Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-24
FOR THE AMERICAN.

There is story told somewhere, of ono who,
by the influence of some powerful drug, slept for
the space ofa century and half He mad com
menced his long slumber in those days when the
whole world was wrapt in the midnight Of g
norance and superstition. When he again open
ed his eyes, the world had changed that he
knew it not. Walking forth from the cave in
which he had slept, he found city standing,
where before the wilderness stood, strange sights
met his eyes, and unfamiliar voices and sounds
struck his ear He looked in vain for some spot
by which to recognise the land of his former
wanderings in vain did he address those who
passed him on the crowded street, for he spoke
tongue long since forgotten. The people were
not more Of wonder to him than he to them
for, by some strange influence his dress had not
dccaycd during his dormant state but seemed as
if it too had slept and been refreshed by its
sleep. lie looked at himself and thought the
world fools for assuming the dress language and
department of strangers; his heart sickcned at
their seeming heathenish practices. He stood
aloof from the crowd and in his heart ptied them.
and determined TO pursue a philanthropc course
with regard to them He would civlize them
and teach them what his father had taught him.
In the goodness of his heart he set about his
great work, but after many years of toll he sue
cceded in converting few with whom he with
drew, sick with the folly and ignorance of the
world.
There are those, at the present time, who
seem to regard the world with much the same
feelings as our friend above. Like him, they
have had their faculties of perception and re-
Election lulled to sleep. by the narcotics bgotry
and obstnacy, the first fruits of ignorance
"Thc old way is the best way is the voice of
their every action, "the world has got along
well enough all this time without any of your
new tangled notions, and it can flourish Just as
we'll hereafter without them" With minds 50
narrow that they never look beyond the little
circle of self and hearts that have never felt the
first warm ray of bencvolence, they aim their
PaiXhan guns of distinction at the system of Ed
ucation, and attempt to irown down beat down
and vote down the very means that are 20 raise
their children above the foul atmosphere of IL.
norance, in which they have dragged out their
worse than useless lives Because they have
and even go far as to say that If things went
on in the way some people wished, Ncir chii!rr,'
wouW bnO,r more han themselves " And it would
be shame ifthey didnot, How low and degraded
must he his mind who can strive to bind others
! down to the same miserable level with himself
. the fine chords of his soul must be swept away
by the rude hand of the black demon sefshness
he must be lost to every thing that is ennobing
in human nature.
Here is a town containing fifteen hundred in
habltants, and yet not Academy. Anc
= when, by the eXertious of few there ont
! established, II was not supported The very
II public schools are closed and what is still wors,
at recent Borough election, they escaped tota
o suppression by seren votes. What state OF af
fairs Citizens should blush at such conduct.