The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-06-14
Communication.
FOR THE CHARLOTTE JOURNAL.

WIN astonishmeDt, at The effects OF igno
rance and the workings OF superstition.
Although the inhabitants Of every coun.
try, have possessed all the mental faculties
that they now or ever will enjoy, yet, they
appear 10 have, in great degree, lain
dormant, or when aroused to action, TO have
been employed 10 the mos, mallciou. and
destructive operations in laying schemes
and forming in,rigues, by which TO spread
death and destruction ihroue hou, the world !;
TO carry FIRE and The sword, honor and dis
may and all the engines Of demolition
through the surrounding nations.
The events, which the pages Of antigua.
ted history present 10 our view, are The
mos, revolving scenes Of war, rapine aud de.
VISITATION. Superstition, idola,ry, vice and
misery swayed their scep'res over the great
majority OF the human race, and a deep
shade both of moral and intellectual gloom
overspread the world. Learning Vas neg.
lecied the sparks of geniu. were smother.
ed. and civilization sunk to the very loves,
pitch Of degradation, and barbarism rose to
the highest degree ~ the opposite extreme.
The gates of the Temple of knowledge
we're consequently shut agalns; the grea,
mass OF mankind; and TO sum up all 10
few words, the records Of the world from
The fifth TO the fifteenth century, EXHIBIT 10
Us little more than series Of he revolving
details Of human depravi,y; Of the hidous
effects Of misguided ambition aud The bsne
tul consequences which accrue from the
nisdirec,iou Of Mans mental and physical
effort. During this period the world was
in a state both Of moral and intellectual
darkness. Such are the melancholy results
TO which men have been lead when left to
The guidance of unassis,ed reason; and
such, however, are the natural consequen.
ces of the reign Of ignorance over he hu.
man understanding.
Now 10 What cause is this universal des.
.itution Of knowledge 10 be imputed, hut TO
the scarcily Of books, the true repositories
OF all Information and illumination Of mind,
and most especially 10 the want Of the press
which has became the grea, moving agen
Of the world, an agen, by which knowledge
and action have been increased both in in
tensity and extent. Since the invention o
Printing and through lis instrumentality
tho o.osos ~h.eh gave rico TO ouch horrio
leafs OF cruelty in days of yore, lat the de.
linIa'lon Of which humanity shudders, and
at the heafsal Of which christianity weep., ]
uu.e ueen roIieu away. The marble toni
of ignorance and error has given way to
The thousand. glorious events and magnlfi.
cen. discoveries which we're thronsiug upon
each other with pressing haste. to behold
and 10 congratulate, the new era which had
then commenced and the stream Of knowI.
edge, ever since the invention Of this noble
instrument, has widened and flowed with
an accelerated velocity.
Mental darkness has been subsding and
intellectual light assuming its place. ST.
pers'i,ion and bigolry have changed places
with civilization and refinement. By the
gradual improvement, of this art, and Its
application TO the diffusion of intelligence,
n new era has been formed in the annals of
the human race, and in the progress Of
science, literature and religion. A union
between the Arts and Letters was brcugh,
about, which time con never dissolve and
now knowledge radia,es in all directions,
extends and exerts It's influence and central
force more on the general mass Of the PEG
Pile; and thus it is. that the minds of men
have been awakened from their leihargy,
aroused to action and directed TO the pur
suits and Investigations Of those scientific
discoveries and improvements which so
highly distinguish and adorn the age in
which We live. They have arisen erect,
have thrown of the death shade by which
hey were enshrouded. and assembled 10 the
glorious resurrection Of that noontide splen.
Ior which rrsdiaes the horizon Of our day.
Thc reformation from papal ,hraldom and
apal tyranny is one ofthe greatest achieve. F..
nen,s that ever has been recorded in the
nnais Of time, and for iis consumation, we
re informed from the records Of history,
hat the Press was one Of the greatest and
nos, eticieu, employed
Books were poured forth by thousands,
hey spread over all Europe like 40 inun'
alton. and with rapidly which neither
he authority Of Princes. nor the schemes b
+ Priests. nor the bulls Of Popes we're able I
, arrest" Could Paul have put into ope. q
alton the Press as it now is, Mahomei Q
culd never have opened the bollomless 9
il, nor the Pope ever have flooded Europe 6
ith the blood of Saints. /, is the bow lei 0
the moral world, by which the Creator Il
as declared that the floods Of dabolical Il
and superstitious iodulgenc'es Il
,ould vanish away and never again deuse VI
10 human race. By the rapidity oil It's p
the labors Of the amanuensls lie
ave been suspended, and cheapnes' and
impaired to the productions Of
10 mind, coextensive with the demands oil
Immense Libraries have been 10
uereea,ed which contain vast treasures OF
no wlodge, and repe,e with the rich pro
actions, of the present age and those that
70 past, upon which the inhabitants Of
yes vet to come will dwell with interest
I'd delight. But more yet, has been &C.
,mplished by the mighty lever Of Faussus.
he Bible, that volume which contains the