320 National Life and Character 



nobler training for our souls than the faith in, 

 progress." 



We do not agree with him that there will be only 

 this eternal calm to face ; we do not agree with him 

 that the future holds for us a time when we shall 

 ask nothing from the day but to live, nor from the 

 future but that we may not deteriorate. We do not 

 agree with him that there is a day approaching when 

 the lower races will predominate in the world and 

 the higher races will have lost their noblest elements. 

 But after all, it matters little what view we take 

 of the future if, in our practice, we but do as he 

 preaches, and face resolutely whatever fate may have 

 in store. We, ourselves, are not certain that prog- 

 ress is assured; we only assert that it may be as- 

 sured if we but live wise, brave, and upright lives. 

 We do not know whether the future has in store for 

 us calm or unrest. We can not know beyond perad- 

 venture whether we can prevent the higher races 

 from losing their nobler traits and from being over- 

 whelmed by the lower races. On the whole, we think 

 that the greatest victories are yet to be won, the 

 greatest deeds yet to be done, and that there are yet 

 in store for our peoples and for the causes that we 

 uphold grander triumphs than have ever yet been 

 scored. But be this as it may, we gladly agree that 

 the one plain duty of every man is to face the fu- 

 ture as he faces the present, regardless of what it 

 may have in store for him, and, turning toward the 

 light as he sees the light, to play his part manfully, 

 as a man among men. 



