New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-24

FIRST CONSTITUENTS OF CIVILIZATION Re go
CTS LlEBER. Columbia, South Carolina
This is an able profound and lucid essay from, rho
pen of the learned and distinguished Professor
Lieber of South Carolina. Its object is 10 correc,
an error extensively diused that which has as
cribed the origin Of important institutions arts or
contrivances 10 acts distinct and definite ro ron.
cousinventon, deliberate agreement unied wisdom
sudden discovery direct inspiration l, illustrates
torcibly and clearly this in regard 10 arrcpI.
ture among the early nations also in regard to the
origin of governments, which has been spoken Of as
il had ever consisted in distinct act Of estab.
Esning sovereign politics. 1t guards especially
against conounding the first constituents OF civza.
ton with what may be called the practical charac.
terstics Of man. that is" those acts and n,anites
tations OF his inward state, without which we never
find man, even the lowest and with which we
never find the animal. even the highest
Prof Lieber enumerates among these Religion.
or some fear al least of superior and invisible pow
ers. and desire of propitiating them. With all
Difference. we trust re may be pardoned for doubt.
ing the fact that the idea OF Religion is one of the
infalible characteristics OF mans nature Is not the
truth that the revelation OF a Deity was made TO
the progentors OF the human race, and conveyed BY
tradition through every successive generation, sut
cient TO account for the universally of belief in a
Power superior 10 humanity
The Essay proves instinct insufficient TO account
for the origin OF the constituents OF civilization. de-
fining this impulse and its laws in an admirable
manner Since none OF the causes mentioned could
have induced man enter upon the career of civil.
zation-hs destiny and essentially natural s;ae-it
remains eviden; that there exists principle which
lies a, the foundation Of I'll human history, and
upon which all advancement OF the species appears
TO depend namely-"th that the first starting in the
different branches necessary for civilization is not
left 10 the option of man, but closely connected
with the material world; and is an inevitable result
OF the relations in which man, with his peculiar or
ganizaton and his expansive intellect is placed, to
the material world around him
This is the law which We observe with all those
nations which hitherto seem 10 have been destined
for civilization. If we are asked, why then did the
same principles not produce similar results with
many tribes, which 10 this day have remained in q
barbarous state and have no interest for the histo
rian, however attractive they may be TO the natu-
ralist al we answer is, that the law which has
been stated is the one which can be clearly discerned
with the tribes that rise INTO civilizations but why
if the true destiny OF man Is civilization so MANY
tribes showing indeed lis rudments, pass AWAY
long before they have developed them, can no more
be explained by man here beneath, than why an.
nually innumerable peach blossoms should drop ere
they swell into fruits, although it will not be denied
that the evident destiny OF the blossom is change
into peach or why there should be animals with
rudments OF organs, which are fully developed and
OF the highest only with species standing above
them in the great scale, but 10 themselves wholly
useless Indeed the question can be applied to the
risen tribes, to call them; for ii civilization, if
pure religion, if peace and good will, are the des.
Tiny OF man. why do so many individuals pass
away before their own tribe attained to them 7
Why, we may proceed, is man a social being. con.
stan,ly acting upon and acted upon by others How
is this individual responsibility and individual value
which cannot be denied unless deny humanity
altogether, reconcilabe with this equally undenablc
law of socality These are Gods own truths
mortal eye can never penetrate the mystery. Yet
one phenomenon may be mentioned as already re-
vealed by history with reference to the destiny OF
mankind for civilization and its growing expansion.
1t is this that while in antiquity we find strict
cession OF civilized nation TO another the sue
ceeding one improving on the antecedent, and pre-
dominating for time over the ohers-a monarchical
principle as II We're, in the line Of successon-we
find in modern times rather commonwealth OF
civilized nations In antiquity history coursed in
times history resembles our own broad ocean, where
the flags of many nations meet. II is Christianity
and the broad, universal character OF modern know
ledge, closely connected with Christianity, which
have rendered possible this striking phenomenon.
With the ancents every thing was strictly national;
religion polity, knowledge literature art acknowl-
edgment OF right all were local; with us, the diff
terent colors on the map do not designate different
districts OF religion, knowledge, art and customs
There are wires of mental telegraphs which cross
all those red and blue and yellow lines. And who
will say that the time cannon arrive when that broad
sea of history as we just called ii, this common
wealth of active and polished nations, shall extend
over the face OF our planet
The lecture proceeds to give the necessary illus
trations of this law, by showing, in the institutions
OF family and government, language written and
spoken &c. how man has been forced as il were,
into the beginning OF the path Of progress, and how
in the systematic development, he has employed
the reflection and thought bestowed upon him by
the Creator. In speaking-for instance, OF written
language, the author says:
Who could have contrived so stupendous a
scheme or conceived so remarkable thought 10
invent visible characters for audible signs OF ideas
This art was therefore, likewise ascribed by the an
ccnis divine origin, but We since Champollion has
decpbered the hlcroslyphlc5, have all the stages OF
the arr ot writing before Us, from the first pictorial
the direct symbolic and faded symbolic conven-
tiona hierogly phc, the phonetic hierogyphic up 10
the aiphabelc phonetic signs. We see on the walls
OF the Egyptian temples, that the transition from
ideographlc signs phonetic characters gradual
and natural, although the whole contrvance OF al
phubetc writing remains one OF the most remarka-
Die discoveries, quite as great if not greater than
the art of printing
The Essay thus concludes:
When once the Creator has coerced man into
the path OF progress he mas sufficiently provided his
creature with means 10 pursue II and no subsidiary
Inspiration is granted. Man is treuul. but God is
calm. When He created The seas and the dry land
and placed man endowed with reason and perfect
organization apon H. He knew that in due time man
would contrive the pow and launch his ships.
We have thus seen that the Supreme huler has
not laid out SO deficient plan OF civilization, that
continued inspiration became necessary; nor that
we must claim lor human Wit what belongs 10
divine wisdom and that In these as In all other
OF divine government into which an insig ight is vouch
saied US, we lind that the Creator effects mighty
ends by principles and laws OF sublime sin p!icity,
working uutailIngly IN grandeur and calmness."
The style of the Essay is pure and easy, and the
argument strengthened by illustrations that display
profound and extensive learning We regre, that