The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-15
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY,JAN Is, 1847.


ering. What would he have said il
he could have foreseen that it would
become the agent for uniting the ut
termost parts of the earth, around
which, the fluid may be made to
traverse ten times in second.
The lecturer alluded to some OF
the religious errors Of antiquity, and
the absurditics of their mythology,
their supcrstitions, &c. lie traced
in mastery manner the distinguish
ed chars ctcristics ofthc middle ages,
and of the institution of chivalry,
which fulfilled high mission, and
did not decline until a pure religion
afforded glorious substitute. He
dwelt somewhat at length upon the
extraordinary sway of the Aristotle
lian philosophy and the antagonistic
system of Bacon.
A passage in the lecture, marked
by splendid eloquence, and which
made powerful impression on the
audience, was that where the speak
er describes the ruins Of Tyre and
Sidor and the holy City Of Jerusa-
lem which he had himself visited,
and his interview with Lady Hester
Stanhopc, the self-eXiled and apos-
tate Englishwoman, the modern Ze-
nobia and sovereign of Polmyra.-
These sketches were gracefully and
appropriately introduced as iIlustra-
tons, as were some Of the lecturers
personal experiences in tracing tie
progress Of civilization in the great
West, whittier he went when il was
a wilderness fifty years ago. The
vast basin stretching from the Al
.leghanies TO the Rocky Mountains
was then under the administration
Of Governor and three Judges
The region bounded by the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers and the great
Lakes, then contained but thirty
thousand inhabitants, where now
there ere five States with a popula-
ton of more than five millions
Where he had slept beneath the sha-
dow Of gigantic trees, cities had
sprung up almost with the rapidity
Of the palace in the Eastern tale, but
better genii than the slaves Of the
lamp and ring, the industry of a free
people, had wrought these marvels.
There were railroads following in
the war-path where he had followed
the trail OF the savage Indian in the
day Of battle. On the waters then
nayigated by few flat bottomcd
boats more thar nine hundred steam
boats transported the produce of a
region which yielded two hundred
millions of doilars annually.
Ia abiding TO the decay and de-
parture Of the Indians, he spoke Of
seeing formal assembly of 5000
warriors when acting as a commits
sioner with his associate and militia
ry commander, the lamcnted lIarri-
son. The lecturer spoke of himself
merely incidentally, and made no al
fusion to the active part which all
know he took in moulding the desti-
MES of the West.
In conclusion the lecturer sketch
ed in a mastery and graphic man
.ner the character and career of
Washington and Napoleon, the rep
rcsentaiives of progress, each tie
arblter of his own fortunes, but one
living for lis country; and the 9TH
er for himself. He contrastcd their
lives, and their deaths. lie was
present at the funeral ceremonies of
both, and saw the remains of the
Father Of lis Country, and those of
the Emperor of the French commit
ted to their last resting place. The
description Of these scenes, with a
few words on the moral lesson they
conveyed, formed an elegant and cl-
oquent peroration TO discourse
which was received with warm and
unqualified appreciation.