Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-02-17
From the Philadelphia Saturday Museum.
TENDENCIES OF THE AGE.

and crime now days, men OF little faith IN
their species found abuse Of human nature, aud
their skep,icism in regard to its destiny. With
eyes continually cast upon The ground, nothing
but dirt meets their vision, while The glorious
heavens above them shed down In vain, fol-
their closed perceptions. their blessed infiu.
ences.
Their is, in truth and none can disguise it,
yet SO much of awful deformity and hideous
evil in The world, that, if thai alone is consid-
cred. no terms pre- disgusting enough TO char
acleriZe the mass Of humanity, 10 a comparl.
son with the ideal standards OF what man
should be. which imagintion pictures. which
the Philosophy of all ages has delighted 10
dwell upon, which ChrIsilaity has furnished
in Immaculate aud divine perfection. But the
effuigence Of the Good, the Right, AID the
True, shines perenniaIly for him who wor-
ships and would follow these principles;
which, are TO the moral as the sun TO The phys
ical world. dispelling the clouds and darkness
of evil. and shedding life upon all tina, courts
their influence. "God be Praised" says Fred
ericsa Bremen, Virtue and Diligence are ever
more infectious than plague and crime. One
pure stem can engraft with its germs humid
red wild trees, and ennoble them ALL" The
true is ever more powerful than the false, the
good than the evils for they have Eternal JUS
tce on their side. They are. in truth, the very
principles by which The universe is kept in
motion. Without them. the planets would be
pnsphered, and chaos would come again. la
morals as in physics, there are eternal laws
which transcend every thing, as they govern
every thing, and which nothing can abtogaIe.
Blu, these great moral laws differ essentially
/ from those of the physical world. in one re-
speci. They are to be felt, not learned BY
no porting over books, by no consumption Of the
midnight oil, nor careful delving into natures
secicts can they be acquired. Though The
very highest of all truths, aud Of infinitely more
value than all the acquisitions ofhuman indus
try, of what kind socver. they are otener the
companions Of The humblest than Of the wis
esi or most powerful! Of mankind. TO the
pure, earnest, kindly soul. whom love and du-
~ actuaIe, IN whatever sphere oflife, they are
always visible, making intense its happiness,
and Christening lis suffering. To those whose
search and aim are for the evanescent good
things oil this life. they seldom disclose them
selves, and then only IN such flful gimpses
of light, as make the after darkness more fear
full.
Fix this high faith, in your mind. dear read
er, aud you make yourself. as il were, part
OF these eternal principles; you are no longer
the slave OF circumstances. but their king.
This is the highest Of all Philosophy. |, Is
the Philosophy Of Duty. Its possession will
teach you many secret. 1t will open to you
the secrets OF your own bosom, the key 10 all
other secrets. II is truly said tina, every NOR
tai is 10 himselfa universe, large as nature.
As surrounding objects are painted upon The
relins of the eye, SO Is the s0nl reAsx OF e.
venisssDd thoughts. Upon each mans eye. and
in each mans soul. The original picture is the
same; but 10 some 1t lies all dead and imper-
cepiible and they are not sensible of this won.
derful process by which nature, as it were, re-
prints herself, like The Daguereotype, in them.
To others the great picture is more or less
visable as they are accustomed o .'se!c search.
ing with an inroverIed eye;"--io the fewesi,
10 such as Shakespeare and Milton only. is its
whole beauty, in It's ever changing aspects.
fully disclosed.
We have unwiilngly given larger scope
than we Intended 10 few observations snp.
gested BY the frequent remarks we encounter
10 the newspapers ia regard TO the frghuu FIRE.
quency Of crime al This time, whence are
drawn the most unfavorable comparisons oil
this period Of the worlds history, with Other
periods; of this country with o'her countries
Such comparisons are the most odious OF all
, comparisons, aud are Instituted too often by
those who having no purify within. can con-
eeive Of no purity without. They are wholly
unjust, and founded upon no irue observation.
Never was the progression Of the human race
more certain, more clearly percep'ibIe than
now Never were the hopes Of the phiIsh
, ihropic philosopher better grounded. AT this
/. period reason has found her weapons 10 every
/ corner Of the globe: and, in no fair coRles, has
falshood ever been able TO stand against her
In this age. the pen and the tongue are more
powerful weapons than The sword and The
musket. The law Of persuasion is reeogDis.