies a pre-eminent place. In fact, ed ucation should have as its primary and preponderating object the mould ing and strengthening of individual character. In its comprehensive scope, it is concerned with leading out, train ing, developing and directing all the parts of our natures-body, mind, heart and scul-each receiving its proper care and attention and assigned to its proper place in the vast system. But if character, the foundation of all, be neglected, the whole superstructure falls. An education that does not pro vide the means of developing and thoroughly training any part of our natures fails just so far to appreciate and to realize its own high jpreroga tive; and is in danger of making of a man either a sophistical scholar, an intellectual mountebank, a moral dii letante, or else a "rogue in grain ye neered with sanctimonious theory.'' An insufficient, or a superficial system of education has a dwarfing effect upon man's capacities and powers, and is apt to result in producing physical and moral liliputians, or else intellect ual and spiritual egotists, whose empty lives make sad blanks in the annals of human achievements. Christain education, under the guid ance and control of Christian men, up held and governed by Christian prin ciples, is the only kind of education whbich can meet all the requirements of our natures, making them expand evenly and systematically without ex aggerating, or under-estimating the true value and importance of any; and which produces the highest and no blest types of true manhood. It does not concern itself solely with any one part of ourselves, but aims at securing the highest development of every part of us-not the intellectual only, but tbe physical, moral and spiritual, as well. A distinguished educator, in a recent address on the tr'ue purpose of Chris tian education, declared: "If there is anything true in our religion it is this -that the object of religion is not to create some special department in our human life-is not to put in some in terest, some accomplishment--but to make us realize that the object of a reli gion is tbe development of a perfect manhood; a manhood that shall be deep, broad, complete in all its facul. ties; not simply mental, not simply physical, but also moral and spiritual -a perfect manhood." iBut the tributary sources of the vast system of Christian education originate further back than in the collega, or in the preparatory school, or even in the primary grade. It is in the home, amid the family circle, around the fireside, at the family altar-yes, even in the- nursery itself-it is there we must go to find the most important because the first influences affecting tbe forming and moulding of human character. "The back-bone of charac ter is laid at home," says Dr. Smiles, "and whether the constitutional ten dencies be good or bad, home influ ences fan them into activity." Education in its true sense does not begin with the alphabet, but with the mother's look, the father's nod, the sister's gentleness, the brother's pa tience. It begins with' flowers in hands, birds' nests admired, but not touched; with watching creeping ants and humming bees; with pleasant walks in shady lanes; with listening to the sweet accents of Nature's myriad voices as they first touch infant ears; with holding childish converse with some of Nature's works; with sympa thizing with dumb animals in pain; with stopping to hear the innocent prattle or infantile lips; with thoughts directed in kindly tones to deeds of love, mercy, justice and virtue, These things may appear insignificant to those who nre older gown, but they lie strength of dogged determination. It i. tot mere brute force. It springs rrow a higher source in our natures iud rises to a greater height. It is the itrength of him wbo pants to be a con :ucror. And this is the peculiar glory f young men. It is peculiar to young manhood, just as the sun and the moon and the stars have each a peculiar dory. As childhood has its peculiar ,lory of innocence, and old age, re, ereud dignity; so young manhood has ror its special cbarm that strength which is the panting of the earnest sud resolute life to win the victory. And panting for a victor's crown is a aappy indication that the first step bas been taken toward winning that -rown. For it brings into earnest ac ion all the powers of the intellect, will and affections; it calls out all our mergies. It writes its own story upon .he very countenance,-and stirs the ;oul itself from its lowest depth., urg ng us on from conquest to conquest, :attling and struggling for all that is trand and beautiful and noble in life. For 'Have we not all amid life's petty strife 5nue pure ideal of a noble life that once seemed possible? Did we not bear the flutter of Its wings, knd feel it near, and just within our reach Et was-and vet we lost it in this daily jar and fret, And now live on in vague regret. but still our place is kept and it will wait, Ready for us to fill it, soon or late; So star Is ever lozt we once have seen, We alwavs may be what we might have been.' Aristotle was certainly right in his lefinition of a thing, which, he says, s not what it is-its actual, but what t were to be-its ideal. And so man ias been admirably defined as not wbat he is actually, but what he is .apable of becoming in realizing his 2ighest conceptions. ReaLembering that the word charac :er is of Greek oigin and signifies !ither tWe letters of any writing or in wcription, or the impression of a die or ;eal on a coin or wax, and metaphori :ally, the qualities of our words and kctions, Dr. Cunningham Geikie's defi iftion of the word, as we use it, is most iappy and striking. He defines char icter as "the stamp and image of our ninds or principles." "Not a word or set," he continues, "nor even a look, .seapes us but has our signet upon it; Lad our lives, as a whole, are the coun erpart of our thoughts, as the image is )f the mould. In the aggregate they nake up our Character, or Simula ,rum-our true Ghost, which walks be earth, living, visible, and poten ial, bota during our lives and long fter. Men's spirits are embodied not a flesh and blood only, but in their ;Yords and doings, as well." It is a man's general character that 2as its influence on forming and shap ag the destiny of others-his printi >les of life, his personal habits, his in iividual objects, his tastes and amuse ents-in a word, his whole bearing wd demeanor. Every man has a cer :ain air or spirit about him which argely determines the influence of his Nhole life. It is not exactly what he Knows, or what he says, or what he Ioes; but it is that which is back of it L1, and under it all-that which makes iim what he is,-the same particular erson always and everywhere. 'That irbis character. It is the very essence )f his life; it is the sum and substance )f his allotted days; it is the residuum >f his whole earthly career, after aking away extraneous matter-it is hat determines the shape and condi ion of his life both here, and hereaf er. Character, like our bodies, grows im perceptibly. The twig of this year is :he bough of next. . Ir. takes its color ng, like the clouds, from the light iround it. Single acts may show char ecter but they do not form it, although ~ome may impart to it a more lasting mpetus than others. But it is of long ad tedious growth and must develop smidst many cou nteractinug influences in life. For growth involves conquest :ver opposing forces. The man's .face is behind the youth's, but it requires timne, t..nd age, and experience, and trials, and lifficulties, and conquests F.r its proper development. Says that famous author, Prof. Drummond, 'Keep in the midst of life. Do not isolate yourself. Be among men and among thbings, and among troubles and difticulties and obstacles. You remem ber Goethe's words, 'Talent develops itself in solitude; character, in the stream of life.'" And againi: "Char scter is to wear forever; w bo will won der and grudge that it cannot be de veloped in a day." If human life could be expressed artistic'ally, action would make the foreground of the picture; character, the b>ackground. For character gives tone, expression, value, life to the pic ture. Character permeates our exist ence. It controls our being. It gives the tru' standard of value to our lives. It grows upon and affects the life of every one with whom we come in con tact. It controls armies; corrects abuses; subdues kings; guides the des tiny of nations and governs the world. No matter how high-born, how wealthy, how inte-llectual one may be, if he has not character, he is not a true man, but only the outer semiblance of one-the shadow and not the sub stance-the outer husk without thbe ker iel. While, on the other hand, a man af humiblest.origin, of the meanest at ainments, of the poorest condition in life, if he but have integrity of charac ter, commands universal respect, and wields a power greater and more far reaching than that of any king or des pot. The great question in regard to a man is not, "What are his gifts? or, What does he possess? but, Can ho be trusted? "WVe may go to an intellect ital man for instruction, and to a wealthy man for money; we may ad mire a man of genius, and prai3e his talents, but the man we follow is the man of character. It is, after all, the heart and not the mind, or the purse :hat runs the world. Burns's father 2ould not have given him better ad vice than: 'He bade me act a manly part, I bough I had ne'er a farthing. For without an honest. manly heart, \o ruan was worth regarding." Onice, a certain magnificent orator paid a visit to Epictetus to learn some thing of the old Stoic's philosophy. He met with a cool reception, because Epictetus doubted his visitor's sincer ity: "You will only criticize my style," said the old Stoic, "not really wishing to learn principles." "Well, true. But if I attend to that sort of thing," replied the orator, "I shall be a mere patuper, like you, with no plate, 0r equipage, or land." "I don't want such things," replied Epictetus warm ly, "amid besides you are poorer than]I am, after all. Patron, or no patron, what care I? You do care. I am richer than you. I don't care what ('aesar thin ks of me. I flatter no one. This is what I have instead of your gold arid silver plate. You have sil ven vessels, but earthenware princi ples" Man is not as miuch the creature, as the creator of circumstances. In a tre menidously solemn sense, we are the arch itects o nour own frnes a nd des are powerful forces when applied to a human beins in the plastic age of childhood. Mark how a child bears himself towards his playmates, and bow he treats the housebold pets you will find there intimations of t he character of the future man. W'e do not duly appreciate the vast 1 possibilities of a human lire. We are too apt to regard a truly great wan as one who became such by sonie fortui tous circumstance, in some mysterious way, suddenly and without any effort on his part, or on the part of others; whereas, in truth, he has been mould ed to that end; he has been prepared for his work; otherwise he could not, perform it. Life is, at every stage, a grand and stupendous potentiality. Its primordial powers are almost infinite. But they are, for the most part, hiddei, J and require earnest and constant labor to be revealed, and thorough prepara- I Lion to be fully realized. The great poet, the illustrious statesman, the learned jurist, the valiant general may < now be digging in some field near at < hand, or may come from the humble < :ottage of your neighbor. Who can < tell? It is said that ocrates saw in a :ream a beautiful white swan fly from I the altar of Venus ani coming towards him finally lighted in his lap. It re mained there only a few moments,then, i ipreading its wings, the bird rose into I the air and disappeared in the clear i sky. The next day, while the philoso- E pher was relating the dream to his i pupils, Aristo came, leading his son E Plato-by the hand. Socrates, fixing his < syes upon the bright faced lad, survey- I ng his broad, high forehead and look- I ng into his wondrous deep and clear < ye, suddenly exclaimed in rapture: i 'Behold the swan of my school!" From i ,hat day he took the boy into his I chool and trained him with parental - are and pride. The swan of the school I became even greater than his teacher, E tud has left the impress of his mind I ipon the literature of the world. 9 In the last address which Daniel i Webster delivered in Faneuil Hall, he g ittered the following noble sentiments: < "We seek to educate the people, we ( Yeek to improve men's moral and reli- i gious condition. In short, we seek to I work upon mind as well as matter, < knd in working on mind it enlarges i 'he human intellect and the human t beart. We know when we work upon I materials immortal and imperishable, i .hat they will bear the impress which i we place upon them through endless ] igts to come. If we work upon brass, i Aime will efface it; if we rear temples, < hey will crumble to the dust; but if we work on men's immortal minds, if we imbue them with high principles, with the just fear of God and of their rellow men, we engrave on those tab lets something which no time can i efface, but which will brighten and I brighten to all eternity." . In speaking of the defective educa- i 'ion of the youth of England, and in f urging a more evenly balanced and I thorough system, by which character i might be moulded and stimulated, Mr. i Ruskin thus cofitinues: " We once i taught our youths to make Latin I verses, and called them educated; now < we teach them to leap and to row, to 1 bit-a-batt-with a bat, and call them i educated. Can they plow, can they sow, can they plant at the right time, :>r build with a steady hand? Is it the effort of their lives to be chaste, knight ly, faithfil, holy in thought, lovely in i word and deed? The strength and the hope of England is in those who are so striving." Keeping good company and reading good books are two most helpful stim ulants and valuable guides and Incen tives to character building. A man's companions have a wonderful infu-1 ence upon his character; so much so, that it is a sufficient explanation to the world to say of any one who has com mitted a crime, "he fell into bad com pany." Thackeray wisely advises: "Might I give counsel to any young1 man, I would say to him, try to fre quent the company of your betters. In books and in life, that is the most wholesome society;-learn to admire1 rightly; the great pleasure of life is that. Note what great men admired; they admired great things; narrow spirits admire basely and worship meanly." Emerson truly says that it is natural l'or us to believe in great men; actually or ideally we live in their atmosphere. We celebrate their birth-days; we study their lives; we commemorate their achievements. We name our children for them; we call cities ana : rivers by their names; we perpetuate1 their memory. The great men of the world embody the great ideas of the world. Thbeir biographies are the epit omes of the world's history-their characters the credit, the wealth and the mainstay of their race. Biographies of great, but especially of good men are therefore particularly valuable as guides in building up character, for they furnish striking instances of what can be accomplished by high aims, steady purpose, earnest resolve and constant labor. Great men have come from every rank in life, many having "glorified the lot of poverty by their labors;" and all gained individual ex celience by strenuous application and earnest effort. Says a great writer, "The genius of humanity is the real subject whose biography is written in our annals. No man, in all the pro. cession of famous men, is reason, or illumination, or that essence we were looking for; but is an exhibition, in some quarter, of new possibilities." Men stand for ideas. Their character and works illustrate principles. No epoch in the world's history is without its representative man. Every imipor tant step in the world's progress has been taken first by a man, then by the nation. In every country, in every age there are heroes. The mighty van guards of the army of civilization ad vance to the tread of a leader, and at every critical point in their march for-] ward, some man is left to identif.y the1 spot and to mark the progress. Thus are great men not only monuments of the world's achievements, and mark-1 ing stones along the way of its ad vancemnent, but they are also inspira tions to the human race. They must of necessity be known, for, as Emerson quaintly expresses it, "nature never sends a great man into the planet,with out confiding tha secret to another soul." Says Dean Stanley, "it is the delight of a well stored library that it brings us into direct intercourse with1 the great characters of'the p.ast; and it is a most useful corrective to confront the subtle specilations of our zwn brains with the great books which per mit us to l'old comamunion with the mighty dead, even more closely than had we been their contemporaries. 'Surely,' once exclaimed Sir John Herschel, 'if the worst of men were snatched into Paradise for only half an hour, he would come back tbe better for it.' Surely, we should also be the better, if, like Thomas the Rhymer, we were snatched away--as we are in the brighter moments of our intellectual pursuits-into the fairy lands of the poets of old. When we converse with those 'who saw life steadily and saw it whole,' we rise insensibly above ,urselves, and 'prop our souls in these bad times' with an unfailing support." 1 NWe must all, in the end, come to the i ame conclusion, that no man can < build up our character for us; that each i must do for himself. One of the first - 4teps in that direction is the recogni- 4 'ion of individual responsibility-a ieep sense of what rests upon us-a 1 profound realization of the truth of Whittier's words, "The stern behests of duty, The doom-books open thrown, The heaven ye seek, the hell ye fear, Are with yourselves alone." It is this that makes life so solemn, ind individual action so full of mean ing. The very soul of character is energy )f will. Where it is, there is life; where t is not, there is faintness, helplessness, lespondency, stagnation. Says an old ?roverb, "the strong man and the waterfall channel their own path." l'he energetic man of noble spirit not )nly wins a way for himself, but also tarries others along with him; he be- i tomes of necessity a leader. At a criti tal moment every act of his is an in !piration and exerts a power of attrac ion which human nature cannot re ;ist. It is the torch of enthusiasm that ets the whole world afire. Without it 2o great deed has ever been accom- 1 )lished; no great crisis controlled. It s a live coal snatched from a burning ;oul, giving light and life to hearts that tre cold and dead, and to men that ileep and dream. It supplants the or linary motives and ways of human ac- I ;ion, and forces them into subjection. t [t is not misdirected physical power, >r judgment untempered by zeal, or, Lnimal spirits unchecked by sound -eason-it is not impulse, sudden ca- t )rice, or rank madness. It is the open- f ,ng of the flood-gates of the soul, the )reaking down of human barriers, the pirit within us asserting itself. This . Divine energy of the human will is the t tttempt to carry out into action high r deals. It is the outward expression of c Ln exalted purpose within. Character .an not be strengthened by holding or xpressing lofty opinions and exalted q 'iews. These are valuable only in so r ar as they produce action. To en ourage lofty sentiments that well up nto the heart and call for action, an.d hen to allow them to spend their own I orce and to wither and die unripened nto action, makes men weak, helpless Lnd unstable. Words without deeds, yrinciples without action, theories without practice, thinking without t loing, desiring without endeavoring, -these are colorless, lifelesss pictures, rain dreams, fond fancies, and tend to )ry up the very fountain and source of trength of character. The man who would build up a strong, r nanly character must first of all be im- 8 )ued with a noble spirit. He must 3ave an exalted purpose in view-high deals to attain. He must have a deep 6 ;enqe of the vast possibilities of human a ife and of the solemn responsibilities Lnd duties that rest upon him. He must have strong determination and nvincible moral courage. He must .ave self-rliance-not a :contempt for )thers and an exalted opinion Of self :bat is fatal. But.he must humbly rely 2pon his own sincere convictions, and t gently, yet firmly pursue his own I ,ourse of action. No man can accom- I plish much in this world unless he has itrong and positive convictions. He must be tender and courteous, and yet atrong and resolute. He must be I iincere in all things. That was a wise saying and true of St. Hilary: 'There is no need of a distance between he heart and the mouth.'' He must de truthful in all things at all times. His word should be his bond even in] the merest trifle. To give occasion for loubt even once will require years of reparation and perhaps can never be Eully restored. He must be honest leverely honest. A breath of suspicion is as deadly as the adder's sting. He must be pure; in mind, in speech and in cond.uct. He must he prompt in meeting his engagemsents, and diligent in all his undertakings. He must be thorough in all he does, and faithful to every trust. These are the principal elements of sharacter that must be nourished and 1 ieveloped in dail.y life. He who 3herishes them, and is bright, earnest, apen, manly, kind, full of cheerful bopes, revere.nce for truth, love of good ness, is a model for young ambition; a fountain of good thoughts, a silent, in-i sinuating, living stream nourishing the roots and opening the buds of strong, true, noble and magnificent manhood. There has never been a time in the history of this country when tbere was greater need than at present of men of sound and spotless character. The cry ing demand of to-day is for strong, res alute men of energet3 wills and un flinching moral courage; men of manly hearts, imbued with high purposes, governed by sound principles, and thoroughly alive to the great and solemn responsibilities of the pre~sent age. Not that men are worse now than ever before. Such a pessimistic view is unjust, un warranted and untrue. What is meant is this: Modern progress andt achievements bave been so wonderful and rapid, the future is filled with pos sibilities so bewildering to contemplate, that the share allotted to the present < generations, in working out the grand destiny awaiting our nation, far ex ieeds in value and importance any part taken by our forefathers; and is 4 fraught with difficulties and dangers never before experienced. The grand inheritance of past ages is increased a thousand fold by the rich gifts and treasures of modern achievements. 4 And all these are placed into thbe handsf af the living in sacred trust. Woe be to the recreant and despoiler! Life has been broadened and deep aned in mneaning. Human standards, bave been raised. Morality is more respected. The Chrivtiau religion is noi Longer regarded as a professional cloak, but as the true inward life. Scholarship is ripening. Talent of every kind is ancouraged and more generally es- C teemed, The world is advancing and ( improving in every way. But there is5 :langer lurking in all this wonderful and perplexing progress. The athlete may be trained too much, he can be )vertrained. Calculation can be too i 31ose. The web can be spun too fine.t And so progress can become too pro gressive; civilization too refined. P-er nanent national advancement is built upon the deep and sure foundation of true, manly character; not upon genius, ciECit3, wealth, or prosperity. It is necessary to regard not only a people's material prosperity, but also their in- 1 tellectual. moral and spiritual im provement, as well. Human progress, to be true progress and lasting, must be regular and uniform. There must be unity of movement in every ad vancement. Every part of the nature af the individual must be considered and nurtured, and trained, in order to make the nation strong, national life bealthy, and national progress pernma nent and truly beneficial. And the men to whom the world rightly looks for guidance in such things are the men of character. They make and con trol the world's history, and uide the lestiny of nations. Each individual, :berefore, as a component part of the 3ation, must realize his own solemn luties. In the immortal words of Ad niral Nelson - to his English sailors, America "expects every man to do his luty." You see it all rests at last upon the 3dividual. Each must learn to appre liate the inestimable value of true ,haracter, and earnestly strive to trengtben and mould and develop it ;o the fullest of his powers. It all de )ends upon our own selves. We make >ur own lives. We carve out our own lestinies. 'Chisel In hand stood a sculptor boy, With his marble block before him, Lnd his face lit up with a smile of joy As an angel-dream passed o'er him. le carved the dream on that shapeless stone With many a sharp incision; ?ith heaven's own light the sculptor shone He had caught the angel-vision. Sculptors of life are we, as we stand With our soul uncarved before us, Waiting the hour,when at God's command, Our life dream passes o'er us. f we carve it then on the yielding stone, With many a sharp incision, ts heavenly beauty shall be our own, Our lives that angel vision." SEIZED IN THE DISPENSARY. T. 5, Revenue Raiders Capture Eight Bar rels of Illicit Corn Liquor. LThe State, 21st.] It seems that Governor Tillman and is dispensary law cannot keep clear of he United States authorities. It seems that yesterday several of he revenue raiders who have been In he city for some days on the lookout or illicit liquor being shipped to this ioint, went down Lc the dispensary luring the morning and went through he building, looking over the establish nent. They came across eight barrels ,f corn liquor, which had arrived not Dng ago, and quietly made a note of the ueer stamps thereon. They took the umber of the stamps, etc., and went n their way. It did not take them Dng to find out that the stamps had L,t been placed on the barrels by the hippers, that they had been used be ore, and were therefore as illegal as if here had been no stamps at all upon be liquor. Everything went along smootbly intil about sundown when the raiders eturned, made themselves known and eized the illicit liquor-the eight bar els. The liquor is still at the dispen ary; it being impossible to remove it ,t that late hour. It will doubtless be old along with the rest of the illicit tuff seized here. It was impossible last night to ascer ain the name of the North Carolina listillers who shipped the stuff to the lispensary. Commissioner Traxler said ie could not give the name of the firm ill he could look over his books this norning. Theseizure does not have any egal effect upon the dispensary or the ommissioner, as the only parties who iave violated the United States revenue aws are the shippers. A SENSATION IN DARLINGTON. [Special to News and Courier.] DARLINGTON, S.. C., September 21. )arlington seems to be headquarters 'or dispensary sensations, and today Ldds another of some interest. Since rudge Simonton's decision many par ,ies here, it is said, have been ordering iquors from North Carolina. This ifternoon consignments shipped to four >arties here from Wadesboro were seized by Constable Garrison The eizures were made under instructions, t is reported, and the liquors were >laced in the hands of the sheriff, where they new are. One of the par ies whose liquor has been seized is a riolent Tillmanite. For reasons gov irning dispensary sales, he had been -efused liquor at the dispensary, so he >rdered it elsewhere. No further steps iave been taken and this is the condi ion of affairs at present.. 10V. TILLMAN SEES A CIDE R BOTTLE. CHARLESTON, S. C., September 20. lovernor Tillnian during his recent risit to this city played the role of a w'hiskey spy. The Governor was at he Charleston hotel, and sat at dinner Lt a.table near a man from New York, who was dining with a Charleston riend. During the dinner the New f'orker called for a wine card, but was old by the waiter that the hotel fur lished only cider. Cider was accord ngly ordered, and it was served like shampagne. The Governor saw what le supposed was a direct violation of he Dispensary law, and as soon as his tinner was finished ordered the empty ottle to be brought to him. The pro >rietor of the hotel had the order >beyed. Tbe Governor examined the mipty cider botttle and went off crest allen Direct Route to the World's Fair. 'Richmond and Danville railroad s selling.round trip tickets to Chicago Lt very low rates, and will give you hoice of routes via Knoxville and Cin innati or Louisville; via Atlanta and Thattanooga; via Richmond or Wash ngton. Also, a very low rate ticket ither going or returning via Niagara 'alls, withistop-over privileges. There s nothing saved by going on excursio)n rains, as same rate is charged on trains if this kind as on regular trains of the .ichmond and Danville railroad. Three through passenger brains, each vay, daily, good connections-quick ~st time to Chicago-only one night on he road. For rates, schedules or other infor nation, call on or address any ticket Lgent of the Richmond and Danville ailroad, Chas. L. Hopkins, traveling >assenger agent, Charlotte, N. C. -To eradicate the poisons which pro luce fever and ague, take Ayer's Ague jaure. It cures without leaving any njurious effect upon the system, and is dhe only medicine in existence which nay be considered an absolute anti lote for malari& BULLETS FOR LYNCHERS. Roanoke Officials Protect a Negro Prisoner -A Mob of 4,000 People Twice Attack the Jail, Which is Defended Suc cessfally by a Troop of malitia. [Special to the New York Press.1 ROANOKE, VA., September 20.-This has been the mott exciting day and night in the history of the young city of Roanoke. An attempted murder this morning led to an attack upon the jail tonight by 4,000 men, who were twice repulsed, in their efforts to get possession of Robert Smith, a negro, for the purpose of lynching him. Five persons are known to be killed and at least eleven are wounded, among the latter being Mayor Henry S. Trout, who was shot in the foot while directing the defense of the prison. Early this morning Mrs.- Henry Bishop, wife of a respected farmer in Botetourt, drove into the city with vegetables to sell. A colored man went up to her cart, and presented a note purporting to be signed by a Miss Hicks, requesting that Mrs. Bishop bring some grapes to her house. The man offered to pilot her, and took her to a house on an unfrequented street, where he said Miss Hicks lived. When inside the door the man locked it, and, drawing a razor, demanded of Mrs. Bishop all the money she had. She gave him $2, and as she handed Dver the pocket-book plucked the ra .or from the negro's hand. He then knocked her down with a brick, beat her senseless and left the place. THE ASSAILANT CAUGHT. Mrs. Bishop soon recovered con sciousness and made her way out of the place and related her story, It spread like fire, and soon hundreds of persons were searching for the would be murderer. About a mile from the city a party of men, headed by Detect ive Baldwin, overtook a negro, who, upon their approach, turned and ex citedly remarked that he was not the person who killed the old lady. He was at once arrested and taken into the city. Mrs. Bishop was in the market and several doctors were dressing her wounds. A crowd of a thousand or more people were around her.She iden tified the negro, who gave his name as Robert Smith, as her assailant. Bald win had Smith on a horse with him self, and there was a break for the prisoner. The detective drew his re volver and galloped away from the, crowd with his man and landed him at the jail. Mayor Trout and com monwealth's Attorney Hardway ad dressed the crowd, urging that the law be allowed to take its course and prom ising a speedy trial. SOLDIERS FIRS ON THE MOP. Their words had no effect. The mob increased in numbers and as a final resort three or four leaders were arrested and placed in jail. This did not put an end tc the lawless purpose of the throng. The whole country was aroused. Men came pouring in from all quarters, and the officers seeing a confiict was inevitable, ordered out the RoanokeLight Infantry to guard the jail. The Mayor, Commonwealth's Attorney and Police Justice went in side of the jail to await developments. About 8 o'clock to-night a great, howling mob marched down upon the prison and demanded the surrender of the jail, which was- refused. They then rushed upon the guard and there was an explosion as of dynamite. This was followed by the crack of pistols in the hands of the mob and a volley of musketry from the soldiers. The mob scattered in great disorder, while the soldiers stood their groun d well. It is said that two rnen were killed in this attack and Mayor Trout was shot through the foot. In a short time the mob, re-enforced by new arrivals, made another attack with the same result; and they were so badly whipped this time that it looked as if they might not make another ef fort to get the prisoner. A 3fOB OF ONE THOUSAND INFURIATED 3MEN SIHOOT AND CRE3MATE THE NEGRO. ROANOKE, Va., Sept. 21.-A squad of twenty men took the negro Tom Smith from three policemen just before .5 o'clock this morning and hanged him to a hickory limb on Ninth avenue, Southwest, in the residence section of the city. They riddled the body with bullets and left a placard on his body reading: "This is Mayor Trout's friend." A coroner's jury of business men was summoned and viewed the body of the negro and rendered the following ver dict: "Death at the hands of unknown men." Thousands of people visited the scene of the lynching between daylight and 8:50 o'clock when the body was cut down. After the jury had completed their work the body was placed in the hands of officers who were unable to keep back the mob. Three hundred men tried to drag the body through the streets of the town, but Rev. Dr. Campbell of the First Presbyterian Church, and Captain B. Moorman with pleas and main strength prevented them. Captai n Moor man hired a wagon and had the body put in it. It was then conveyed to the banks of the Roanoke, about one mile from the scene of the lynching. The dead negro was dragged from the wagon by a rope about two hundred yards away, and burned in a pile of dry lumber. The body was placed upon this heap and more brushwood piled upon it, leaving only the head bare. The whole was then saturated with coal oil and the match applied. The body was consumed within an hour. The cremation was witnessed by several thousand people. The mob threatened at one time to bury the negro in Mayor Trout's yard.' Threats of vengeance have been openly made against Mayor Trout and the militia for attempting to maintain law. Capt. Bird commanding the mill tia has left town. Mayor Trout bas also disappeared, and President Bucknor of the city council is acting mayor. Ex citement is running very high now. There is talk of the citizens holding an indignation meeting, and it is rumored on the streets that threats are being made to burn the town unless eatisfac tion of some sort is rendered. Crowds throng the streets and all - public places. There is an immene crowd in front of Oakley & Woolwines undertaker shop where seven of the dead bodies lie. The number reported dead last night was exaggerated. It is now found that only nine men are dead and thirty-nine wounded. The military claim that the mob was repeately warned that there would be shooting if they persisted in their ad vance, but they received these wahning with jeers, and finally replied with a volly fired at Captain Bird who then ordered his men to fire at the mob which was battering down the doors of the jail. Trouble is feared and every effort is being made to calm the excited crowd. THE MAYOR LEFT THECITY. LYNeHBURG, Va., Sept. 21.-Mayor Trout of Roanoke, Va., arrived at 10:30 o'clock to night. He is suffering with a painful wound in the foot and declined to be interviewed. A STRONG FEELING OF INDIGNATION AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES. ROANOKE, Va., September 22.-The intense excitement of the citizens-over the unfortunate occurrences of the past three days has subsided and the city Is now quiet. The acting mayor, B.. A. Buckner, has entire control of the exe cutive department of the city govern ment, and the officers perform their duties without any attempt atintimida tion. The last of the victims of the bloody affair of Wednesday night, has been buried, and the wounded, with, the ex eeption of two, are doing well and will recover. The coroner's jury Is making a thorough investigation of theriot. They will probably remain- In session for a number of days. There is still a strong feeling against the authorities - and the military, but no demonstrations are being made. The city is more quiet to-night than usual. ROANOKE'S INTREPID MAYoR. RICHMOND, VA., S3ptember 23. The Hon. H. S. Trout, mayor ofRoan oke, arrived in the city last night, but his presence here was unknown tntil to-day, as he failed to register at the hotel where he and his wife are stay ing. He was called onby quite anum- 4 ber of newspaper reporters tod-ay, all of whom were anxious for the fugitive - mayor to talk about the Roanoke mob affair, but he positively declined to discuss the subject or make any state ment for publication. Indeedhe would not say anything concerning the length - of time he proposed to remain in the -- city, when be expected to leave, or where be intended going. He denied an alleged interview sent out last night from Lynch burg. cLAM sHELLS AS MONEY. Looks Very Much Like History Wants to Repeat Itf.. Rather a strange statement to make, but one which is, nevertheless, histori cally true, that for the first fifty years in this country, clam shells were used for money. And w e had free coinage in clam shells too; there was no Gov- - ernment stamp upon them, but any one could go to a clam bed, dig his clams, live upon the edible portion, and rub down the shells until they be come round and smooth, when they - -- would become 'Wampum," and pass for money. Originally in New York six pieces of "Wampum," or Elam shells were worth a Dutch "stiver," or two cents, but when the Dutchmen in the goodness of their hearts told the Puritans of New England of their val ue for trading purposes, the Puritans made so much money, or "Wampum," that the value rapidly declined., until twelve, fourteen or even sixteen pieces were only worth a stiver. Then the Dutch Government of New Amster dam attempted to regulate the value of the clam shell, and said six or eight pieces should pass for a stiver, and precipitated the first commercial panic in America in 16.53, resulting in great distress among the poor then living In New Amsterdam. The Government was finally compelled to accept the commercial value as the actual value, and thus the financial panic of 1653 became a matter of history. The value of the clam shell gradually declined, until it finally became refused as money, but not until many complaints are made in the church records of New England, as late as 1730, of the chIpped and worthless wampum, which was put into collection boxes of the meet ing houses on the Sabbath to pay the minister. "One who runs may read." Substitute in this little piece of history tte word silver wherever clam shells appears, put the Colorado miner in the place of the New England Puritan, the Government of today. stamping 65, cents of silver, and making the people take it for a dollar, and it reads like a, chronicle of today. The many truthful testimonials In behalf of Hood's Sarsaparilla prove that HOOD's CCRES, even when all. others fail. Try it now.