The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-09-24
Mr.. Jan cs's Lectures ON Modern Civiilxs-

the lecturer proposed TO define what he meant by
civilization; for such definition, he remarked,
was alike necessary to the speaker and heaIer.
In answering the inquiry-what is meant ny civil
zauon! he said II was necessary TO look hrst 10 the
subject oil it--man, individual and In his re-
IdIohs 10 others; TO man IN his mixed nature, cor
poreal ant mental, with his several wants aud pos
sessions, menra and bodily inherent and acquired;
but particularly TO his greet possession in hs ori.
Pinai state, liberty; and his great want, society.
hhd az The hazard Of beng considered fancfu, Mr..
James sald ne would suggest that the union OF
hody al mind in man formed The first notion Of
society and display ed IN duties Ia This union OF
BODY aud mind, cO-oper,ilng for a common good,
We had picture 0fthc combination Of Two or more
Individuals for common object. As IN the union
OF body ard mind, each must make some sacrifice
for the good of the other, the body being unable
to labor except under the guidance OF the mind,
and the mind beng greatly subject 20 the influence
Of the body, so the individual man, united with bis
fellow men IN society, must submit 10 some sacri-
bce OF his liberty for the be nt'rs secured by this
union. On The necessity of this sacrifice, all laws
existed and The greet object OF all laws should
be, 10 INK the exact amount OF sacrifice of ndvi-
dual liberty which The general good at mankind
required. And where this matter was adjusted
with The grestest precision, there kind Of cvl
bzaiion--social combination existed in the most
perfect state.
hut there must be individual eivilizlton--civili-
zati'n witbiR-as well as social civilization. The
activity of the mind well as the comforts OF the
body must be provided for, in craer 10 secure per-
iect civilization. lasitentiCa TO this fact, that
civilization comprises the social and the individual
elements, had been the fruitful caue Of the errors
OF our race. bne man had iabOred 10 promote
social progress another, individual pFogrSss ahd
each had often retarded the efforts of the other,
while each fancied that he was advancing the
cause OF civilization Progress End civilization
were by no means IDENTICAL Progress was fact
OF which we could give history hat civilization
was state OF which description meh be given,
but not history. PerfrCt civZluon would be
TINT state II society IA which man would lie
q individual
was absolutely neCt ssary TO the happiness of the
whole, and where each one would he ready to
make III 81 sacrifice upd where, too, the Inteliec
tuai powers CT each Individual would he IN the
inliest activity and al the his hest point of cutat
such, the lecturer conceived TO be civilization
and OF The progress Of the world towards TINS
unataihed, and probably unallainabe civilization,
he proposed TO speak IN these lectures.
la tracing the progress al modern civilization, II
was needfui 10 say something OF that state Of
civilization cut Of which modem civilization had
arisen-thot which existed AT the time of The Tall
OF the Roman empire. II would he too much To
give III detail the progress Of civilization up 10 The
ptn0d OF the thtmctcn Of the Roman empire IN
the WEST but II became necessary TO say some
thing of that ancient civilization, because he con-
sidertc that Monsieur Gui2ot, in his lectures on
modern civilization, had made great mistake
in attTl6uling anything like unity oi prinoipe 10
ancient Civili2gtOu--ip asserting that unity was
The cbatacterstic Of ancient civiZatioa, whiie d.
yersy was that Of modern civilization. lie (Nlr.
J8mes) could see the same Confusion and diversity
oi characteristics IN The civilization Of almost every
hntle nj nation, which were 10 be seen 10 mOccrn
civilization. This position illustrated by rrie.
renee Ia the histories OF Rome, Greece, the Pace
plcian and loniaR republics, and the Kingdom of
Egypt; and the lecturer then passed 10 the consi-
dtT8tiCn OF the eta re OF the world when the Rom:n
empire began TO tot;er To its tall.
Individual civilization he'd then reached the
highest point 10 which IL ever attained in ancient
times. The domestic and polite arts were culti-
waited 10 excess, ami The struggle for preeni-
nence, and for r. iinement and display, was
ger a. had ever been witues-ed IA modern times
yet all this time social Civilization was IN many re-
spects fetrocrading IL was Tne, that individual
and social civilization might have been actiDg ard
re-aciiDg On each other, as 1t was their UNIFORM
tendency To do, aud Individual civilization might
ultimately have so re acted as 10 have secured The
ascendancy Of social ciyiii1stion, had not the
course Of both been cut short by the dowatdll ct
the empire itself. Bat previous 10 her downfall.
Rome press nted scarcely redtemlng feature of
social civilization, Notwithstanding the great pro-
rr.ss al Individual ciViZ alton. Sul the germs OF
hcttc state of things existed, and the fruit Of some
| OF these germs we were now enjoying. Among
| these might be mentioned, as chiei, the mun,cipai
| Institutions OF the Romans. Eut, IL was 70 Christi
| anity, which, though independent Of her ins,tu
tons, arose while kome greatly iluurished, tha
modern civilization owed the vrnnd dglinctiye cha
| racicr which marked IL. The difference betxeeg
ancient and modern civilization did not consist, al
Guizot declared IN the unity OF the former and tht
diversity Of the latter, but 10 the fact that ancien
| civilization WI pagnn, while mOierh civilization
| wac Chrsti'n. Christianity formed the bond o.
uDion, the "a At connecting link between man and
man, and between State and Site; IL was u great
cisilizing code. which was steadily and constantly
end permanently advancing civilization, both inii-
vidual and social.
Thus, from The chaos which succeeded the f.u
OF the Roman empire, hid been pres rred 70 the
world two indes,rucubie and permanent principles
the principle Of order, as thown IN the m1nici-
pal institutions Of Home, aileciHg solely the social
clement OF civilization; aud The principle of hight,
Inherent IA christianity. and Affecting both the So
1igl nd md al n.fra t.ls Pot
tom christianity spraRg another civilizing power
The church; by which he meant the organized
tody al sll true believers; for order was no ouly
consistent with christian principles, bui pcrft ely
harm onous with The doctrines Of our religion, IN
isct, Chrlst gave pIeccpt. which u perfectly fol.
lowed, would entirely tupeTscde tho necessity OF
allUtbcr government but that Oi mans Own heart.
The biFt constitution Of the church VS. Of he
most free and bfotbcrly Kind. The authority OF the
church was, without doubt. the general c1nefnt Of
the brotherhood Bot az the number 81 believers
lhcreased, and the sword OF persecution tliinnsi
the ranka uf those VINO were dyintiy commission
Cd to lead ana 10 teach. il became necessary IN.
fiiutc ccIii orders or Ciicer, 10 promote regu-
larry, and to maintain purity nt doctrine IN ia
churcb. Thee were called elders, dcfcous hish-
tis; and were Chosgn ia eCCh uartiCulir place. by
the great budJ cf believers IA tbJt place.
This pure aud priniuve state 81 things dd no.,
However, long coG'inur. u soon began 10 b.
thought necessary 90 establish hierarchy; which.
nevertheless. bioe.ht with ., evils greater those Il
was designed 10 remove or guard agJtuat. The
clcrgy sud The laiiy wtro Gradually separated into
distinct bodies; sn6. thunrh The people tor time
Contn5td o. retain Nuicr Va the government aud
order 81 the church, the officers gradually usurped
the night 20 ful" rather thfn 10 GUIDE, 10 command
rather ihf 20 tKhort, ard the very word church
lost much a. i's primitive mcduirg and came Ia
designate ths clerical corporetipn which had
ulufp,d Tie place add aJsse t,s tfasis Ol The BODY
al true believers.
Near thc cd q The Roman empire. when The
morai rC~rr q the ptope IN r,nerai became -
1fly t1tirrt s- the physirll puwerrf the empir,
then IL CO.. lied Cufp,iaiiC1 Which I'D assumed
the u9He tui fhsofl'd The rights ~ th- church,
stePfvd lof~a'd. iu'l - com ~ end eudicity. 10
assJuC tie houOts fpi undertake The dates from
which he PEOPLE generally shank ani Jed. The
eiiet &C. t 'nerlriic COS, crate bCiy on The march
Of sccirtv WIS wond,rfil-ppaT from the Trsst
moral iri.H which christianity ttsrlf exefted
wher, on length, the great convui-ion came, when
the Nuriltfu bafhuiAue, 10 longer rCsirailed ~
bules oI 'ntl.hdaicd % fear swept Ike d,iuge
over he Ncman world. tlrCady broken hy internal
dis,t nl iuup gEd spread darkness ani chsos over