Hancock County, Indiana - Chapter 21, 1882

Chapter 21

With what emotions of pride and affection, and often of sorrow, does every true American speak of " our country." Sometimes upon hearing flower}^ 4th of July orations, we are tempted to believe it all brag and conceit ; but when we hear them mourning over its evils, we are forced to believe that their feelings arise from a different source. Whether it be conceit or not, it is a feeling common to mankind. The Irishman sings of " my aine countrie ;" the German sings of " mein Deutche faterland ;" the American speaks of "our great and glorious United States." Two thousand years ago that great old Grecian philosopher, Socrates, said that his country was next to his God ; that it was his duty to work for it, and whatsoever it commanded was to be done, and when it demanded his life, he gave it cheerfully.

What nation is there on all this God's footstool that does not contain some noble souls, who would gladly give their lives for their country? Do not imph' that I include all soldiers in this class ; a few soldiers light and die with no other motive but love of country, but the motive of the majority is to gratify their own ambition or that of their leader.

What then is this love of country? It is not a love for the fields, hills, mountains, rivers, or any other natural scenery, although they are very dear to us. It is a love for and an interest in our relations, our neigbors, and all those of our nationality. In its broadest sense it extends to all humanity, the world over. To prove that natural scenery is not the object of love of country, take a person living in a very beautiful land, with a good government and kind neighbors and friends, and, if he has the right kind of a heart within him, he will feel that his country lies very near his heart ; but let the government and his neighbors and friends be changed, and he will want to move away. If then a love of one's people and a love of humanity in general, constitutes a love of country, I trust that tiiere are many of my readers who have that love, and who are willing and anxious to do all in their power to perform the work and advance the interests of our country. Hence it is our duty to-day, if we never have done so, to ascertain the part which God designs for us to act in the great drama of lit'e, and act it.

Philosophers, from Plato to our own school, both heathen and Christian, tell us that the history of the world forms a great drama, the subject of which is Truth, and this Truth is identical with God himself, so the history of the world is a development, of man's knowledge of God.

We may divide this drama into five acts. The first scene of the first act, from Adam to the flood, showed that all those who forget God shall be destroyed. The second scene extended from the flood to Abraham. Those great old pyramids and other remains show how great the Eg\-ptians were until thev turned to idolatry, when their glory departed. The third, from Abraham to Christ, taught the people that God is a great spirit, whose voice is thunder, w'hose messengers are flaming fire, who maketh the clouds his chariot, and who walketh upon the wings of the wind ; that he is so terrible that they dare not approach him, hence the need of an intercessor, which was to come in the person of Christ. In the second act, including the work of the arts, sciences, mathematics and astronomy among the Egyptian, Caldees, Persians, Arabs and Saracens, and that of literature and philosophy among the

In the third act Jesus Christ, the Son of God, left the glory he had with the Father, took upon himself the nature of man, and did many mighty works. But few of the people had learned the lessons which God had been tr3'ing to teach them, so his work was necessarily confined to a few of the lower classes. In the second scene of this act the apostles and disciples preached the word and organized churches, which were purified by persecution.

The fourth act, whose site was Western Europe, showed the sin of keeping science and religion out of the hands of the people; the need of earnest, thoughtful men, and of guarding against corruption, that "without charity we are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal."

But few of the nations profited b}^ these lessons, and it does not seem to be God's way to reform nations, who, after having known Him, refuse to have Him rule over them, so He pronounced the sentence, "'Ye are weighed in the balance and found wanting."

For sixteen centuries Christianity had been tried, and had proven itself to be no " cunningly devised fable," but something to satisfy the needs of man. And God in His wisdom seemed to say it is enough ; it is time that this religion have a chance to grow and spread among all nations. So He chose America, whose discovery He had brought about shortly before, as the scene of the fifth act. Hither fled the Puritans, Huguenots, Methodists, Quakers, the persecuted Christians from all Europe. All the early settlements which were successful were made under the direction of Christian powers. Those who sought wealth were soon destroyed or became disheartened and returned home. We were planted with Christ in this new, vast and good land that we might rise with Him in newness of national life. Taking the philosophy of history, then, it would appear that God's design for us is to give Christianity a chance to grow and spread. That religion whose fruits are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentle- ness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance should grow. We have every opportunity and inducement to bring forth these fruits. Are we, as a nation, doing so ? Let us examine : First, have we brought forth tlie fruits of love ? Did we love the red man as we should when we took awa}' his lands, dro\e him West and then killed him? Did we love the African as we should, when we stole him, beat him and worked him to death? Do we love the Chinese as we should, when we are so shamefully maltreating them? Is there a spirit of love between the North and the South? Are we as joyful and happy a people as we might be ? Certainh^ we fail in the fruits of peace. An e\il spirit arises at our political campaigns, and war is threatened. We ha\-e fought among ourselves, we have fought with our "mother countrv" and our neighbors. We have not been gentle and long suffering, but have always been ready and quick to resent wrong. Oh, how far have we failed in goodness I We have used deception and bribery. Some of our city life, the tramps, the Tammany Ring, Boss Tweed, and such characters show our bad side. As a nation we are too faithless, many professing to have no faith in an3'thing ; and the faith of many who do profess to believe in a Supreme Being is very weak, and they do not give it much exercise. Last of all the fruits which Paul enumerates, but not least, is that which made Felix tremble and say: "Go thy way for this time ; at a more convenient season I will call for thee." It is that which our nation is deficieint in, the greatest curse of our land. I I trust there are no souls saying to the cause, "go th}- wa}- for this time." Unless we awaken on this point, we will sleep the sleep of death, and be like Babylon, when Belshazzar and his nobles were drunk and Cyrus took the city.

Oh, ye who love our country! how beat your hearts when you think of our drunken senate, when you think of all the money, time, talent and priceless souls that go to feed the demon, intemperance, and the wrecked homes, the broken-hearted wives, and the disgraced children that are left after he has dined. If we would not arouse and work against this evil, it would seem that the very stones themselves would cry out. The beasts of the field seem to laugh at the drunkard, because he is more beastly than they. The birds in their songs mock him. The trees lift up their heads to heaven, waft their arms in the breezes and praise their maker. They seem to cry out, shame upon man, endowed with an immortal soul, to be groveling along in the ditch, and never think of praising his creator. His fellow men turn their faces and pass by. 1'he Devil laughs at him, prematurely cuts him off and takes him to himself. Will we not hear these voices and awaken? Oh, women of our country I it is time that you were working, praying and doing everything in your power to drive out the demon.

Oh, ye men who feel your hearts burning with a love of countr}', why will you not drop some of your petty political quarrels, and take sides upon some of the more important questions of the day? Why should you always be running the Republican and Democratic parties? The negroes are free now, and have a right to vote ; why not leave them now, take up new questions and form new parties? Mav we one and all, as we love our country and prize immortal souls, do all in our power to cleanse it from iniquity, and to establish it in virtue, that God may not pronounce against us that sentence : "Ye are weighed in the balance and found wantin<£."

one of the earliest settlers of Greenfield, was born April 26, 1799, in Chittenden county, Vermont, from whence he removed to Switzerland county, Indiana, in 1814; thence to Greenfield, Indiana, September 21, 1830. Mr. P. visited Hancock county in the fall of 1826, while she 3'et belonged to Madison count}-. Mr. P. was twice nuirried. First, to Eliza Moore, Mav 27, 1827, who died February 6, 1844 ; second, to Lucena Silcox, who is still living, on Feb- ruary 15, 1846. Mr. P. has liUed several positions of trust and profit. Bv reference to page thirty-nine and succeeding pages of this book, it will be observed that he was county treasurer for a number of years in the early history of the county. lie was also county school commissioner and county surveyor for a considerable time. Mr. P. was a Mason, a Republican, and a liberal, enterprising, practical citizen, and did much for the encouragement of pikes, railroads, and other internal improvements. While employed in his daily duties, he died suddenly on the morning of May 22, 1879. ^^S^^ ^^^^^' score years and twent3'-six davs.

a native of Brandywine township, this covmty, dates his earthly career from January 10, 1853. His parents were plain, practical, pious pioneers, who earned their bread by the sweat of their brow, and taught their children that labor is honorable, and to till the soil is respectable. Mr. Smith's boyhood days were spent on the farm, where he hoed and harrowed in the summer, attended the district schools, fed the calves and hunted rabbits in the winter. After arriving at majority, he taught school for a time, but feeling dissatisfied with his acquirements, he resolved to make an eflbrt for a better education. In the fall of 1872 he entered the New Garden high school in Wayne county, Indiana, and for one year was under the tutorage of the writer, who was then principal, after which he entered the State Normal at Terre Haute, Indiana, where he continued for two years ; after which he resumed teaching, at which profession he has given about nine years of his life in the district and graded schools of the county. He was one 3-ear at McCordsville, and two years principal of the Fortville graded schools. September 2, 1879, Mr. Smitli was married to Miss Mar}^ E., daughter of H. B. Cole, of Shelby county. This short but pleasant and promising union was terminated b\' the death of Mrs. S., March 2,

Our Country. 35

1880. About two years since, Mr. Smith resolved to exchange the rod for the scalpel, and after reading for a time with the firm of Howard, Martin & Howard, of this city, lie attended lectures at Indianapolis, and was fast unraveling the abstruse, recondite intricacies of medicolegal studies, when he was called to public duties, being elected County Superintendent of Schools, of Hancock count\% Jul}' 30, 1881, to fill the unexpired term of the late Aaron Pope. Mr. S.,in politics, is a Democrat ; in church relations, a Protestant Methodist, and in private and public life is above reproach.

was born in Brandywine township, in this count}', March 2, 1842. His father was a farmer, and his early life was passed, like that of most farmer's boys, in assisting about the farm. He, however, earl 3' manifested a disposition toward educational and literary pursuits, in which he was indulged and encouraged by his parents, who lived to reap the reward of their kindness in the success and honor of their son.

Perry, as he was familiarly called by those who knew and loved him best, received his first school training at district school-house No. 3, situated but a few steps from his father's home. Here he mastered the rudiments of an English education, and then attended high school at Acton, Ind., one year. After this he began teaching, in which profession he was very successful, winning the love of his pupils and the respect of their parents by his noble qualities of mind and heart. During this time he also learned the art of photography, in the practice of which he employed his time during the summer months, when not in school. Determining to fit himself still more thoroughl}' for his work of teaching he entered the State Normal School at Terre Haute in 1873. Here he attended two terms, doing four terms' work within the time of two. So thorough had been his previous training that he made the best per cent, on entering of any student of his class.

After leavinjj the Normal School he tauo'ht one year, at the end of which time received the appointment of County Superintendent of Hancock county, which position he held for two terms, or until the time of his death. To this field of labor he brought the same scholastic skill, accurate judgment and indomitable energy which had characterized his previous career, and the schools under his management were efficient and prosperous. Much of the work begun by him has since been carried forward to success, and it will be long ere his influence will cease to be felt in the schools of Hancock county. He was married July lo, 1878, to Miss Agnes E. McDonald, an estimable young lady, also a teacher. He was taken sick of typhoid fever about February i, 1879, '^^^cl, after a lingering and painful illness, died March 25th of the same year. He was a member of the Methodist Protestant Church ; also an honored member of the Masonic Fraternity, Knights of Pythias and the Brotherhood of United Workingmen. He was buried with Masonic honors at Mt. Lebanon Cemeter}-, near his old home, where loving hands have erected a monument to his memor\-. He was but in the mornin<; of his manhood, but upon the threshokl of man}' promising possibihties, when death closed his eyes to all earthly things and blinded those of his friends with tears. Had he lived - but it is useless to speculate upon what might have been since now it can never be. In the hearts of those who knew him best is written this epitaph : a Buckeye by birth, a Hoosier by residence and adoption, a son of Henry and Susan Hawk, of Highland county, Ohio, dates his earthly journeyings to September 28, 1824, from Brown count}', Ohio. At the age of eight he came to Indiana with his parents and settled in Sugar-Creek township, where he has since resided. His facilities for education being very poor, he was compelled to rely upon his own resources for the little education he did receive. Mr. Hawk was married September 23, 1847, to Mary J., daughter of David McNamee. After his marriage Mr. H. settled on his farm, where he tilled the soil in summer and taught the youth of his neighborhood in the winter for about four years, since which time he has devoted his energies wholly to rural pursuits, never having held but one public office, that of township trustee, in conjuction with Lewis Burk and Joseph H. Conner, in 1856. Mr. H. is an honorable citizen and an affable gentleman. See his portrait on another page.