Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-03-09
MI : 0LslLlLA NlEOUSo
From Graham's Magazine for March.
THE END OF THE WORLD A SKETCH
By JANIS X. PAULDIHG.

Happening, the other day. 10 meet with
an account Of mighty gathering OF the
disciples OF certain great prophet, who,
believe, has, IN spite OF the proverb, rather
more honor IN his own country than any
other, cell upon train Of reflections on
the probability Of ,hls world coming 10 an
end The first Of April, as predicted by
that venerable suer. That it will come to
at end, some time or other, is certain, for
nothing created can last for ever, and that
this event may happen tomorrow, is, for
aught we know, ust as likely as that 1t
viii take place an hundred or Il thousand
years hence. The precise hour is, how
our inspired prophet, and the frs, OF April
is quite as pruhabl rs any other, although
for the credit oi TIE prediction, could
wish IT had been fixed tor some other ds Y
Than that so SPECIAL y conse Grated to max
ing fools.
II appeared to me, however, on due
consideration, that there were many start
| ling indications that this worl of ours
was pretty well worn ihreadbare, and
that ii was high time to lay It aside, or get
rid Of il altogether. by summary pro-
cess, like the Bankrupt Law. Nor am
alone, among very discreet reh"ct.ng per.
sons in this opinion. was lately con.
versing with an old gentleman Of great
experience and sagacity, who has predict.
ed several hard winters, who assured me
he did not see how it was possible for this
world to last much longer. "ln the first
place" said he, sit has grown great deal
too " ,se to be honest, and common sense,
like specie currency, become the most
uncommon Of all commodities. Now |
maintain that, without the ballast of COM
upside down, or, at least, fall on lis beam
ends, and all the passengers tumble over.
board. In the second place, it is perfectly
apparent that the balance wheel which
requisites the machine, and keeps all its
functions IN equilibrium, is almost worn
out, if not entirely destroyed. There is
now no medium in any thing. The love
of money has become raging passion, a
mania equally destructive TO morals end
happiness. So with every persult and
passion of our nature. Every man is Ike
'beggar on horseback and the old
prnverb WIN tell whore he rides. All
spur away, until they break down, .lde
over preciplcr, or tumble into the mire.
! II man as every man does now days,
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 vision.
airy schemes, that lean inevitably, not only
to his own ruin, but that of others, and ia
all probability, in the end, leave him as
destitute OF character as Of fortune. Or
If he is smltten with a desire to benefit
his fellow citizens, he carries his phIan.
thropy into the camp of the enemy, that
IS, to the opposite extreme Of vice. His
sympathies for one class Of human suffer.
ing entirely shut his eyes aud his hear
10 the claims aud rights of Others, and he
would sacrifice the world To an atom.--
His pity for the guilty degenerates into
the encouragement of crime, and instead
of an svenger, he becomes an accomplice
No man, il would seem, in this most en-
Iightened Of all ages, appears to be aware
OF what is irre(ragably true, that al
honest adherence of guilt is one of thr
most powerful preservatves Of human viz
tue and that one Of the most effectua
modes of engendering vice in our owl
hearts, is TO accustom ourselves to view /
merely as an object of pity, and forgive
ness. II seems to be growing opinion
that the punishment Of crime is an usur
patton Of society, despotlc exercise o
power over individuals, and, in short, st
relic Of the dark ages.
My excellent old freud is a great talker
when he gets on Cavorite subject
though he rails by the hour at member:
OF Congress for their long speeches. anC
proceeded, after stopping to take breath
as follows. "There are other pregnaB
indications of this world being on its las
legs, in the fashionable cani"-so my
friend called it, most irreverently-"o
almost all the great conservative princ
plies Of the social state to the dark ages.
The laws, indispensable to the security o
property, the restraint Of imprudence ant
lextrayagauce the safety Of persona an.