Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-12-07
MISCELLANEOUS.
AN ADDRESS,


On the great points OF difference between Ancient
ana, Modern CiYiliza,ion-D Delivered before the "Ds-
Ynosthenian and Pm Kappa Societies, OF franklin
College. Thursday, August %, lsi3 by Hon.
r ". PiC4ENs, Of South Cara!iaa Member o: tie
"Fhi Kappa" Society.
Scipio Afgcaaus, was accustomed 10 exclaim "aa3t-
quam minus sotus guam Sot4s and however true this
might have been, IS applicable 10 The great Roman,
under the organization OF society, iew very
few, apply il 10 themselves, under the changes oil
modern civilization.
At that period there were bl, few books cad :hcse
were written a. gFea: expense and lfoGtle. Every
Inan OF though. and genus, had 10 ,-ayel owe. new
and xporGI held, and Re might su'y siy, lie was
less @,onc, than wien amd hrs own reflections
But modern times, man cGa be sad 20 he alone
All society Is bound together III one living mass there
il scarcely any region IN uosophg, morals politics.
thai has not been travelled over; ard wti the sFea,
improvements of printing, every thought every ada is
transmitted 10 the world, and no maa caa say he IS
alone, fof the honsh' ot older men, rise constantly
before him. rUm The Penny Magazines and Reviews o.
the day th4t surround Us, Us well as from the musy
tones o; Seneca, Plat aud Aristotle.
We i've in age rapidly progressive. ln"ensIon
upon invocation STATS up before is " ha' WIS s:Tis-
ing and extraordinary to-day, becomes common TO-
morT0w.
In ancient ,,aes haro;sin and Yalor the grea,
virtues that marked tn age. IN modern times indus
Try and enterprise Lac leading virtues. In former
days, the absorbing passions we're reno%n a"d glory;
IL; GU. G@y, ,!sy %NGIiS2 anC !pVe Oh power. ih
former days, the tendency Of the organization CT So
ciety, was for each 10 stand a,Uue ~ bis iadg:-
dual and personal rights, aid The great contest was 10
psserge those rights Wills, almost the only means oil
doing SO, constant appeal 10 physical strength
In ac the sabre with physical power, was the Grhter
q! tho world Hence II that Hercules was dozed,
an4 Mars became lsadiug Divinity.
5u; the tendency ~ The modern organization OF Sc
ciety, the of a.! tbs 1t tends towards ag-
aesaon under which, whole classes and interests are
- Ip.s.I trfs Juror
single individuals, a"d the great coEt's - between
classes 1t ~ combination, that every thing IS Ell
1retd and personal rights not 80 ;auch the obscl
OF soiicude e rights OF classes and separate com
nurities In ancient times countries %ce taken pos
sessva q ana ss;lled 1y aGvenu'eis, under some MI
ltcry leader al9c with view carry .l.e t5,umphs
OF conquest, and e4a5it personal pfo@eas, than with
any sstted viess oil civilization, or 70 advance the
great comfort Of the hunGu family. The moral e!cva-
lion Of asn formed Pgtt @! itci- consideTat on
Even the highest specimens OF ancient CIV z-ton, as
exhibited IN the pa!my diys 81 1Gebss, Of Greece, and
Of Rome all oo. 10 the cultivation O: the physical a.
tributes OF man, at least equal to, not Superior 10
his mon. Hence it that Homer brought down
s i)ei.;es ~ min lie IL combat am;d the fierce con-
c,s Of man. and hence !. is, that all ,her ieas's and
.,1aas and mighty temples, and gods, were only 10
tended 10 minister 10 Tie gross arpecs and 10 ns-
The animal attributes OF IL Is from tas
cause that they have I'll sunk into decay Their pee
PIE, Their Gore!nments, and even their religion and
the gods, have all fallen alike into the dust OF the
ea;ili, and whe,ed aad persisted the Autumn Leaf,
LEAVING behind nothing 10 he cherished or TO be loved
when God declared iha, he had made man after his
orn image, think you that he meant in i's physical
proportions and ao-earanceo No. no Il IN that
glorious ard e,hera par; OF man, which longs 10 rise
:-osn Earth TO fcaven-it in those noble and oar
ing quui;ies Of the soul, which scorn ana deiy the
tEamaeis Of time and rise - look, with burning eye,
int the rcc;ons Of Eternity. These-ihese the
parts OF pronounced to be in the image OF his Ma
Aer. No people and TO Institutions can last, that do
not look to the moral elevation OF the haman family
If they clam to be perpetual, their leading objects
must be Truth, benay violence and justice
Ia the early ages Of society, those regions Of the
earth were first settled, where Nature had scattered
her choicest and most psoiusc blessings Nuere The
cliiHa;s mild, and production spontsncuus-where
tine aGd flowed with milk and houeY-there would
man actually SEX his first abode. From these CIR
cum. ,nces refinement ard civilization would frs, de-
veppc themselves there. And population a'ranced,
aud wa forced into t,;ose regions less MIDI where
ptoi ucjion lmited md population became ahan
.lint from the instincts o! NatiFe thcy we're tempted
II invade and the favored portions ri the
earth where civil zction had accumulated abundance
From the intrinsic weakness incident II the ancient
organization Of society," aat locked 10 the ca;'vat on OF
physical power alone, of course evil eaton would be
oycr.un by harbars, and the arcumGlaons Of man ~
society, would become easy prey 10 hardy ard sa-
vare adventures. The greater their cdvance IN CIVIL
zaton and IT, attendant acquisitions, the more ceran
would they become the victims OF husN who welded
fhe sabre and relied upon numbers. Temerlaue and
EdinZet were but instruments under the natural in
stjucis of mar, by which lie should be made 10 lee
ne inherent weakness of that ancient c..an2a'inn OF
society, under whch TIE acqnist cns ct refinement
aud art cccaanlanns for the plumber OF bordes.
/, mus, ever tie 50, where physca power becomes
the habtua] abi;er Of the world. Under such system,
civilization must ever b. subject &c swept from the
earth, BY rude and savage man, pursuing The instincts
of his nature food wea!th and pover. II jasi
natural for the Goths and VGnda!s /, sack Rome, and
lay tic forest regions oF as EARTH Il for
the tiger 10 spring upon his p:ey from tie nng!es OF
iCdia, or for The Condor, wlng'ng his ngat from his
rocky home in iae Adds TO single cat devoted VIC
a. from The vast herds ,.a. e cd upon the Panras OF
t,ru
This is til tue reason why the POOR aud hungry
hcFdes ffon lie Norhcsn rcsi rs # ASA and Faro, e,
We're pe-peua,'y tempted to those Southern
portions, Wh,:e civil. eaton and refinement had reared
'Her early monuments, and where, under he culra
'ion u art te land began 10 Noon aud titSsom as The
rose.
Waerc phys'eal fo;cc is he con.t1r; appel; il IS
;OCch te iiw Of sacieiy, eraya,ioa Of mater,
.at iii tha, NC hal dear II ne refinement. Of moral and
Intellectual man, mas: FOREVER be Il tie mercy Of bar
bs:an aud brutal nante's The great ptoll m has
lecn I, work out some principles, by wiich 70 coun
this apparently inherent difficulty in the rnsfr
Ing Improvements Of civilization.
All perce:vs =: once, That tac progress OF
III society be retarded, and civil za,on cons;satly
thrown back. If the Improvements and accommodations
Of ages forever 10 lie placed 4. the mercy Of basba
rian ro%er
Tne ifs! great and permanent point gained has been
the Use o. gunpowder, and the improvement OF arie
rs is through these that civil za,ion has been ena
bled 10 pso'ec, itself against barbatsm. The whole