The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-10-23
MISCELLANY.

from thu NatChG2 Arch.
Reflections OH The rapid disappearance Of Me .d6-
0Tigtnes Qtthis country.
That NIL sublunary affairs are liable to change
that instability is written upon every thing
under the sun, Is a remark old AS the world 10
which il applies.-The poet has sung Of it. aud
to the philosopher. il has Afforded ainple matter
tor sober contemplation. The bIInd old man
OF Scio's rocky isle' when In sat amid the runs
of Troy, whose magnlfrelce and splendoT still
live in ire Yea Sc winch describes them. though
the brass nid the marble have long since moul--
dered away, fett half his inspira ton from the
thought, that hr was s%nHtchips nom the stream
OF oblivion n portion ot the wreck of a mighty
pmpire. IN modern Times, one of tie most ee
gantof Erench philosophers. has mediiated with
the same feelings ami nioraiiged upon the same
s%cutlncnt, amid the nuns OF Batbec and PaImy
"a, But we need not yisil The site of ancient
Troy. nor around the Iigris or Eiphrates,
wheIe once stood the laigity cities OF the west,
to convince us that Staoiiiiy belongs not TO
eHrth-that nran Is bat a bubble on the stream,
now gllttering aud dancing in the sun-brah,
aud anon d"shed by the swim curren, down ihe
loamIng calcraci, and 10 IA the red waters be.
low.
Not a century ago. and on these fair field,
and through these magnif, ent forests roamea
thr powerful tribes OF a noble race Of men
With numbers amount'ngt 10 millions, aud with
qualities superior 10 those OF .anv other race 81
,svages the world eyer saw possessing an n.
most houndleSs contiueni, with bot, skii and
courage 10 deleud 1t who could then have said
in = te yeats the red nian snail cease 10 exist Z
Such however has been the result. The bones
OF their fathers have MT yet mouldered in their
Srayes-the smoke of their council fires has
hardly ceased reaching above the hills, and the
groves IN winch they woke aud slept, and loved
and s'iiIg, are stu green and f0urishiug-but
the red warriors thcmspl, es where ARE they /,
Has the earth opened aud swall owed them M
OF has n SECOND delnee swept them from its SUI
face 7 has the tornado destroye ed them d? No.
They have iallep before the march OF cj,ilix,.
ton. Nature was too week for n contest with
art. The unsophistcated sou OF the forest soon
gave way before the cunning Of the white man.
Now, instead of the humble wigwam, rises the
proud ediice-instead of the simple altar of
stones, from which the lndmn called upou the
Great SpirIf, no" glitter thu lofty spires, sacred
to the alost High. On the broad rivers, which
n lew Sears since bore upon their surface.
naught but the light bark canoe, now rusl, alone
gallant steamboats,, like enchanted castles. FIJI.
I'd with the produce OF the must Instant cIimps
The fourishing structure OF our wide repuh lie
has been erected upon the RUNS OF a hundred
nations-2ay cities rise amid the cemeteries Of
NV hh"', dhu ONT uHiIV Walks are over the
tombs ofdrparted warriors, On all sides WV he.
ho'd the remnant of Almighty people: their very
footsteps are yet fresh in the sand, but the race
iiseit mas passed from the face of the earth. Az
stranger IN a distant innd. goes down 10 n.
grave, forgotten ete the green grass mas rovsrad
ms boston, tIr whose death ma tear of s,mnathv
is she'd, and over whom no Friendly hand has
raised the slightest mrmociat of love -, ,be
remembrance of the Indian is rapidly fading
from the memory of man. Even when he -
mentioned II Is only TO load him " IN the .ie.n-
est ooio4uy' Those very QUALITIES, which in u.
ines ages ana among other nations have raised
their rossessors to the highest summit of glory
when exhibited by the savage, are branded with
terms OF unqualified reproach. The cou,as.
with which he met his foe in the field is depo,n.
mated barharous ierocity 4 the skill With winch
ne opposed nm N council, ireach eroos cum in,
His patriotism is called blind attachmen, and bis
iort'tude, brutal iusensibilitv. Can the sam
qualities, then be good and bad ; and is the NOR.
al World mutabie as the physicn4 Shall na.
man be im'norIallaed Ior say ing his country an,
a%nother approached for attempting AZ Wbe !.
brut"s MA one stroke OF his dagger, gave fire.,
dom to Rome aud the world. whole nations sen,
back the shout of graduation. The laurcIs nj
sldorr SEEMED toe lew 10 eneirc,e his brow and