Litchfield enquirer., 1837-09-21
ron 'xzk LE1cHRErD ESouIRgR. CHANGES.

Al one time Hope, the angel of lie" springs up in the bosom, the world looks fair and beautiful, time speeds gaily onbut in it's speed it brings changs- We look at the fond asprant after wealth or fame, and see that corresponding change has taken place in his appearance. We no longer see the smiles of joy play around his lips and anxious care has stamp ed the brow 30 lately lit up with thoughtless mrth- Every thing to him seems changed; every thing as- sumes different aspect Creation. whose fairy forms and gaudy hues so late delighted him. present nought but mournful beauty to his view. The tunefu birds sing in his ear different song, the warbiing brooks and murmuring streams are melancholy sounds, and man, with whom he often held sweet converse, whom he was accustomed to view as z the nobest work of God" he now feels is a vile worm of the dust. He has just emerged from the bright regions of fancy into the sober realities of life. over which bghed hopes have cast an awful gloom. <a
 O! 'tis sud, tis heartrending to witness the chan ges to which poor human nature is subject. Welook with joy upon the works of natures we see the flowers spring up delight senses the verdure cothe the fields for our enjoyment; and when we reflect how soon rude winters storms will lay the lovely blossom
 low and spread their sheet of white upon the verdant fields, sadness is relieved by the thought that spring will again return, and bid decayed nature start again to life But to the human heart there seems no second sping-time. Its hopes once decayed, never revive. Friends droop and fall into the cold grave No genial heat nor moistening showers can call them back to life.
 have sojourned long in this vale of tears. have witnessed the return of many seasons, and each ceeding season "has added proof thas man was made to mourn.' have seen the fond mother, whose eyes I-- .l.1:~ future property she looked forward with all mothers hopes, suddenly bend her head in grief and in her care-worn countenance I could scarcely recognize her whom but few short months before had seen smiling and happy. And have inquired the cause of her sorrow, has been told that death had torn away her lovely flower, which bloomed to delight for a season, and then be transplanted to more conge. nial cline.
 have seen, too the youth, amiable, talented, and accomplished, whose hopes fair the cloudless morning, around whose heart long years had entwin- ed the affections of friends, bidding adeu to the fasc mating scenes of earth, and resting his head beneath the silent cods of the valley. have seen the man in the strength and vigor of middle life, reduced to the helplessness of an infant and ceasng be actor on the busy stage of fe And have too, the old man. worn out with cares and suerings, gladly eav- ing world no longer beautiful, and life no longer desirable. Yes, over all these changes have often shed the tear of saddest sympathy Yet in the fate ot individuals, there are changes which though gene rally less ptied and less lamented. are far more sad than these It is the change which takes place in the man himself, the whitening and dying away of all no- ble and generous feelings of his nature, until he be- comes lost to the word lest to his friends, and lost to .f,~-. ~M tn,,o tHn young man, amiable and generous in his feelings, whom nature seemed to have formed to bless man kind giving way to vice and dissipation, sinking be- meath the beasts that persh and buryng the hopesof his friends beneath his own degradation. Oh! what is death to this? What is the death of the body, to the dying away of all that is noble and generous in the human heart!
 have watched too with deep interest the changes which happen to nations Ihave seen the earthquake dsscatng kingdoms and pestlence slaying its thous. ands. And have seen war doing more deadly work than these-spreading devastation and death over fourishng countries and filing the air with the cries ofth widow and iaherless But these changes have been less affecting to me than the great moral changes which gradually, but surely. destroy the peace and liberties of a country. Causes produce their legitimate results in the moral well as in the natural world And these results are often great and wonderful such as none but the wisest and most pen. etrating could possibly foresee The change may ap. pear sudden and almost instantaneous, even when it's causes have been long in operation Our country, the present time, is striking illustration of this truth But short time ago, we were happy and a prospe- rous people. Commerce was pouring in wealth from abroad, and agriculture and manufactures were four ishing at home. Plenty was smiling upon us; and even the poorest shared in the general abundance.- Business was brisk, and never was there more free or prosperous country. But look at i: now! How changed Business is deranged heavy losses and fail ures are familiar sounds to our ears. and thousands who short time ago were actively engaged in prott- able business are now thrown out employment, and suffering for want of the necessares of life.
 And what has produced this mighty change3 Can. not the cause of it be traced to the want of correct moral feelingi Has not spirit of sclfshness and desire rather than love of coun try. been the principles which have actuaed many o our public men7 Have they not blinded the people and cried pence, peace, where there was no peace Had that patriotism been theirs which filled the boeoms of our lorefahers would such state of things ever have been brought about Let the public judge.- They are the ones look into these evils, and provide remedy. One thing, however, must be obvious to every mind. Such . state of things, brought about without any unusual cause. implies that guilt rests somewhere. Could the experiment be made; could the country bc purged from vices; could the prnci- plcs of justice and benevoence predominate, and each one act no. for himself aone but for the good of com munity. and changes like that which now overspread our country with gloom. would never be realized.
 The sreates: evils which can be brought upon na-