The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-12-31

The following eloquent and beautiful
extract is from tho "Viilage Graveyard"
written by the Rev. Mr.. GREENWOOD Of
Boston:
81 never shun graveyard thought
ful melancholy which it inspires is grato-
ful rather than disagreeable to met gives
me no pain to tread on the green roof of
that dark mansion whose chambers |
must occupy so soon--and ] often wan
der from choice TO place where there is
neither solitude nor society; something hu-
man is ihere-but the folly, the hustle, the
vanities, the pretensions, the competitions,
the pride of humanity are gone--men are
there but their passions are hushed, and
their spirits are still-maleyolenc has lost
its power Of harming appetite is sated,
ambition lies low, and lust is cold; anger
has done raying, all disputes are ended, all
revelry is over, the feIlest animoslty is
deeply buried, and The most dangerous sins
are safely confined by the thckly piled
clods of The valley; vice is dumb, and pow
erless, and virtue is waiting in silence, for
the trump Of the Archangel, and the voice
ofGod.
We give another extract; "on the Eter-
nifty of God.
"The contemplation ofthese glorious at.
tributes Of God, is fitted to excite in our
minds the most animating and consollng
reflections. Standing as we are amid the
ruins of time, and the wrecks Of mortality.
where every thing about us is created and
dependent, proceeding from nothing and
Fastening to Instruction, we rejoice that
something is presented TO our view which
has stood from everlasting and will remain
forever. When we have looked on the
pleasures Of life, and they have vanished
away; when we have looked on tho works
Of nature and perceive that they were
changing; on the monuments OF our friends
and they have fled, while we were gazing;
on ourselves, and felt we were feeting as
they; when we have looked on every OBJ
ject to which wo could turn our anxious
eyes, and they have all told US that they
could give us no hope nor support, because
they were 80 feeble themselves, can
look to the throne of God: change and de.
cay havo never reached that; the revolution
Of ages has never moved II; the waves of
an eternity have been rushing past it, but
il has remained unshaken; the waves of a.
mother eternity are rushing toward it, but
it is fixed, and can never be disturbed"
----oNo-----
LEVEL OF THE SEA.-Thsre is perhaps,
nothing which illustrates in more strik-
ing manner the exact accordance Of ma
ture's phenomena with the few general
expressions or laws which describe them
all, than tho perfect lovel Of the ocean as
liquid surface. The sea never rises or
falls in ony place, even one inch, but in o.
bedience to fyod laws, and therefore chan
ges may be generally foreseen and allow
ed her. For instance, the eastern trade
winds, and other causes force the water of
the ocean towards the African coast; so
as to keep the Red Sea about twenty feet
above the general ocean level; and the
Mediterranean Sea is a little bslow the
level, because tho evaporation from it is
greater than the supply Of its rivers; caus.
ing it to receive an additional supply by
the Strait Of Gibraltar; but in all such ca.
ses the effect is as constant as the disturb.
ing cause, and, therefore, can be calculated
upon with confidence. Were il not for
this perfect exactness, in what a precari.
ous state would the inhabitants exist on
the sea shore, and the banks oflow rivers!
Few Of the inhabitants Of London, per-
haps, reflect, when standing close by the
side ofther noble river, and gazing on the
rapid flood tide pouring inland through the
bridges, that, although sixty miles from
the sea, they are placed as low as persons
sailing upon its face, where, perhaps, there
may be tossing waves covered with wrecks
and tho drowning. In Holland, which is
low flat, formed chiefly by the mud and
sand brought down by the Rhine and
neighhoring rivers, much of the country is
really below tho level fthe common spring
tides, and is only protected from daily in.
undation by artificial dykes or ramparts, of
grca, strength.
What awful uncertainty would hang o.
yer the Dutch, if the level Of the sea were
subject to changes for while we know the
wafer ofthe ocean to be IL miles higher at
the equator than at the poles, owing 10 the
centrifugal force of the enrth's rotation,
were the level already established, from
any cause to be suddenly changed bat ton
feet, millions of human beings would be the
victims. Scotsman.
-..eNs...-