The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-30
From the MIssissippi Free Tral


statesmen and dplomasts in this country, has been late
y lecturing before the Mercantile Library Association in
Boston The papers are exavagant in their euloges OF
his abilities in this particular, and his reported remarks
show that he was extraordinarily interesting and pro-
found in his views con the progress and prospects OF
ciey" We subion few extracts beautiful in style and
happy in ideas:
knowledge was the main-spnng OF the present age.
was age, not of speculation, but of action and the
consistency of progress attributable TO a high
common standard OF virtue and intelligence Upon this
basis all power is founded.
The golden age of the poets the iron age OF gov
eminent. The errors OF the past in morals and policy
had been swept away by the knowledge OF the present
age. The schoomaster made conquests than the
soldier, and the alphabet was powerful than the
bayonet So linked together were the sympathies OF
mankind by the diffusion OF intelligence, and the means
of INSTRUMENTATION, that hostile gun could not be
fired the Danube without awakening echo on the
banks OF the Mississippi; and when barbarans uamPle
sabre heard at the base of the Acrppolsthe sympa
thies OF all in the United States aroused in behalf
of the struggling Ahenans Since own revolutions,
great political earthquakes had shaken Europe to Its CEN
tre We cannot be inactive spectators OF movements
akin to own, and sprnging from the same source
IN the revolutionary days OF Europe, people marched in
the OF their governments, and IT, IN the east tyranny
dared not attempt now the atrocities formerly enacted IT
was because public opinion exercised censorship that
despots dared not entirely disregard
1.-The most powerful agent in producing the eventfu
changes in the aspect OF society and in which
had taken place in modern times was the press. But a
century and half only had elapsed since the introduce
ton OF newspapers At first their progress very tar
dy their character very but they had gradually come
to be the instructor of the world in all that important
and atari aad eys nd a
been established in the most remote parts of the wod-ln
India, Iceland and the Cape OF Good Hope In repub-
lies the press the safeguard Of freedom in monarch
les the dread Of tyrants What precious egaces to mod
ern times would have been newspapers contemporary
with the great events of the ancient worlda gazette of
Sparta when Aerxes was on the Heespont or Leondas
at Themopyla! ,."
newspapers furnished the true history of the times
Historians silent upon matters most interesting and
most important to posserity They dweh upon the acts
of kings mobiles, senator's deeds Of bro and battle but
told nothing OF the private life of the people, their
domestic condition, their hopes, and fears and acts We
could not thoroughly know the ancents, because they
had no printing -press--no newspapers.
The lecturer alluded to Of the religious errors Of
antiquity, and the absurdities Of their mythology their
superstons, &c. He traced in a mastery manner the
distinguishing characteristics OF the middle ages, and OF
the institution Of chvay which fulfilled high mission
and did not decline until pure religion afforded glori-
Gus substitute. He dwet somewhat at length upon the
extraordinary sway of the Arstoelian philosophy and
the antagonisc system Of Bacon,
"a passage the lecture, marked by splendid eoqnence
and which made powerful impression on the audience
that where the speaker describes the ruins Of Tyre
and Sidon, and the Holy City of Jerusalem, which nc
had himself visited and his interview with Lady Hester
Stanhope, the self-exled and apostate Englshwoman
the modern Zenobia and sovereign ct Palmyra. These
sketches gracefully and appropriately introduced az
as were some o. the lecturers q rs
great west whitherhe went when It was Wilderness hi
wears ago The<vast basin stretching from the Allegha
MES to the rocky mountains was then under thu
. administration Of governor and three Judges
The region\ bounded BY the Ohio and mississippi
rivers, andy the great lakes, then contained but
thirty thousand inhabitants, where now there are hive
States with IN population OF than fve millions
Where he hid slept beneath the shadow OF gigantic trees
cities had sprung up almost with the apdity OF the palace
in the Eastern tale but better gen than the slaves OF the
lamp and rngthe industry Acknowledgements OF alfree PEG
ple--had wrought these marves There were railroads
following in the war-path where he had followed the
trail of the savage Indian in the day of battle On ht
waters then navgaed by few fiat bottomed boats more
than nine hundred steamboats, transported the produce q
a region which yielded marketable commodities TO th'
amount Of two hundred millions of dollars annually. "a
Sin aluding to the decay and departure OF the Indians
he spoke of seeing formal assembly OF hye thousant
warriors when acting commissioner with his associ
ate and military commander the amented General Harri
SON. The lecturer spoke of himself merely incidentally
and made no auson whatever to the active part whcf
all know that he took in moulding the destinies OF thu
great west. sa &aB
In conclusion, the lecturer sketched in masterly
and graphic manner, the character and career oil WASH
ington and Napoleon, the representatives OF progress
each the arbier of his fortunes but one living 10
his country the other for himself He contrasted the1
lives and their deaths He present at the funeral cere
monies Of both and the remains of the Father OF M
Country, and those OF the emperor Qe French commit
ted to their final resting place 1he description OF thos
scenes, with few words on the moral lesson they con
veyed, formed an elegant and 70 DIS
course which was received with warm and unquaie
! appreciation"
CURTAIN MATERIAI.s.-We have on hand a larg
asscrnent curtain materials in variety O