The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-02-10


Slayer slain, it matters not
We trugglc-perish-are forgot
The earth grows green above the gone
And the calm heaven looks sercncIy on
My hearers--l don't see what we have to feel
proud of. We are nothing but detached masses
ot common clay, possessing power of locomotiun.
and lmbned with thought aud feeling :-avalan
ches of Misunderstanding down iie's hill, with
increased velocity, into the dark vale of death
Coming generations approaching mightylhronos
with low. incessanl thunder and perfect rush
like focks of sheep or herds of bnfaos-are
crowdlng and tnmbling us by scores over the fear
ful prscIplce. Down we go, boys. with all our
greatness and buasIed hOnnrSi and the .neasan,
ploughman, as he guides his share in after time
among our ashes, VIII not pause TO consider
whether the heap that vert king will yro,y
any better potatoes Than The mortal refuse of a
poor pennyess fool Then my friends of what
have we 10 feel SO almighty proud Ola fine
noble appearances E-su may a leopard or pea :
cock. OF riches they are ours but for day ::
Old ocean has them forever. and vet he behaves
Just as he would without them OF reason in
leIlect and understanding ?-ihey are The OTIS of
God, and ought To feel ashamed of ourselves
that we make no better use Of them Ofsnperi
"rity over all other heasis2 Git ont the Lion
licked the unicorn in a fair fight and then went
about his business as though nothing had hanpen
ed Had one OF us accomplished such yicrnry
we should have thrust our hands in our breaches
pockeis-thr0wn back the head-put Gnrward Tho
breast and helly-glvcn a stride that would Lave
reached halfway to Oregou--slraddled pyramids
-puffed out the cheeks. and let off steam. yas
and wind enough for forty steamboats,, as many
balloons and an extensive windmill The matter
is, we have really nothing To be proud Of, bur
truth, honesty and justice aud these articles are
en- vptU~ hat ant in H..
adjust his cravar. jerk his coat collar and null
down his vest. with a noble consciousness of bav,
ing Them in his possession.
My friends-as says The text, IRE siyyogJe =.
struggle TO stem The tide of adverse fortune
struggle in get above one auolhpr-siruuole to Uei
married and then, (too frequently y like q conple
of wreslers. help To get each other duwn-sirnr
gle with the devil all through lre--and. nj last
have desperate struggle with Death: Publish
beings We take Time by the coat tail. pull back
with the might of maggOi. and imagine we cap
hold him in his impetuuus career! We shin
pleasure TO the skin.-lake her cloak. frock bon
net, hustle and all-Tob her Of every clIa,m-aud
then say there is mo such thing as pleasure in The
world We exiihgui>h the torch that Hone
holds in her hand. and follow lightning buus into
mud puddle! BY superladve folly. you friohien
happiness from your firesIdes. and then saw she
has left your he'd and buard without cause or
Pr"vncailon! Thus man makes hills TO tire
hluself with in climbing --produces darkness to
grnmbIe abnut-creates c0rns 10 swear at--and
puts difficulties in his path IN order that he NAV
struggle with them! Wen, my friends. if Won
can't move without first setting FIRE TO your shirts
all have TO say is blaze away--anythng to give
You a start.
My dear friends-we pcrish-are FORGOTTEN
Yes. we are composed Of very perishinp stuff
Improvements have been made upon almost every
thing except flesh-Ihat, If anything. is not so
liable to stand the storms and tempests Of time
now as it was in the days Of yure. More than
medal to him " no can make it time proof We
live hardly long enough for man To- count sixty
Crowded he count but one year)-and then We
creep under ground--lhruugh a suhterranpan pas
sage that leads t0-the Lord knows where. We
perish. and a monument, perchance, nbre ebdur-
ing than human flesh, marks the spot where We
resl but that. falls like all things earthly-and
then we are torgoiteni Whether slayer or slain
lord or oaier, there We lie and the children IF
future generations will pitch pennies, OF shoot
marbles upon our graves, as uncoosciouslv "a
church mice make their nests with the leaves If
prayer books and bibles. The earth will still
grow green above rs, and pnt forth lis ,yonfed
variety Of flowers, weeds. and luadstooIs the
sky will look down as serenev as overland the
world will wog on as usual SO goes man-vsis.