The Apostle of Peace: Memoir of William Ladd (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from The Apostle of Peace: Memoir of William Ladd

When America comes to make up her jewels, or to compare them with the jewels of other nations, it is doubtful if she will be able to show a life of longer radius and serener light than the life of william ladd. This Maine farmer arose by the power breathed into his soul, to the very first order and rank of that nobility of the great world which numbers but a few men in a single age. Every country has its illustrious patriots, whose souls can only take in and worship its sole good and glory. But philanthropists, with hearts large enough to take into their embrace fifty nations, with a pulse of sympathy and good-will beating warm and ceaseless for each and all, - such men have been few from the birth of time, and they are few to-day, though increasing in number. They are the only order of nobility recognized and honored by the empire of humanity. Patriots may make a more bril liant lustre, but it is more temporary, and confined to local illumination. Often a shade of national selfishness discolors its aspect to other countries. The light it sheds upon its own land may have been kindled at the ashes of their pros perity. It may, to the eyes that most admire it, shine the brighter for the darkness it has made around it. But true hearted philanthropy, of William Ladd'a order of will and work, ascends to a higher level of view and life. As from the mount on which Christ sat and preached his immortal sermon, it looks of! Upon the great world in the pathway of his eye and with the pulse of his heart. It looks from such a lofty point of vision that the boundaries between nations seem but the narrow streets of one great city, not walls to sunder its habitations. From such a height it cannot or does not notice whether the faces on one side be black, and on the other white, or a shade between. To its car the human voice has but one language, the human heart but one divine fashion of sensibility, the human soul but one stamp of origin and value.

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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Apostle of Peace: Memoir of William Ladd

Such was the philanthropy of William Ladd, and such was the eye with which he looked, the heart with which he felt, the hand with which he worked, and the life he led, for the common weal of mankind. The order or mission of philan thropy to which he gave all these faculties of his life was at the time but just instituted. N 0 other special work of good will to man set agoing since the angels sung their song to that string and tune, ever required more faith and hope against hope. It was the effort to abolish a system of vio lence and bloodshed, which every year, from the flood to Waterloo, had destroyed more human lives than perished in the waters that upbore Noah's ark, or at that average of de struction. Christianity had not checked war, neither by making it less frequent or furious. Even when paganism had succumbed before the banners of the Cross, religious wars between nations that raised those banners against each other, raged with heathen fury sometimes for a generation. Christendom was one continuous field of battle, with only short breathing spaces called times of peace. All the nations of the civilized world, including America, had just emerged from a long and terrible struggle, terminating at Waterloo. They were all still bleeding with their wounds, and burning with animosities that blood had not quenched. Heroism, chivalry, patriotism, military history and glory of all the Grecian and Roman centuries; of the middle ages, and all other ages; Homer, Virgil, and all the classical romance of martial deeds and daring, all these took hold of press, pul pit, and people, and made a new literature in prose and verse to feed the appetites they created. Such was the time at which a few men in private life, of small influence, but of great faith and holy purpose, came together, each band a lit tle handful, in London and Boston, almost simultaneously, without concert or mutual knowledge. These men, few and feeble in political and social force, addressed their minds toe.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.