Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/281



The marking with basaltic columns of spots with which important events in the life of a small community are associated is not so pretentious as building pyramids, or mediaeval cathedrals. It is not so soul-stirring as the putting up of a Bunker Hill monument or a shaft to the father of his country at the Capital City. And yet, the marking of the historic sites in Eugene may mean more to those interested in it and to the city at large than do those larger undertakings that are more impressive and have wider sweep. It's not the size of the undertaking but the spirit with which it is done and the character of the event commemorated that count. Civilization and monument building go together. Uncivilized peoples don't build memorials. There must be some measure of civilization before monuments appear. But what is more important to note is the fact that civilizations are built up or dragged down by the memorials they erect. Monuments make or unmake civilizations because they body forth their ideals. The downfall of Egypt was no doubt accelerated by the pyramids built to gratify the vanity of despots. Put up by slaves under the lash of task-masters, the effect was blighting. While monuments to characters like Washington, Lincoln and Grant, or to commemorate events like the battle of Bunker Hill have just the opposite effect upon their builders. People that have done anything, or that have anything in them, or any future before them are bound to mark historic sites and build civic monuments.

In their memorials peoples capitalize their past civilization and make it effective for the new and higher. With these memorials they get together and stay their minds on their ideals. Our memorials, if we as a people are sound in thought