Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-03-21
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Theodore parkarss Lacture.

ly hour, TO listen to the lecture of this eminent
man. The lecturer fully sustained his rep
utation-engaging the attention of the audi
ence full two hours by his easy style of deliv-
cry and interesting and highly instructive re-
marks. 1t was replcte with ideas, fortified by
facts and statistics. We venture the opinion
that our synopsis will be read with as much
interest by those even who enjoyed the privi-
lege of listening to it from the mouth of Mr.. P.
as by those who had not that pleasure. We
can hardly hope to do justice to the lecturer
ask your attention, observed Mr.. p ) to
few thoughts respecting the Progress Of Man
kind. AS matter of convenience, l shall
comprise my remarks under three heads-lst.
the facts of human progressed. some of the
steps by which progress has been attained
and lastly, some Of the impediments to human
progress.
Man commenced the world with nothing but
his hands to work with, while at the present
day his means are unlimited. This is plain
thing, that at the beginning man could have
had no tools or implements of work-all such
things implying previous thousht-no learn
ing, for this also implies previous thought
consequently progress must be and has been
made. Take, for instance, single branch,
fighting tools-see what advance has been
made from Cain to Gen. Taylor. Compare the
clenched fist of Cain with all the modern i'm
plements of war-the ix-barrelcd revolvers,
sc. At first with nothing but hands having
ten tingers-now man has al the tools i'll the
world, and all the machinery of the 10th cen
fury. 1t is plain thing that man commenced
with none of these. Even ii time is extended
thirty thousand years, instead of but six thous-
and, as computed, this naked Adam whom God
turned out, has proved thrifty child, and has
now pretty good family property. Yet, in
view of all this, common theory is preached
that man has made no progress, but rather a
retreat. He should say that capital punish
ment was good criterion to decide nations
condition. An anecdote in print was that of
the individual who was cast away upon des-
ola,e shore, and after wandering about was re-
joiced to come across gailo,cs, as he then
knew he must be in a ciriii-ed land.
Statistics were introduced showing tina, pub
lie executions diminished yearly. This will
appear by taking any modern nation and trac-
ing it back-but our own country is a good
example. The farther we go back, the ruder
do We find the laws, habits and institutions.
till arrive at men in a savage state.
At first sight, animals appear to be more ia
vored by nature than man. The bear, for in
-. 49, ~
vided with means of defence-but not SO with
man. The elements are hostile and nature
seems to shout, Learn my riddle, Oh, man.
or I'll starve you." But man is endowed with
an intellect of ilimitable power, and he grasps
the running river and turns it to advantage
he controls all the elemc nts-makes the ocean
pay for its salt, SC, sc, In the days of our
grandfathers, man with long arm reached
forth and srasped the lightning of heaven-in
our fathers day another man with strong
arm combined fire and water and produced the
steam engine, and in own day another
achievement more wonderful than all preced-
ing, is performed by him who makes the great
source of light instrumental in producing what
is produced by the Daguerrean art-as also the
achievement of another man who takes light
ming and passes it along the earth for the pur-
pose of communication. These Two things, we
regard as the great wonders of our day. But
things considered wonderful at this dav, will,
at some future time be understood. The man
that took whelp of dog and taught him acts
of usefulness, to point, watch property. &C..
III, ,.f0 sc all l.
day." The inventor of the plough, at but a
stick, the tanners of horses, oxen, &C., and they
who caused corn to grow were worshpped as
gods.
From the beginning to the present day, then.
it appears that great progress has been made
it has been irregular, however. 1t doesn't fol-
low that men will progress the next hundred
years he may have done the last-there is a
night in progress nation comes to stand
still, ceases to advance for period-another
nation takes it up and carries it onward. The
history of The Greeks and Romans substantiate
this. The palm tree aptly illustrates it, 1t
also requires period of rest, and while appar-
emily in quiescent state, is spreading it's roots
gradually but impercepnbly, preparing for
sudden and more vigorour start.
Nations, like individuals, have an infancy.
youth, manhood, old age and decrepi,ude-
which last states are undoubtedly states of de-
cline. Take this town. Fifty years has un-
doubtedly made changes in the conditions of
given place to others-the most respectable
then may be quite the reverse now-demon-
strating this fuctuating principle. In polit-
ical view, compare the best government two
thousand years ago-the Athenian and Ro.
man governments with the worst of modern
governments and mark the advance in political
science. Womans condition alone affords us
an example.
In Asia, according to Ileroditus, there once
existed a race of men not sufficiently advanced
to have any power of speech. Now, although
some may be said to have mere dialect, all
use figures of speech. l know men will point
to the 40 600. 900 serfs of Russia, the numerous
slaves of Turkey, and the down troddcn poor
of England and Ireland, and ask wha, progress
is visible here. Such l would poin, to other
circumstances. The loss of the best friend to
the Irishman, the potato, the caase of
most of his misery. How is it with England
single fact. Less than thousand years
ago, in the tenth century, the principal traffic
of commerce was human flesh. When a phi
lanthropic bishop came to England to preach
against such system, he was met by The re-
ply from the people, that he was taking their
bread from tn cir mOuths-now If runawav