Soldan High School - Scrip Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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.-'gba-Q' Aivfweee :?f .na gifs:--1 Honor, Freedom, Courtesy . Truthful to himself and his fellowmeng honorable in characterg a lover of freedom for all meng courteous to all, whether black or white, rich or poor. Furthermore, he sought, higher things: not material things, for personal advantage, but things which would most benefit mankind. -A netha Smythe. fofin Brown fa rg: AUDED as a martyr by some, denounced as a criminal by nl others, the whole secret of john Brown's career lies in his j a . 1 I' emphatic conviction that he had a divine mission to destroy 3, 1 ., slavery, in whatever way he could. He disliked the milk 5' and water principles of the milder abolitionists and ad- vocated vigorous resistance to slavery. He expressed his ideas in actions rather than in words. During the war of 1812 with England Brown was still a boy. Upon seeing his black playmates beaten and starved to death, he first made known his hatred for slavery and swore eternal war against it. As early as 1839 he made known a definite plan for attacking slav- ery by force. It was to obtain money for this enterprise that he engaged in land speculations and wool industry. His ventures failed, and it was at this time that he first communicated to his family his purpose of at- tacking slavery in arms. For the next twenty years he devoted himself almost entirely to the undertaking for which he sacrificed his life. Although Brown would have justified a slave insurrection, or in- deed almost any means of destroying slavery, he did not seek to incite the southern slaves to a general uprising. The venture in which he lost his life was not an insurrection in any sense of the word, but an invasion or foray similar in character to that which Garibadli was to make six months later in Sicily. The Italian succeeded, and became dictator of the island he conquered: the American failed, and was put to death. But his soul went marching on. Millions followed in his footsteps, two years later, to complete the campaign in which Brown had led the forlorn hope. As usual, the forlorn hope were sacrificed, but by their death the final victory was won. John Brown has been and probably always will be the subject of much controversy. The truth, as usual, seems to lie between two ex- tremes. Deeply imbued with the stern religious convictions of his Puritan forefathers, in many respects a nineteenth century Cromwellian, exceedingly rigid in the exercise of his religious duties, a fanatic in temperament, wholly sincere and honest, he was devoted with his whole soul to the right as he saw it. But however high his motive, he was re- sponsible for deeds which were repulsive to the moral sense of a civil.- 106

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Ulysses S. Grant fr-4 RANT was of a retiring and domestic nature, a lover of peace l and tranquillity, and it is remarkable that this man should igg, ever become one of America's, nay, the wor1d's greatest heroes. Caesar, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, and , Napoleon were soldiers through ambition for honor, glory, and powerg but Grant was a soldier solely because he wished to defend his country, which he said, has made me what I am . Grant was a deep thinker, but gave little expression to his thoughts. He saw clearly the intensity of the struggle, and recognized the ob- stacles before him. His coolness and self-control during actual Fighting kept the men from knowing the tide of battle. He sat on his horse calmly smoking, as if victory were certain. This coolness and self-con- trol helped largely in bringing about such victories as Shiloh, Vicks- burg, the Wilderness. Grant knew that deep-rooted patriotism was better for the success of an army than occasional spurts of enthusiasm. And so he did not arouse the hurried enthusiasm of his soldiers as Sherman and Sheridan did, but he did arouse their patriotism by making them feel that this war was to ascertain whether this country could long endure. Grant's greatness did not end on the battlefield. At the assassina- tion of President Lincoln, national affairs looked graver than before the war. Here the statesmanship of Grant was instrumental in the reor- ganization and strengthening of the tottering nation. He alone had force enough to oppose the carpet-bag government in its dealings with the unfortunate South. His administration as president has many worthy acts connected with it. The most important of these is the saving of the American currency from the hands cf the ugreenback monsters , as they were called. His private life was simple and sincere. His unusual success did not change his ideas or mode of living, and fame was absolutely power- less to sever him from the path of duty. Not only this country, but the world knew him to be one of its greatest men. Europe honored and' feted him, yet when he returned to his native land, he was the same plain. simple, honest citizen. During his stay in Europe, he had visited the tombs of its greatest heroes, but when he came to the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, he said, 'fHe was the true hero, he conquered by love. And it is known that when he again saw this country in peace and prosperity he saidg Oh! God, let us always have peace. Let us have peace , was inscribed on his tomb, so that posterity could see that in spite of the fact that he was the greatest soldier of his age, he was a lover of peace. To us, and to all those who shall enter this institution, there can be no greater model than Ulysses Grant. He exemplifies its motto, Truth, nos

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'f - ' nj' i: lf ,qc -1, dr 1 . L' vf' Lk Q X. A- 7 ,v safe. - 3,5 sa f .. 55,52 - .1 'J-:T ized community, and which probably inju.ed rather than helped the cause he had at heart. When in jail, upon being asked if he would like to be rescued, Brown said that his relations with his jailer were such that he should hold it a breach of trust to be rescued. There is an example even higher than that of Socrates, an example which history will not fail to hold up, that of a man of whom his slayers said, He saved others, himself he can not save. Here is touched the secret of Brown's characterg absolute reliance on the Divine, entire disregard of the present, in view of the promised future. . For best befriended of the God He who in evil times, Warned by an inward voice, Heeds not the darkness and the dread, Abiding by his rule and choice: Feeling only the fiery thread Leading over heroic ground, Walled with mortal terror round, To the aim which him allures, And the sweet heaven his deed secures. flrwin Eskeles. Augustus Saint Gaudens HE greatest men of all times have been the most perfect fi representatives of their age. They have most truly ex- pressed the ideals of the day in their work, and by this very fact made immortal things that otherwise would have been of only temporary interest. Such a man was the American sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens. He has taken, in some instances, the most commonplace themes as in his Grief , a memorial to a woman who lived and died - made for a broken-hearted husband. But by his superb imagination and execution he has produced a masterpiece which will never fail to grip the soul of whosoever shall see it. It is not, however, due to imagination alone that St. Gaudens be- came the most noted of American artists and the founder of the Amer- ican school of sculpture. Nor was it due to his never-ceasing toil, pow-- erful mind, nor clever fingers. Not to any of these things, nor to all of them, does he owe his fame. He became a Master because these op- portunities found him a man different from all about him and ever ready. tool in hand, to sieze on an inspiration. St. Gaudens was a hard worker, never giving himself a moment's rest, even though, during the last ten years of his life he suffered con- 107