FEINBERG/WHITMAN  LITERARY FILE Prose "The Whole Past Century" (undated). A.MS. draft.
Box 36 Folder 71

401

1891 18 March  The Whole Past Century: prose.  A.MS.  (1p. 23 x 13 cm.)

Written in pencil, with many additions and corrections in ink, on two pieces of paper cut from larger sheets, with Traubel's notation at the top (see notes Mar 18 1891), 130 words:

Which leads me to [Then] another point.  Amid the war -- Amid [the all] indeed the [signs] resume of the whole now [rounded first] past Century of [their] growth, & getting into form, or preparation for getting into form -- The States, through all [all their] trials, processes & eruptions -- [justify best, and have finally best justified themselves in the proved quality of the people en masse, The people amid greatest events, sudden emergencies] deepest dilemmas, [straining as of a universe in threes, of the people] emergencies (often straining, tugging at [man] society's heart strings as if [curious to] some divine curiosity would find how much this vaunted democracy could stand,) [-- those] have so far best justified themselves, to profound examination, by the average personality [specimens] of the People en-masse.

see note. Mar 18 1891

Which leads me to
[then] another point.
Amid the war — Amid
[the all] [ind?] the resumé of the whole
[now rescinded first] past Century
of [the] growth, & getting
into form, or preparation
for getting into form.  The
States, through all
[their] trials, processes &
eruptions [best justif, themselves] [and have finally best justified]
[in the proved quality of]
[the people en masse.]  [The people
amid greatest events, deepest dilemmas, sudden
emergencies strain as of
a universe in theves, of
the people] emergencies [often]
strain, tuggig, at society's heart strings [m???}, as
if curious to some divine
curiosity would find how
much this wanted democracy
could strain.  [They] have so
far best justified themselves, to
profound examination, by the average
personality & [friend????] of the People
en masse.

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.