NATIONAL CHARACTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 8

NATIONAL CHARACTER.

ADDEESS BY ME. HANAN, JI.P. Mr. J. A. Hanan, M.P., delivered an address on "National Character" at the Men's Brotherhood/' yesterday afternoon. National greatness and national preeminence, he said, depended on the potnts of national character, which was tho sum total of , the character of individuals. He dealt with what ho termed patriotism and national spirit manifested by the. people of other countries, and urged the import anco of fostering a lovo of country and national ideals among the people of New Zealand, and particularly the young New Zealunders. In a young country like New Zealand with such magnificent rescources, a country not handicapped like older lends with industrial and social evildeeply and widely rooted making them difficult to remove, there was a better opportunity to build up a national life and character that would make tho" country a pattern nation. The true test of a nation's .progress was the kind of men and women it was producing—what was the character of its people. The question covered not only their mental and bodily development, but the conduct of their lives so far as honesty, justice, and moral cleanliness were concerned. It was character, or moral quality, that counted most in u nation, as in man. Most peoplo know right from wrong, but will power ■ nnd self-control wero frequently weak when it came to decision regarding tho doing of what was right, and resisting tviuptation to do ■ what was dishonourable, or evil. Legislation would do much to_ improve conditions, and provido an environment that would help a man to devolyp nnd live Us best life. There miist bo self-improvement and moral development on the part of the individual himself. In order to get the right social state, men must live up to those principles that wore essential to the maintenance of a high standard of social and moral ctliMan" was made up of a strange combination of qualities. There could bo fouud in him at the same timo the worst characteristics, such as selfishness and cowardice, and tho best, such as self-abne-gation and heroism. A matt might not hesitate to risk his life by dmnß into the se,i to save a drowning man, and yet he might at anotlier time do a selnsii, menn action. It was tho same man in a ditfereut mood and influenced by other thoughts or feelings. It had been truly said that aliko for the nation and Uio individual, the one indispensable requisite was character—character that dares and does, as well as endures, character that was active in the performance of virtue, *no less than firm in tho refusal to do ought that was vicious or degraded. The problem of tho ideal community was, as Plato pointed out, in the main a problem of education, nnd in dealing with the problem of the right education they had to have in their minds and hearts some pattern of tho ideal State. To achieve a distinguished national character they should promote all those agencies which would tend to bring about.a genuine refinement nnd nobility of life. During the afternoon solos were rmdered by Mrs. Hanan and Mr. Cutwortli, and Miss Hogg gave a recitation.