New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-02-17
From ersfarn,s Magazine for March
CHE Eno of tbe aUorlo.
A VISION.
By JAMES X. PAuLDING.

country than any other, fell upon train of rehec-
lions on the probability of this world coming to an
end The first of april next, predicted by that
venerable seer. Tina, it viii come to an end, come
lime or other is certain, for nothing created can
last forever; and that this event may happen to-
morrow. is, for aught we know, just as likely as
that it will take place an hundred or thousand
wears hence The precise houris, however, wisely
hidden from ali but the eyes Of our inspired
prophet and the first of April is qaite as probable
as any other. although, for the credit of the Predic
lion, / c.uld wish it had been fixed for some other
day than that SO specially consecrated to making
fools.
1t appeared to me, however, on due considera-
ton that there were many startling indications
that this world of ours pretty we'll worn thread
bare and that il was high time to lay 1t aside, or
get rid oft altogether, by summary process, like
The Bankrupt Law Nor am I alone, among very
discreet rejecting persons, in this opinion. was
lately conversing with an old gentleman of great
experience and sagacity, who has predicted several
hard winters and who assured me he did not
zee how possible for this world to last much
longer. g In the first place" said he, F" 1t has
grown a great deal too wise TO be honest, and
common sense, like specie currency, become
the most uncommon Of all commodities Now
I maintain that, without the ballast of com.
down or at least, fall on its beam-ends, and all
the passengers tumble overheard In the second
place, it is perfectly apparent that the balance
wheel which regulates the machine, and keeps all
its functions In equilibrium, is almost worn out ii
not entirely destroyed. There is no medium
in any thing. The love of money has become
raging passion mania equally destructive to mo-
rails and happiness. So with every pursuit and
passion of our nature. Every man is like beg.
gar on horseback and the old proverb will tell
where he rides. All spur away, until they break
down, ride over precipice, or tumble into the
nlire. If n man, as every man does nowadays,
pines for riches, instead of seeking them in the
good old-fashioned way Of industry, prudence
and economy. he plunges heels over head in mad,
extravagant and visionary schemes, that lead In.
evi,abls not only to his own ruin, but that OF
others, and in all probability, in the end, leave
him as destitute of character as of fortune. Or ii
he il smltten with desire to benefit his fellow cit
izens he carries his philanthropy into the camp of
the enemy, that is, the opposite extreme OF VICE
His sympathies for one class Of human suffering en-
tireiy shu his eyes and his heart to the claims aud
rights of Others and he would sacrifice the world to
an atom. His pity for the guilty degenerates into
tho encouragement of crime, and instead of an
avenger he becomes an accomplice. n o man, 1t
would seem, in this most ene htened of all ages,
that an honest abho, renee of guilt is one of the
most powerful preservalves of human virtue; and
that one Of the most etfectual modes OF engender-
ing vice in our own hearts, is accustom ourselves
10 view it merely as object of pity and forgive
ness. 1t seems to be u growing opinion, that The
punishment of crime is usurpation of society,
despotic exercise of power over individuals, and,
in short, a relic OF the dark ages .
MY excellent old friend is a great talker, when
he gets on u favorite subject-thougb he rails by
the hour at members of Congress for their long
Speeches-and proceeded, after stopping to take
breath, as follows -" There are other pregnant
indications of this world being on rs last legs IN
the fashionable cant-so my friend called it, most
rreverenty-t.o of ascrbins almost all the great
conservative principles of the social state to the
dark ages The laws, Indispensable to the secu
rity Of property, the restraint of imprudence and
exuavagance, the safety of persons, and the pun
ishnent of their transgrcssors-those laws, IN
short ha, constitute the great pillars of society,"
and without which barbarity and violence would
again oyerran the world, are, forsooth, traced by
the advocates of progress to those very dark
ages, whose ignorance and barbsrism they contrl-
buted more than all other causes to dissipate and
destroy. Az honest man who resorts to those laws
which are founded j: the first principles OF justice
for tho recovery Of that which is necessary TO his
comfort perhaps his very existence, or for the pur
pose Of punshiag some profiga,e spondthrist for
defrauding him. is denounced by philanthroPic
legislators, and mawkish moraIists, as dealer IN
human flesh, Shylock demanding his pound OF
flesh, and whcting his knife for performing the
sacrifice. the murderer-ihe cool, Premediiated
msrderer-is delica,eiy denomnated an unfortu-
nate man les: we should wound his fine feelings.
Oar sympathies are invoked when he is called upon
II.
Tins. living aud dead, are left, the one without
pity. the other without relief
% Not only this, continued the worthy old gen.
,leman, who gradually waxed warmer and warmer
as he proceeded" not only this but as if 10 give
the last most unequivocal evidence of dotage. we
have become pulled up with the idea of this Icing
the most enlightened Of all the ages OF the world,
for no other reason, that can perceive, than that
we are become very great mechanics, aud have, III
consequences of the wonderful perfection to whick
machinery has been brought, deprecated the value
OF human labor, until it has become insufficient for
human support, and begsared ourselves and our
posterty, in making canals for frogs TO spawn in,
and railroads from inteiminabc forests TO flourish
ing towns that never had existence. IL is perfect
" evident 10 me- that matters speedily coming
10 Crisis, and that world, in which there is
o!aer pursuit but money, where all sympathy is
moneP"l'zsd by guilt, and where COMMON sense
ana common honesty are considered as relics OF
the DARK ases, cannot last much longer, unless, "
added he, with peculiar expression of his eye,
unless Congress takes it in hand, and brings
abou, a radical reform, by specialization. The
truth is, it owes SO much more than i, can pay,
that the sooner it winds up its concerns the bet.
Ter
Saying this, my worthy and exceeu. friend. eff.
ter predicting a hard winter, Left me to cosita,e
alons il my old arm chair, very much inclined 10