Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-07-07

1 eg, j hat WnlCn IS C6itdth II 'hal AhCi6ht
Scandinavia. which in the time of the Ro-
mans. constituted great island, through
tho straits of which the navlgators of the
Rsltic communicated with the icy ocean,
is now entirely united with the con-
Gnent The same holds good in relation
to rivers; those cited by Homer have dwin-
died into petty rivulets, and the Nile, with
iis seven mouths, now is inadequate to the
Foundation of its shores, and dIsembogues
I nv three. For myself have seen neither
seas nor rivers which have not deserted
! their ancient banks: some countries are CT
led as having been invaded by the sea, but
these are occasional lrruptoEs, the cOnse-
ouence of local earthquakes. They are
! few in number and cannot enter into com
parison with the universal dlmlnution oftheI
ocean which appears to be general law.
| The day will come when a multitude oil
rocks. now at the surface of the sea, the
terror oftbe mariners, shall be the habIta.
tions Of civilized man;-and France shall
ha united 10 England, and her isles. The
human race will follow the globe IN these
progressive dcvelopements OF perfection;
for tbe human species marches also TO the
nerCcction offs nature. In VAIN the poets
SAL thc Golden age prevailed in the hrsI
contur,es ofcreatlon. Gould It exist upon
an earth when amidst the confusion OF lis
Iclemertsl Read IFS history, and observe
how miserable must be the STAB OF man
,r;,bon, ov,erienre. wanting all, md ignor-
ant even of the arts most Necessary to his
existence: delivered up by bis necessities
IN evory defect and vice which tia most oil /
his descendants have Inherited to his time;
sometimes desputs, & sometime slaves, /
Itbev were ieroclous unpnnclpled 'obbers,
aDthro1ophagi, and ldolaters. Opinions
the most absurd and terrible Of tn Dlvln- (
! ity urged them 10 the conflict Of PrPetual I
wars Tor the profit Of their tyrants-Such (
is The abridged history of every savage /
nation. We fad indelble tracesOf 1t III
( the times denominated sacred, andherolc,
even in our own history. Nah0s are
gradually refined by their misiortuns, and
reason. that divine ray, IS GATHERED from
those oftheir noighbors. Heaven hs give
II TO them in common, and It is purified by |
ages. The egg, enclosing the human
race, is about to break its shell,-hd the
embryo pheux to appear in all the PC. fec
ton ofmaturiy.
Let US not then cast an eye Of roget up /
on antIoulty, It was but the weak ari bar
barous infancy of the world, our ancestors
( have passed the IRON age, aud that9f gold /
Is now before us. But who knows If this /
mortal life Is not, for each Of US, state
preparatory to divine existence which /
must succeed nl Who knows that It Is /
not oar destiny to pass from world to /
world m successive isdthsl Perhaps (
our fate is linked witt ali the celestial
zones ofthe solar system, as It Is here be-
low with those of our earth. Perhaps, be
fore arriving here, VS. have lived IN The
twilight and auroras of Herscheli and OF
Saturn. Other ages and new rays OF lIgh, .
may have then transported US INTO the Nm
perfect days Of Jupiter, and the blood-red
Mars.-Theuce we have come upon this
earth fraught with ignorance and murder
ous propensIties, living 10 perpetual con.
glct between our reason and our passions
From hence we may pass into the glowing
orb Of Venus, and 10 Mercury, neIghbors
OF the sun. where our ideas and our virtues
shal, be perfected. Al last, having passed
all thc gradatons of human existence, We
shall reach, freed from all impurities, that
STAR whence Iacessanty spring all motions.
How many undiscovered laws are there
confined Even in the same attitudes, M
the northern and southern hcmispheres, in
the ancient and 10 the new world, neither
the same animals nor the same plants are
to be found. How infinitely various then
must be the productions Of the different
knows that these globes,
both visible aud invisible. are not erected
in the image of The sun, as 1t is SAID man
was in the image Of has Creator!-Who
knows that their beautiful productions are
not also feeble and transient images OF
The nefable aud eternal realities which
this glor Gus star euclJses IN Is bosom!
I believe, with Plato, IN the probability
of thus idea; at least 1t Is certain that
whatever there Is most useful as well (
as beautiful che strongest ard most pre-
cious, upon earth, Of ailments AID trees, OF
animals and ofmetais, are only found wHh- [
in the tosrid zone, enriched the entire year
by bis ardent rays. We hnd that m death /
the dark earth receives our mortal bodies,
and is enriched by their remains; we rem
der back only what We had previously Dor
rOwed. Why then may not the sun be the
last asylum of our souls, parlallng Of the
nature of his light-We have drawn from
this lummary all the diviaest attributes of
the soul, the sentiment Of glory, Of 5oneh +
cence, and OF the t.islence Of a God. Is (
he not also the recompense Of our virtues,
,rhLch are only Inc attraction Of benehcent |