lives of great men all remind us that made uncomfortable to themselves, and
they have made their own memory sub- to those whom they serve. I do not
lime, but they do not assure us at all care how much knowledge a man may
that we can leave footprints like theirs have acquired in school, that school has
behind us. If you do not believe it, go been a curse to him if its influence has
to the cemetery yonder. There they lie — been to make him unhappy in his place,
10,000 upturned faces — 10,000 breathless and to fill him with futile ambitions,
bosoms. There was a time when fire flash- The country has great reason to lament
ed in those vacant orbits, and warm am- the effect of the kind of instruction upon
bitions pulsed in those bosoms. Dreams which I have remarked. The universal
of fame and power once haunted those greed for office is nothing but an indi-
hollow skulls. Those little piles of cation of the appetite for distinction which
bones that once were feet ran swiftly has been diligently fed from childhood,
and determinedly through forty, fifty, It is astonishing to see the rush for of-
sixty, seventy years of life; but where fice on the occasion of the change of a
are the prints they left. "He lived; State or national administration. Men
he died ; he was buried," is all that will leave quiet and remunerative em-
the headstone tells us. We move among ployments, and subject themselves to mean
the monuments, we see the sculpture, humiliations, simply to get their names
but no voice comes to us to say that into a newspaper, and to achieve a little
the sleepers are remembered for any- official importance and social distinction,
thing they ever did. Natural affection This desire for distinction seems to run
pays its tribute to its departed object; through the whole social body, as a kind
a generation passes by; the stone grows of moral scrofula, developing itself in va-
gray, and the man has ceased to be, rious ways, according to circumstances
and is to the world as if he had never and peculiarities of constitution. The
lived. Why is it that no more have left consequence is that politics have become
a name behind them? Simply because the pursuit of small men, and we no longer
they are not endowed by their Maker with have an opportunity to put the best men
the power to do it, and because the into office. The scramble for place among
offices of life are mainly humble, requir- fools is so great and so successful that
ing only humble powers for their fulfil- men of dignity and modesty retire from
ment. The cemeteries of 100 years hence the field in disgust. Everybody wants to
will be like those of to-day. Of all of " be something," and in order to be some-
those now in the schools of this country, thing, everybody must leave his proper
dreaming of fame, not one in 20,000 will place in the world, and assume a position
be heard of then; not one in 20,000 will which God never intended he should fill.
have left a footprint behind him. Look in upon a State legislature once,
Now I believe that a school, in order and you will find sufficient illustration
to be a good one, should be one that will of my meaning. Not one man in five of
fit men and women, in the best way, for the whole number possesses the first qual-
the humble positions that the great mass ification for making the laws of the State,
of them must necessarily occupy in life, and half of them never read the Constitu-
It is not necessary that boys and girls tion of the country. I mean no contempt
be taught any less than they are taught for the good, honest men of whom our
now. They should receive more practical State legislatures are principally corn-
knowledge than they do now, without a posed : but I wish simply to say that there
doubt, and less of that which is simply is nothing in their qua'ity of mind, hab-
ornamental, but they cannot know too its of thought, intellectual power, or style
much. An intelligent gardener is better of pursuits that fits them for the great
than a clod-hopper, and an educated nurse and momentous functions of legislation,
is better than an ignorant one ; but if They are there, a set of " nobodies," main-
the gardener and the nurse have been ly for the purpose of becoming " some-
402
HOLLAND, JOSIAH GILBEBT
bodies," and not for any object connected tious youth of the country seek to attain
with the good of the State. political eminence. Thousands go into the
Somehow, all the students in our study of law, not so much for the sake
schools get the idea that a man in order of the profession, as for the sake of the
to be " somebody " must be in public life, advantages it is supposed to give them
Now think of the fact that the millions for political preferment. An ambitious
attending school in this country have boy who has taken it into his head to be
in some way acquired this idea, and that "somebody," always studies law; and as
only one in every 1,000 of these is either soon as he is " admitted to the bar " he
needed in public life, or can win success is ready to begin his political scheming,
there. Let this fact be realized, and it is Multitudes of lawyers are a disgrace to
easy to see that the 999 will feel that they their profession, and a curse to their
are somehow cheated out of their birth- country. They lack the brains necessary
right. They desire to be in public life, and to make them respectable, and the morals
be " somebody," but they are not, and so requisite for good neighborhood. They
their life grows tame and tasteless to live on quarrels, and breed them that they
them. They are disappointed. The men may live. They have spoiled themselves
solace themselves with a petty justice's for private life, and they spoil the pri-
commission, or a town office of some kind, vate life around them. As for the medical
and the women — some of them — talk about profession, I tremble to think how many
"women's rights," and make themselves enter it because they have neither piety
notorious and ridiculous at public meet- enough for preaching, nor brains enough
ings. I think women have rights which to practise law. When I think of the
they do not at present enjoy, but I have great army of little men that is yearly
very little confidence in the motives of commissioned to go forth into the world
their petticoated champions who court with a case of sharp knives in one hand,
mobs, delight in notoriety, and glory in and a magazine of drugs in the other, I
their opportunity to burst away from heave a sigh for the human race. Espe-
private life, and be recognized by the pub- cially is all this lamentable when we re-
lic as "somebodies." I insist on this: member that it involves the spoiling of
that private and even obscure life is the thousands of good farmers and mechanics,
normal condition of the great multitude to make poor professional men, while
of men and women in this world; and those who would make good professional
that, to serve this private life, public life men are obliged to attend to the simple
is instituted. Public life has no legiti- duties of life, and submit to preaching
mate significance save as it is related to that neither feeds nor stimulates them,
the service of private life. It requires and medicine that kills or fails to cure
peculiar talents and peculiar education, them.
and brings with it peculiar trials; and There must be something radically
the man best fitted for it would be the wrong in our educational system when
last man confidently to assert his fitness youth are generally unfitted for the sta-
for it. tion which they are to occupy, or are
Thousands seek to become " somebodies " forced into professions for which they
through the avenues of professional life; have no natural fitness. The truth is
and so professional life is full of " no- that the stuff talked to boys and girls
bodies." The pulpit is crowded with alike about " aiming high," and the as-
goodish " nobodies " — men who have no surances given them, indiscriminately,
power — no unction — no mission. They that they can be anything that they
strain their brains to write common- choose to become, are essential nuisances,
places, and wear themselves out repeating Our children all go to the public schools.
the rant of their sect and the cant of They are all taught these things. They
their schools. The bar is cursed with all go out into the world with high no-
" nobodies " as much as the pulpit. The tions, and find it impossible to content
lawyers are few; the pettifoggers are themselves with their lot. They hoped to
many. The bar, more than any other realize in life that which had been prom-
medium, is that through which the ambi- ised them in school, but all their dreams
403
HOLLAND
have faded, and left them disappointed
and unhappy. They envy those whom
they have been taught to consider above
them, and learn to count their own lives
a failure. Girls starve in a mean poverty,
or do worse, because they are too proud
to work in a chamber or go into a shop.
American servants are obsolete; all com-
mon employments are at a discount; the
professions are crowded to overflowing;
the country throngs with demagogues, and
a general discontent with a humble lot
prevails, simply because the youth of
America have had the idea drilled into
them that to be in private life, in what-
ever condition, is to be, in some sense,
a " nobody." It is possible that the
schools are not exclusively to blame for
this state of things, and that our politi-
cal harangues, and even our political in-
stitutions, have something to do with it.
What we greatly need in this country
is the inculcation of soberer views of life.
Boys and girls are bred to discontent.
Everybody is after a high place, and
nearly everybody fails to get one; and,
foiling, loses heart, temper, and content.
The multitude dress beyond their means,
?nd live beyond their necessities, to keep
up a show of being Avhat they are not.
Farmers' daughters do not love to be-
come farmers' wives, and even their
fathers and mothers stimulate their ambi-
tion to exchange their station for one
which stands higher in the world's esti-
mation. Humble employments are held
in contempt, and humble powers are
everywhere making high employments
contemptible. Our children need to be
educated to fill, in Christian humility,
the subordinate offices of life which they
must fill, and taught to respect humble
callings, and to beautify and glorify
them by lives of contented and glad in-
dustry. When public schools accomplish
an end so desirable as this, they will fulfil
their mission, and they will not before.
I seriously doubt whether one school in
100, public or private, comprehends its
duty in this particular. They fail to
inculcate the idea that the majority of
the offices of life are humble; that the
powers of the majority of the youth
which they contain have relation to these
offices; that no man is respectable when
he is out of his place; and that half of
the unhappincss of the world grows out
of the fact that, from distorted views
of life, men are in places where they do
not belong. Let us have this thing alto-
gether reformed.
Holland. The United Provinces of
Holland, by their States-General, ac-
knowledged the independence of the
United States on April 19, 1782. This
was brought about by the energetic ap-
plication of John Adams, who, on the
capture of Henry Laurens {q. v.), was
sent to The Hague as minister plenipo-
tentiary to the States-General, or govern-
ment, of Holland. His special mission
was to solicit a loan, but he was clothed
with full powers to negotiate a treaty of
amity and commerce. Mr. Adams ac-
quainted the States-General, and also the
Stadtholder (the sovereign) — the Prince
of Orange — with the object of his mis-
sion. Mr. Adams was not received in the
character of minister plenipotentiary un-
til nearly a year after his arrival. He
persuaded the States-General that an alli-
ance with the United States of America
would be of great commercial advantage
to the Netherlands; and immediately after
Holland had acknowledged the indepen-
dence of the United States Mr. Adams
negotiated a treaty of amity and com-
merce (Oct. 8, 1782) ; he also made a
successful application for a loan, which
was a seasonable aid for the exhausted
treasury of the colonies. The treaty was
signed at The Hague by John Adams and
the representatives of the Netherlands,
and was ratified in January, 1783.
Late in 1780 Great Britain, satisfied
that the Netherlands would give national
aid to the " rebellious colonies," and de-
sirous of keeping that power from joining
the Armed Neutrality League, sought a
pretext for declaring war against the
Dutch. British cruisers had already
depredated upon Dutch commerce in time
of peace, and the British government
treated the Netherlands more as a vassal
than as an independent nation. The
British ministry found a pretext for war
in October (1780), when Henry Laurens,
late president of the American Congress,
was captured on the high seas by a Brit-
ish cruiser, and with him were found evi-
dences of the negotiation of a treaty be-
tween the United States and the Nether
404
HOLLAND LAND COMPANY— HOLLAND SUBMARINE TORPEDO-BOAT
lands, which had been in progress some to the State of Massachusetts in 1786
time. On Dec. 20 King George declared was sold by the latter State to Oliver
war against Holland. Before the declara- Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham for $1,-
tion had been promulgated, and while 000,000. They soon afterwards extin-
efforts were making at The Hague to con- guished the Indian title to a part of this
ciliate England and avoid war, British territory, surveyed it into tracts denomi-
cruisers pounced upon and captured 200 nated ranges and townships, and sold
unsuspecting merchant vessels laden with large parcels to speculators and actual
cargoes of the aggregate value of $5,000,- settlers. In 1790 they sold nearly the
900; orders had also gone forth for the whole of the residue of the survey
seizure of the Dutch island of Eustatius. (1,204,000 acres) to Robert Morris, of
This cruel and unjust war deepened the Philadelphia, for 8d. an acre, who resold
hatred of continental Europe for Great it to Sir William Pulteney. Phelps and Gor-
Britain, for that government was regard- ham, being unable to fulfil their contract
ed as a bully, ever ready to oppress and in full with Massachusetts, compromised
plunder the weak. and surrendered that portion of the land
The social condition of Holland in the to which the Indian title was unextin-
seventeenth century was favorable to the guished, in consideration of which the
development of new states. The feudal State relinquished two-thirds of the con-
system, in which large landholders whose tract price. In 1796 Robert Morris pur-
tenants were military men controlled all chased from the State this portion also,
labor and bore allegiance to the lordly extinguished the Indian title, sold off
proprietor, had begun to decay. A new several large tracts upon the east side of
era had gradually dawned upon Holland, and along the Genesee River, and mort-
Labor had become honorable. The owner gaged the residue to Wilhelm Willink, of
of the soil was no longer the head of a Amsterdam, and eleven associates, called
band of armed desperadoes who were his the Holland Land Company. This corn-
dependants, but the careful proprietor of pany, by the foreclosure of the mort-
broad acres, and devoted to industry and gage, acquired full title to the land, sur-
thrift. The nobles, who composed the veyed it, and opened their first land office
landed class, gradually came down from in Batavia, N. Y., in 1801. It was in
the stilts of exclusiveness, and in their this land speculation that Robert Morris
habits, and even costume, imitated the was involved in financial ruin, and com-
working people. The latter became ele- pelled to endure the privations of a debt-
vated in the social scale. Their rights or's prison for a long time. The Holland
were respected, and their value in the Land Company having sold the larger
state was duly estimated. Ceaseless toil part of the domain, they, in 1805, con-
in Holland was necessary to preserve the veyed the residue of the wild lands to
hollow land from the invasion of the sea, several companies, who finally disposed of
and to extract, by the hands of skilled all to bona fide purchasers and settlers,
and unskilled industry, bread for the mul- Holland Submarine Torpedo-boat,
titude. Common needs assimilated all John P. Holland devised a submarine boat
classes in a country where all must work which met with the requirements of the
or starve or drown. The moral tone of United States Navy Department. When
society was wonderfully elevated and po- submerged, the boat was propelled by
litical wisdom abounded. It was this electricity, and able to make 8 knots
state of society in Holland that stimu- for six hours. Among the requirements
lated agricultural interests and pursuits were power to carry two tubes for auto-
and furnished sturdy, intelligent, and in- mobile torpedoes ; ability to reach a depth
dustrious yeomen for New Netherland of 20 feet within one minute after
(q. v.). Their example changed the pur- being ordered to dive, the boat run-
suit of many a hunter and trapper in the ning light at full speed, and with smoke-
Hudson and Mohawk valleys who became pipe at full height; power to dive to a
farmers. depth of 20 feet within thirty seconds, the
Holland Land Company. The tract boat before diving running at full speed
of land ceded by the State of New York with steam-power, and with 3 feet of water
405
HOLLAND SUBMARINE TORPEDO-BOAT
over hull, and smoke-pipe up; with com-
plete submergence and 3 feet of water
over turret, the pilot to obtain a view
with a camera-lucida in a tube pi-ojecting
above the surface; a turret to rise 4 feet
above the hull, with an armor cylinder
of 8 inches thickness to protect the pilot's
head; a complete double shell to extend
THE HOLLAND SUBMARINE TORPEDO-BOAT.
about three-quarters of the vessel's length
from the stem ; ability to stand the water
pressure at a depth of 70 feet; automatic
arrangements for preventing a too deep
submergence; automatic compensation for
weights consumed, and independent mech-
anism for correcting variations in trim
due to shifting weights; mechanical means
for steering a fixed course; air to be sup-
plied for crew either chemically or by
storage under pressure in tanks; appara-
tus to cause the vessel to rise quickly to
the surface; ability to maintain an ap-
proximately fixed position and definite
depth of submergence without undue ex-
penditure of power ; provision for escape
of crew in emergency. Since the building
of the first boat many improvements have
been made, all tending to increase the
practicability of submarine action.
Mr. Holland writes of his boat as fol-
lows : â–
When the first submarine torpedo-boat
goes into action, she will bring us face
to face with the most puzzling prob-
lem ever met in warfare. She will
present the unique spectacle, when
used in attack, of a weapon against
which there is no defence. You can
send torpedo-boat destroyers against
torpedo-boats, but you can send
nothing against the submarine boat,
not even itself. The fanciful de-
scriptions of the submarine battle of
the future have one fatal defect.
You cannot see under water. Hence,
you cannot fight under water.
To-morrow, if we had a fleet of
submarines big enough, they could
protect New York Harbor completely
against an attack by the combined
surface fleets of the world. But our
shipping and our city would still be
at the mercy of our enemies, if they
had even one submarine, manned by
a fearless crew of experts. You could
not close the harbor against her,
even with a net-work of torpedoes
and chains stretched across the Nar-
rows, reaching from the surface to
the bottom of the channel. From a
safe distance she would simply send
a torpedo against the net-work that
would blow it to pieces, giving her
all the passage-way she wanted to go
in and out. She would never have to
expose herself for more than a second at a
time during all her work of destruction in
the harbor. This would be when she rose
to discharge her gun to shell the city.
The recoil of the gun would send her down
again and out of sight. Her torpedoes
she should discharge without coming to the
surface at all.
How the menace of the submarine is to
be met nobody has at this time been able
to say. The greatest minds in the armies
and navies of the world are wrestling
with the problem, but so far they have
not succeeded in solving it. With the in-
vestment of Santiago the world undoubt-
edly saw the last instance of a harbor
HOLLAND SUBMARINE TORPEDO-BOAT
of a civilized nation being closed by hos- For trans - Atlantic travel submarine
tile war-ships — that is, unless the next war boats will never be possible commercially,
comes with unexpected suddenness. The For short trips, however, the submarine
six Holland boats building for the United offers commercial advantages that will
States, though inadequate for general render it a dangerous rival of the sur-
protection, would make a big hole in any face-sailing vessel, if, indeed, it does not
blockading squadron that settled down drive the latter entirely out of the com-
in front of one of our great harbors. The petition in particular waters. Take, for
squadron would have to face almost in- example, the trip across the English Chan-
evitable destruction, or put out to sea. nel. No other water journey causes an
A submarine is now under construction equal amount of suffering. The most
which will start on a journey across the hardened traveller becomes sea-sick there.
Atlantic, travelling entirely under her own On the submarine there will be no sea-
power. She will go first to Bermuda, a sickness, because in a submerged boat
distance of G76 miles, then to Fayal, 1,880 there is absolutely no perceptible motion,
miles, and thence to Lisbon, 940 miles, There will be no smells to create nausea,
or a total of 3,496 miles. If it were deem- for the boats will be propelled by electric
ed advisable, the trip could just as easily power taken from storage batteries, which
be made direct, without making a call will be charged at either end. The offen-
at any intermediate port. sive odor that causes so much discomfort
This boat will go on the surface almost in surface boats is due to the heated oil
exclusively. Her chief motive power will on the bearings, and to the escaping steam,
be a gasoline engine of 1G0 horse-power, There will be no steam on these submerged
that will drive her at the rate of 9y 2 Channel boats, and the little machinery
knots an hour. This engine will also necessary to drive them will be confined
generate the electric power that may be within an air-tight chamber,
needed for submerged runs, and such work Almost without a jar, the boat will put
as may be deemed expedient in the harbors off from her dock on the English side,
where she touches. Her crew will subsist Practically no vibration will be felt from
entirely on the provisions she carries. The the smoothly running machinery. Before
food will be cooked by electricity. The the traveller fairly realizes that a start
crew will consist of seven men, who will has been made, the boat will be fast at
sleep in hammocks slung from the ceiling, her dock at Calais. This is no dream. It
During storms or dirty weather the is simply the forecast of a trip that I
boat will run awash, only her turret show- myself expect to make some day, and I
ing above the surface, and, as the water am fifty-nine years old. It is so feasible
will break over instead of against her, commercially that capital in plenty will
there will be no rolling. She will be ac- be found for its realization,
companied by a tender, with an extra Boats of this class will be more eco-
crew, in case her own men find the con- nomical than the surface Channel boats
finement too much to endure for the six- are to-day. The first cost, it is true, will
teen days required in crossing the ocean, be larger than that of constructing the
This trip will show that it is possible to present-day craft ; but, after that, with
send a fleet of submarines against a for- charging stations on either shore, the oper-
eign coast, as well as to employ them for ating expenses will be much less. These
defence at home. boats will be from 160 to 200 feet in
Within the next ten years we shall have length. Larger boats will never be feasi-