Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-08-16

Vouring work when the morning stars sang togeIn-
er, & will not cease till night shall fall on the wea
nv, old, dying world What learn we from the
records of reformations that blazed like widhre
among the stubble OF nations of revolutions that
hurled down tme-honored dynasties, and lifted
mushroom popularity into the thrones OF ancient
power William the Norman displaced Herod
the Saxon Tmour conquered and was over
thrown an Arabian enthusiast hall priest, half
warrior and wholly sincere within HIMSELF over
ran nations threw down their old shrines, and
vroupht for himself spiritual sceptre that even
now sways the present and future of believing
millions a woman ruled sturdy England with
strong wisdom that collected around her reign
glory that reflects through her long line of ances-
try and succession, and will never pass away.
But what ayails ii to know all this, if there be in
the mind no desire and ability to gather from the
mass some principle, some other knowledge that
shall throw light upon man, his conditions, hopes,
and duties !? Unless we can 60 beyond the mar
raVe, dive into those hidden things which are not
even limited by the historian, and search out those
moral and intellectual statistics that are in truth
the preponderating interests of humanity, the
mind is not elevated, strengthened, nor improved.
But there is one to whom history comes filled
with instruction and promise ; it is to him who
listens to the spirit OF her words, and is not con-
tent with the letter To him she opens all her
mysteries, and he has clear vision to see that
which shall make his heart glad and his hands
strong. All time is spread before him like
grand panorama. He sees the eras passing along
PASTORAL, warlike chvalrous, and literary. He
sees shadowy succession of monarchs and alb
ject slaves, of strong armed barons and quang
vassals, of plumed knights and queens of beauty,
tournaments, crusades, martyrdoms massacres,
philosophic groves, sacrifcal affairs rocking
with pagan rites, Jewish hierarchles' with their
magnificent temples, Christian churches, and Mo-
hammedan mosques and all these are but wood,
and stone, and moving show. But he also sees a
spirit from whom this whole was ordained as a
home and school fprogress. He sees it among
those earthly forms, now lowly, downtrodden, and
burdened with chains, now struggling bravely and
hopefully with multi(orm effort for its enfranchse-
ment, and ever stretching forth its claim to its
eternal and dimly-seen birhright. He sees it
now amidst feeble light, and now in gloom; yet
ever moving onward, and gaining strength and
beauty from the stern training to which it has been
subjected. And he learns to respect and love
this brave humanity as he sees it asserting its
sef-respect, its high origin, and working quietly
at its manaces until they drop away and it is be-
ginning to walk forth in light and happiness, He
acknowledges the Creator has endowed it with
power to work out its moral and Temporal free
dom, and somewhere in its lifetime the grand de-
sign will be accomplished.
1t is thus that he has learned an enlarged phi
losophy. The world is his country, and its cit
liens are his brethren. The serf, toiling amidst
Russian forests, and the slave beneath tropica
suns are members with himself of one great con
federation whose bond of union was framed by
tbo nd tUho int hn I'm
npotent does not disdain to watch. His sympa
hies are linked to the remotest land, for there il
some portion of the spiritual essence, workeg gu
the tasks of its existence, feebly, perchance, ye
doing its best for that one cause, to which he, witt
his stronger energis, lends but trihing aid
and he sends that humble day-laborer kindly
and prayer(uI greeting.
Then new phase comes before him. In the
long review, he ceases 10 look on man, and amidst
the phantasms of time, sees only the eternal AL
the turmoils and schemes that agitate nations
seem but cloud shadows that chase each other
: and nations themselves are but title more sub
l stantia The world is but vast theatre of Wis
ionary forms, all beautiful, solemn, and fearful
> yet, like the mounan-vapors, having no foothol
Z driving to and fro !; and among them there l
; naught substantial, naughtreal, but God and thu
soul In the widest uproar OF revolution, whe
> the spirit of misrule walks abroad on earth unre
buked, and all that is sacred is lettering, there
y One who is working out of them all, his ow
high purposes. What have those purposes de
cared themselves to be, by the voice of past ages
Favorable, or adverse to the highest good Of man
> to the advancement of the right, the good, an
the true? Who shall answer? All nature is
II teacher of moral science, yet to US the history
u man is the best expounder Of this highest of
Il lessons The insect and animacule speak, If
deed, of the care which guards their ePhemerg
d life; the heavens, luminous as they are with in
d finite power, but dimIy irradiate that awful que'
t. ton which concerns the soul when suns have gon
l. down forever Who then, shall tell US whethe
e virtue be eternal or temporal, whether it be safe
at guarded by Omnipoence, or abandoned to strue
&c gle bravey yet vainly, and to yield at last lea
he ing the soul to nger IN hopeless debasemen
8. History comes with her ample records; and thcl
lie we behold that He who governs all has cared f
IN the progress of the soul, even from its earle
s. existence; that He has made virtue to combat,
m is true, with evil, yet to conquer and trump
P History seeks not to solve the mystery of its fir
he entrance on this low estate. She essays not
al, explain why it has been left to this terrible wa
Sc fare with alien powers, why it was to be assail'
OF by all possible variety Of passion and circumsanc
a Though that indeed but proves its divinity,