Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-07-06
BY C.. L. SHOLES
Communication.
WILMoT. lime DO 1910

:. :
Is lhe destny OF man; or in other words, what
are me prospects Of society, is a thought than
winch none other perhaps occupies more the at
tentlon of every thinking mind. | propose in the
following to offer a few thoughts touching the
ultimate destiny of the human race. and briefly
TO examine the principles of progression with
us opposite retrogressi0n, and ascertain if Dossi
Ole, through which, or in which of these princj-
PIES we are to view our race. 1t is generally.
II not universally admitted, that one of these
principles are applicable to man: there are but
lew at this day of revelations who view the hu
man race as holding fixed and unaterabe DO
sluon: AL see him to be either advancing or
recedlng All agree in this one point. that all
ntciigenccs, as well as all matter, are ever re-
voving round one great attractive centre. uni
Veral good and truth Those who maintain the
progressive principle, view man at each success
I've round as following somewhere within his
point OF departure, while those who maintain the
opposite principle see him at each revolution rs
passing without his point of departure We are
not viewed III either of these principles as mo-
wing in an exact circle. All things show our
course TO be wonderfully ecccntric-now shoot
ing oil into regions Of darkness: now approach
ing the centre to be lit up as by a wondrous
blaze but ever onward. The one believes all
light was in the beginning, and that the human
cedng from that light and approaching at every
turn little nearer right imTcnetrablc. while
the other believes the human race is rising from
an inferior state by an eccentric yet upward
course, ami ever approaching knowledge inf
mite and love divine. The latter of these views
we most enthusiastically embrace, for with the
former we can III no wise reconcile the aspira-
rajlonS of mans soul lis uphcayngs for some
thing higher and noher than itself Much less
can we reconcile it with divine revelations, for it
strikes directly at the basis of christianity: bid,
man cease lis struggles with the powers o! dark
ness--to cast off forever his desires and long
ings after immortality; to treat those glimpses
and tOrCtases OF the heavenly world is the thick |
VaganeS OF a sick mans dream. Neither can
we reconcile it with the Developments Of past
time. with the combinations of the present or |
with the forcsladoWings of the present on the |
future. 1t may be said that these principles are |
to be viewed as applicable man as a race and not
as individuals. Although the race is made up
OF individuals; although thousands upon thou |
sands both now and in the past have succeeded |
III parvcrllng the Robe powers of their natures |
OF GIylning those divine rays by which those
powers are operated, and tiray in completely |
cf!cing those heavenly Impressions received at (
the divine hand, so that the LIGHT which was in |
them bacamr darkness. Admitting all this. Still, !
if we can see man rs a rae, amid all his Difficult |
ties, to be winding his way upward; il by the eve
Of faith we can view him in his future and final
destination to be filled with LIGHT inefIabc and |
love celestial. The heart involuntarv adorns |
the rcWCr which brought human intcligcncos |
into bring, and has made them the particular cb- |
iect of his care. In locking abroad for evidence |
on this question, there is perhaps nothing which
strikes an examiner of the worlds machinery |
with more force than the multiplicity of systems
OF reform the startling theories, and the unhCard |
of. prOgnosticat0nS which almost daily spring
forth from the bosom of society; if we bat calm
ly reflect upon ills and cndeayour to ascertain
The Influence which thCsr expressions of thought
have upon the life of man, and how these are eff
tectcd by other influences, we shall have com
mcnced Il research which after leading the mind
through various steps, and presenting to us many
interesting questions will bring us at last to this
great ruling question: What is the destiny Of
the human race 2 Or if we lool. at ages past
and view the poet in his garnet, or perhaps as
having only the broad sky for his covering pen
ming from view of nature all that is sweet and
b auGiul, wi hout al eye to tie Useful ard pract;-
cal: ard now see the same productions unadnired
and tasdc useless; the same question rcvcrts
back to the mind, What are the prospects of So
ccty? 2
The age Of minstrelsy is past, and with ii all
work has vanished which has for its obiect only
to lull, to please, to beautify. Songs and Gar
lands were once the delight of man. Then lio-
mcr tuned his Tyre, and Sappho wcpt pcary
drops at the strains of her own melody; then to
love was to live and life was love, and love was
beautiful; men died to breathe again in marble,
Kings passed away to live again rs Gods. But
to us there is no reality in those pastimes that
were once the delight and life of nations Their
:. I h, ,ol h1l
at the opposite extreme. All that is useful ard
practical is full of vigor and inspiration and Of
all such practical and useful things money is the
exponent: hence it follows why this is such a
crazy monew-getting age. Man taxes his ply
steal aud mental powers, wastes the boom OF |
youth and flush of manhood, electrified by one |
absorbing passion, bring on gray hairs, turrowed /
checks. trembling limbs. aching hearts, and ere /
half their natural DAYS are spent, life flickerS and
goes out-thc necessary and awful result OF
mere practically. But this state of things can /
not long endure. We too in our turn must be-
come the fable and bye-word 10 coming times.
4 fearful example Of those egregiously neglect /
inc the immortal part to provide for the spirits
tenement, all extremes and injurious in their ten
denotes. But nature, by the law of progression !
brings Good ont of evil When this last phase |
in coming time shall have worked all lis wrongs, |
when the two extremes shall become united the
spiritual and the practical; when the soul ana
the body shall BEAUTIFULLY react upon each other. |
going hand in hand in accomplishing mans |
destiny, then the golden bowl shall not be
prcmaturey dashed in pieces, but the chords OF
life naturally loosed by age, shall give release to
the quiet spirit 10 wing its way upward to its IL
nal abode Then TO die will be but to sleep. |
The law of progression is like continuous
chain, binding the two extremes Of man 5 exist |
encc or human society together, each link having
its proper position, and each bearing its cores
ponding relation to the other. 1t appears there
fore that the law of progression exists in or i'm
plies regular graduation We have come then TO
our present social state, as by continuous Sc
ries Of dependencies, and | see no difficulty in
Judging from the past history of the worker that
the present practical characteristic of man may
be but the precursor. the usherer in of brighter
dav than the world has ever seen. This princi-
pie of graduation is objected to by many who are
of opinion that at particular periods IN the hsto-
~ of man. through certain impulses. man has
taken wonderful upward strides, and through
contrary influences has been hurled as far down.
ward. Such seem To view man at certain
epochs as did Milton in his Paradise Lost view
- ton and his crow after bpiur showed from the