| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: and anon with singular oaths, that savour of Papistrie. Besides,
your exterior man is altogether too deboshed and irregular to
become one of his lordship's followers, since he has a reputation
to keep up in the eye of the world. You must somewhat reform
your dress, upon a more grave and composed fashion; wear your
cloak on both shoulders, and your falling band unrumpled and well
starched. You must enlarge the brim of your beaver, and diminish
the superfluity of your trunk-hose; go to church, or, which will
be better, to meeting, at least once a month; protest only upon
your faith and conscience; lay aside your swashing look, and
never touch the hilt of your sword but when you would draw the
Kenilworth |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Collected Articles by Frederick Douglass: will again grow, but under which it is impossible for the Federal
government to wholly destroy it, unless the Federal government
be armed with despotic power, to blot out State authority,
and to station a Federal officer at every cross-road.
This, of course, cannot be done, and ought not even if it could.
The true way and the easiest way is to make our government entirely
consistent with itself, and give to every loyal citizen the elective franchise,
--a right and power which will be ever present, and will form a wall
of fire for his protection.
One of the invaluable compensations of the late Rebellion
is the highly instructive disclosure it made of the true source
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Across The Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson: undulating country stretched away upon all sides. Locust trees and
a single field of Indian corn gave it a foreign grace and interest;
but the contours of the land were soft and English. It was not
quite England, neither was it quite France; yet like enough either
to seem natural in my eyes. And it was in the sky, and not upon
the earth, that I was surprised to find a change. Explain it how
you may, and for my part I cannot explain it at all, the sun rises
with a different splendour in America and Europe. There is more
clear gold and scarlet in our old country mornings; more purple,
brown, and smoky orange in those of the new. It may be from habit,
but to me the coming of day is less fresh and inspiriting in the
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