Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-08-17
GENrrs ANn LIS POWER.

alt gives gladness, gladness, 10 the world. gladness 10 the
soul OF every man Light 10 the past, power to the present,
hCpe for coming days. Have YOU seen the graves and the
ruins upon the EARTH Have youseen nations and thrones van.
Ish away seen how those VINO have done works Of love and
heroic acts sank into the silent grave? how ashes cover the
splendid temples, and how mist hangs over and obscures
tue sepulchres of heroes, and how every thing, every thing
passes away from the actual world2
"Bnt who IS the glorious One who scatters the clouds
with flaming glancrs, and causes the spirits of the departed
to live again IN glorifed forms the immortal bard, who pre-
serves the memory OF nations, their struggles, their vic.
tories, their wounds, the treasures which they have gained,
aud which one age inherits from another; who causes US TO
weep to-day at the ~suferngs, and 70 rejoice at the great &C.
lions which have passed away for thousands OF years.
Bright dawn OF morning 10 the world sunk ia darkness, &c
Mus, II is thou
when the spirit speaks, then i. the heart of nations ex.
banded; immortal words which lay there slumbeung, awake
again. Men look mp, and perceive anew their nobler selves,
they become better, more loving, and happier.
Ozark clouds pass over the earth. There are autumn
nights when all the stars OF heaven are obscured, and the
heart OF man is sick OF life, Of all around HIM, OF himself.
No animaing feeling dwells in his heart, no tear comes TO
hs eye; wherever he looks it is night, and in the darkness
n' pale, fnghtfui shadows,-and the air which he breathes
sniiOcates him. Then what flashes out of the cloud, and
makes the night clear, and permits us 10 see the beautiful
spirits which were hidden behind the clouds, and which
now smile down upon usl 1t is genius, il Is the great ar.
ust. His lightning flash has touched the heart Of the un.
happy man, he has wept, mis- suherings are aleyiated: vel
another beam OF light, another glimpse Of the divine coun-
tenanee, and ne looks up with hope and courage.
"And when 4 nation beeds, when q deep wound has been
struck at Its heart, and 1t seems as if its strength, its free
dom, It's mobiles, life, must pass away under the hand Of the
e1ecuuoner; VINO is 1t who, even then, speaks of better
days, who raises again the fallen eagle, and allows his eve
again TO look at the eternal Sun? Comforter of the cast
dawn, Sesr and Prophet Of the mysteries of God, Genius,
all hail!
"Nho makes nature more glorious2 who understands her
language; reads the silent hymn Of the flowers, and compre.
hends the thoughts in the songs OF the birdsl Who listens
10 the spirits OF the mountain and the river, and TO the voice
OF God in the rolling thunder, in the usling forest, and ex.
plains to mau the words OF God in nature!
Thou wonder-worker, tloulife in life, thou mighty hand.
thou who bindest together time and eternity, everrenewing.
ever-producing power, thou who lookest OH the path Of the
SUM-, and on the heart of man, thou who seekest out the es-
sence of the Divinity, and the life OF the little flower. we con.
ceiVe thee not but we know well whence thou art.
"Nlun fell, and the spirit went astray in dark dreams:but
the jubilee OF a higher world reached him. o.. then the
scattered features united in q heavenly smile, the misty
figures ofhis dream received life and color, and oil his re-.
collections stood up bright light,-a beam Of Gods bright
ness, genius, smiles upon the Garth, and Eliminates tine d,rk
reality