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example　wherever　it　can　lead　us　in　the　path　of　duty　and　of　right；

and　of　bestowing　on　him　those　tributes　of　admiration　and　affection

which　he　deserves　at　our　hands。〃



The　great　leader　attracts　to　himself　men　of　kindred　character；

drawing　them　towards　him　as　the　loadstone　draws　iron。　　Thus；　Sir

John　Moore　early　distinguished　the　three　brothers　Napier　from　the

crowd　of　officers　by　whom　he　was　surrounded；　and　they；　on　their

part；　repaid　him　by　their　passionate　admiration。　　They　were

captivated　by　his　courtesy；　his　bravery；　and　his　lofty

disinterestedness；　and　he　became　the　model　whom　they　resolved　to

imitate；　and；　if　possible；　to　emulate。　　〃Moore's　influence；〃　says

the　biographer　of　Sir　William　Napier；　〃had　a　signal　effect　in

forming　and　maturing　their　characters；　and　it　is　no　small　glory　to

have　been　the　hero　of　those　three　men；　while　his　early　discovery

of　their　mental　and　moral　qualities　is　a　proof　of　Moore's　own

penetration　and　judgment　of　character。〃



There　is　a　contagiousness　in　every　example　of　energetic　conduct。

The　brave　man　is　an　inspiration　to　the　weak；　and　compels　them；　as

it　were；　to　follow　him。　　Thus　Napier　relates　that　at　the　combat　of

Vera；　when　the　Spanish　centre　was　broken　and　in　flight；　a　young

officer；　named　Havelock；　sprang　forward；　and；　waving　his　hat；

called　upon　the　Spaniards　within　sight　to　follow　him。　　Putting

spurs　to　his　horse；　he　leapt　the　abbatis　which　protected　the

French　front；　and　went　headlong　against　them。　　The　Spaniards　were

electrified；　in　a　moment　they　dashed　after　him；　cheering　for　〃EL

CHICO　BLANCO！〃　（the　fair　boy）；　and　with　one　shock　they　broke

through　the　French　and　sent　them　flying　downhill。　（12）



And　so　it　is　in　ordinary　life。　　The　good　and　the　great　draw　others

after　them；　they　lighten　and　lift　up　all　who　are　within　reach　of

their　influence。　　They　are　as　so　many　living　centres　of　beneficent

activity。　　Let　a　man　of　energetic　and　upright　character　be

appointed　to　a　position　of　trust　and　authority；　and　all　who　serve

under　him　become；　as　it　were；　conscious　of　an　increase　of　power。

When　Chatham　was　appointed　minister；　his　personal　influence　was　at

once　felt　through　all　the　ramifications　of　office。　　Every　sailor

who　served　under　Nelson；　and　knew　he　was　in　command；　shared　the

inspiration　of　the　hero。



When　Washington　consented　to　act　as　commander…in…chief；　it　was

felt　as　if　the　strength　of　the　American　forces　had　been　more　than

doubled。　　Many　years　late；　in　1798；　when　Washington；　grown　old；

had　withdrawn　from　public　life　and　was　living　in　retirement　at

Mount　Vernon；　and　when　it　seemed　probable　that　France　would

declare　war　against　the　United　States；　President　Adams　wrote　to

him；　saying；　〃We　must　have　your　name；　if　you　will　permit　us　to　use

it；　there　will　be　more　efficacy　in　it　than　in　many　an　army。〃　　Such

was　the　esteem　in　which　the　great　President's　noble　character　and

eminent　abilities　were　held　by　his　countrymen！　（13）



An　incident　is　related　by　the　historian　of　the　Peninsular　War；

illustrative　of　the　personal　influence　exercised　by　a　great

commander　over　his　followers。　　The　British　army　lay　at　Sauroren；

before　which　Soult　was　advancing；　prepared　to　attack；　in　force。

Wellington　was　absent；　and　his　arrival　was　anxiously　looked　for。

Suddenly　a　single　horseman　was　seen　riding　up　the　mountain　alone。

It　was　the　Duke；　about　to　join　his　troops。　　One　of　Campbell's

Portuguese　battalions　first　descried　him；　and　raised　a　joyful　cry；

then　the　shrill　clamour；　caught　up　by　the　next　regiment；　soon

swelled　as　it　ran　along　the　line　into　that　appalling　shout　which

the　British　soldier　is　wont　to　give　upon　the　edge　of　battle；　and

which　no　enemy　ever　heard　unmoved。　　Suddenly　he　stopped　at　a

conspicuous　point；　for　he　desired　both　armies　should　know　he　was

there；　and　a　double　spy　who　was　present　pointed　out　Soult；　who　was

so　near　that　his　features　could　be　distinguished。　　Attentively

Wellington　fixed　his　eyes　on　that　formidable　man；　and；　as　if

speaking　to　himself；　he　said：　〃Yonder　is　a　great　commander；　but　he

is　cautious；　and　will　delay　his　attack　to　ascertain　the　cause　of

those　cheers；　that　will　give　time　for　the　Sixth　Division　to

arrive；　and　I　shall　beat　him〃which　he　did。　（14）



In　some　cases；　personal　character　acts　by　a　kind　of　talismanic

influence；　as　if　certain　men　were　the　organs　of　a　sort　of

supernatural　force。　　〃If　I　but　stamp　on　the　ground　in　Italy；〃　said

Pompey；　〃an　army　will　appear。〃　　At　the　voice　of　Peter　the　Hermit；

as　described　by　the　historian；　〃Europe　arose；　and　precipitated

itself　upon　Asia。〃　　It　was　said　of　the　Caliph　Omar　that　his

walking…stick　struck　more　terror　into　those　who　saw　it　than

another　man's　sword。　　The　very　names　of　some　men　are　like　the

sound　of　a　trumpet。　　When　the　Douglas　lay　mortally　wounded　on　the

field　of　Otterburn；　he　ordered　his　name　to　be　shouted　still　louder

than　before；　saying　there　was　a　tradition　in　his　family　that　a

dead　Douglas　should　win　a　battle。　　His　followers；　inspired　by　the

sound；　gathered　fresh　courage；　rallied；　and　conquered；　and　thus；

in　the　words　of　the　Scottish　poet：…



〃The　Douglas　dead；　his　name　hath　won　the　field。〃　（15）



There　have　been　some　men　whose　greatest　conquests　have　been

achieved　after　they　themselves　were　dead。　　〃Never；〃　says　Michelet；

〃was　Caesar　more　alive；　more　powerful；　more　terrible；　than　when

his　old　and　worn…out　body；　his　withered　corpse；　lay　pierced　with

blows；　he　appeared　then　purified；　redeemed；that　which　he　had

been；　despite　his　many　stainsthe　man　of　humanity。〃　（16）　　Never

did　the　great　character　of　William　of　Orange；　surnamed　the　Silent；

exercise　greater　power　over　his　countrymen　than　after　his

assassination　at　Delft　by　the　emissary　of　the　Jesuits。　　On　the

very　day　of　his　murder　the　Estates　of　Holland　resolved　〃to

maintain　the　good　cause；　with　God's　help；　to　the　uttermost；

without　sparing　gold　or　blood；〃　and　they　kept　their　word。



The　same　illustration　applies　to　all　history　and　morals。　　The

career　of　a　great　man　remains　an　enduring　monument　of　human。

energy。　　The　man　dies　and　disappears；　but　his　thoughts　and　acts

survive；　and　leave　an　indelible　stamp　upon　his　race。　　And　thus　the

spirit　of　his　life　is　prolonged　and　perpetuated；　moulding　the

thought　and　will；　and　thereby　contributing　to　form　the　character

of　the　future。　　It　is　the　men　that　advance　in　the　highest　and　best

directions；　who　are　the　true　beacons　of　human　progress。　　They　are

as　lights　set　upon　a　hill；　illumining　the　moral　atmosphere　around

them；　and　the　light　of　their　spirit　continues　to　shine　upon　all

succeeding　generations。



It　is　natural　to　admire　and　revere　really　great　men。　　They　hallow

the　nation　to　which　they　belong；　and　lift　up　not　only　all　who　live

in　their　time；　but　those　who　live　after　them。　　Their　great　example

becomes　the　common　heritage　of　their　race；　and　their　great　deeds

and　great　thoughts　are　the　most　glorious　of　legacies　to　mankind。

They　connect　the　present　with　the　past；　and　help　on　the　increasing

purpose　of　the　future；　holding　aloft　the　standard　of　principle；

maintaining　the　dignity　of　human　character；　and　filling　the　mind

with　traditions　and　instincts　of　all　that　is　most　worthy　and

noble　in　life。



Character；　embodied　in　thought　and　deed；　is　of　the　nature　of

immortality。　　The　solitary　thought　of　a　great　thinker　will　dwell

in　the　minds　of　men　for　centuries　until　at　length　it　works　itself

into　their　daily　life　and　practice。　　It　lives　on　through　the　ages；

speaking　as　a　voice　from　the　dead；　and　influencing　minds　living

thousands　of　years　apart。　　Thus；　Moses　and　David　and　Solomon；

Plato　and　Socrates　and　Xenophon；　Seneca　and　Cicero　and　Epictetus；

still　speak　to　us　as　from　their　tombs。　　They　still　arrest　the

attention；　and　exercise　an　influence　upon　character；　though　their

thoughts　be　conveyed　in　languages　unspoken　by　them　and　in　their

time　unknown。　　Theodore　Parker　has　said　that　a　single　man　like

Socrates　was　worth　more　to　a　country　than　many　such　states　as

South　Carolina；　that　if　that　state　went　out　of　the　world　to…day；

she　would　not　have　done　so　much　for　the　world　as　Socrates。　（17）



Great　workers　and　great　thinkers　are　the　true　makers　of　history；

which　is　but　continuous　humanity　influenced　by　men　of　character

by　great　leaders；　kings；　priests；　philosophers；　statesmen；　and

patriotsthe　true　aristocracy　of　man。　　Indeed；　Mr。　Carlyle　has

broadly　stated　that　Universal　History　is；　at　bottom；　but　the

history　of　Great　Men。　　They　certainly　mark　and　designate　the

epochs　of　national　life。　　Their　influence　is　active；　as　well　as

reactive。　　Though　their　mind　is；　in　a　measure；　the　product　of

their　age；　the　public　mind　is　also；　to　a　great　extent；　their

creation。　　Their　individual　action　identifies　the　causethe

institution。　　They　think　great　thoughts；　cast　them　abroad；　and　the

thoughts　make　events。　　Thus　the　early　Reformers　initiated　the

Reformation；　and　with　it　the　liberation　of　modern　thought。

Emerson　has　said　that　every　institutio