Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-03
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
ELoQUENsS THOUGHTs.


first aspect when fresh from the hands Of the Crea
tor, Cumberland presents an hypothesis more in
unison with the imagination Of poet than the OBJ.
servations Of philosopher. on the gradual fo.ma.
ton Of all objects destined for long endurances.
He supposes that every thing was at once created
as we now see it.
It is probable that the Author. of nature plant
ed at once aged forests and their youthful proge-
nv; that animals arose at the same time, some
full of years, others buoyant with the vigor and
adorned with the grace Of youth. The oaks,
while they pierced with their roots the fruitful
earth, without doubt bore at once the old nests
of rocks, and the young progeny OF doves. At
once grew chrysalis and butterfyj the insect
bounded ON the grass, suspended its golden egg
in the forests, or trembled in the fluctuations Of
the air. The bee, which had not yet lived
morning, already counted the generations Of her
flowers by its ambrOsia--the sheep was not with
out its lamb-the dee without its fawns The
thickets already contained the nightingaes, asto.
nished at the melody of their first airs, as they
poured forth the new born efusion Of their infant
loves.
"Had the world not arisen at once, young and
old, the grand, the serious, the impressive would
have disappeared from nature; for all these SEN
timents depend for their very essence on ancient
things The marveIs Of existence would have
been unknown. The ruined rock would not
have hung over the abyss beneath; the woods
would not have exhibited that splendid variety Of
trunks bending under the weight Of years, Of
trees hanging over the beds Of streams. The in.
spired thoughts, the venerated sounds, the magic
voices, the sacred horror Of the forests, would
have vanished with the vaults which serve for
their retreat; and the soliudes Of earth and hea-
ven would have remained naked and disenchant.
ed in losing the columns Of oaks which united
them On the first day when the ocean dashed
against the shore he bathed, be assured. sands
be airing all the marks Of the action Of his waves
for ages, cliffs strewed with the eggs Of immune
rabIe sea fowls, and rugged capes which sustain.
ed against the waters the crumbliDg shores Of the
earth, appeared.
Without that primeval age, there would
have bean neither pomp nor majesty in the work
Of the Most High; and, contrary to all our con.
cep,ions, nature, 10 the innocence Of man, would
have been less bountiful than il is now in the
DAYS Of his corruption. An nsip,d childhood OF
plants, of animals, Of elements, would have CO.
yered the EARTH without the poetical feeling which
now constitutes it's principal charm But God was
not SO feeble designer Of the grove OF Eden az
the incredulous would lead US to believe. Man,
the sovereign of nature, was born at thirty years
of age, in order that his powers should cores
pond with the ful.erown magnticence OF his
new empire, while his consort, doubtless. had
already passed her sixteenth spring, though yet
in the slumber of nonentity, that she might be IN
harmony with flowers. the birds. the innocence,
the love. the beauty of the youthful part Ut the
:su
6. THERE'S a God!" The herbs Of the valley,
the cedars of the mountain. bless him-the insect
sports in his beams; the elephant sa'utes him
with the rising orb of day; the bird sings hin I'D
the foliage; the thunder proclalms hin IN the hea'
v.ns: the ocean declares his immensely; man
alone has said, There IS no God'
Unite in thought at the same instant, the
most beautiful objects in nature: suppose that you
see at once all the hours Of the day, and all the
season. of the year, a morning Of spring and a
morning Of autumn; q night bespangled with
stars. q night covered with clouds; meadows en-
.meIIed with flowers, forests hoary with snow,
fields piIded BY the tints Of autumn-then alone
Won will have a Just conception OF the universe.
While YOU are gazing on that sun which |" plum
p;np under the vault Of the west. another obser.
yer admres him emerging from the gIled gates OF
the east Bv what inconceiveabe magic doe;
that aged star. which is 81, sinking aats'eo and
A. the same instant fresh and humid with the 70.
AZ dew the morning! At every instant
Of the day the glorious orb Is at once
risipg-resplen at noon day. and setting 10
the west; or rather our sense deceives US. and
there is, properly speaking. no east, south, o.
west. 10 the world. Every thing reduces itself
to one single point, from "hsns: the KING o. .n na
substance. The bright splendour is perhaps that
which nature can present that is most beautiful;
for while it gives US an idea Of the perpetual mag
ni6cence and resistless power OF 600, IL emu a.;
it,. at the same time. shining image OF tho s'ori
Gus Creator"
:. The admirable wisdom Of Providence IS no
where more conspicuous than in the nests o!
birds. It isimpossibIs to contemplate without
emotion the Divine goodness which thus gives
industry to the weak. and foresight to the thought
less. :,
aNo sooner have the trees put forth their leaves
L. 1s.u..cd little vorkmen commence their