Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-06-13
c IL A P Il E r 1.

II is the voice of years that are gone.
They roll before me with all their deeds.
OssIAS.
II is a singular peculiarity. attending
the settlement of all new countries, tina,
extensive portions of their earlier histo-
ry are suffered TO pass away unchroni-
cled. This is mainly attributable to The
negligence of those who have gone be-
fore us. Their duty TO the generations
dat were to follow, required of them a
faithful record of all the stirring events
of iheir times; but, unfortunately for US
of subsequent age, they did not rec-
ognize this duty az incumbent, or of par
amount importance, and consequently
many vir,uous example, by which we
may have profited, and the history Of
many heroic deed, of which a knight,
even in the romantic days of the Crusa-
ders, nigh, have been Justly proud, have
passed from the memory of man; or if
the, exis; nj all, il is only in oral tradi-
ton, handed down through successive
generations until their original Inca
! ments have become distorted and well
nigh effaced. To the living this is a
source Of profound regret. Our illustri
ous ancestors were supposed to be men
of enlightened views, and If they had
our welfare in contemplation, they would
have bequeathed TO us, as an invaluable
I legacy, an unmu,ilated transcript of ev.
cry interesting event. These would
have furnished themes for many thrill
ing romance aud noble poem, over whose
brilliant and irresistible fascina'ions we
would have hung enraptured, and there
by been indemnified for the thousand
disappoiniments an unchari,able world
lays upon our hearts. Each noble
stream, winding like belt of silver
through rural valleys; each magnificent
mountain, standing out in bold relic!
against the far-of horizon; each beanti.
ful landscape, which the plastic hand oi
Nature has spread out in matchless love-
illness before the enchanted vision, would
have glowed with the interest historical
recollecti0ns invariably cngendcr.
Bat as this duty was partially neglec-
ted, no interest, save that awakened by
their natural beauty, grandeur and SUBJ
Unity, is experienced. They have no
voice to promulgate TO the world his:o.
ry Of the scenes they have witnessed,
and they must, IN part at least. forever
repose in the depths of oblivion, lest
some god-like spirit, stimulated by poet
ic inspiration, should gather up the bro
ken fragments, and weave them INTO the
gay garlands of romance. The rich
ness, beauty and variety of our noun.
Tain scenery furnish indispensable ingre-
dients to this character Of writing. Il
is true, we have not the glorious magni6-
cence Of the Italian skies, nor retreats
Y like those which the genius Of other
\ Vclimes have embellished and rendered il
lustrious. as Pratellna, the regal villa ol
those merchant princes, the blood stain.
ed Medicii Of Florence. Nor do we
possess shores renownedas those of Mar.
gellina and Pansilippo, around which an
atmosphere of poetic inspiration hoyers
like one continuous halo of immortal
beauty; nor antique edifces, like those
of ancient Athens, in that proud day
when it was indeed an honor to be call
ed an Athenian. around the capitals aud
architrayes Of whose pillars still bloom
in perpetual luxuriance, the glorious
chaplets OF eloquence and philosophy
They are the property Of other climes
and the generations they were intended
,oeommemorate have long since passed
from the earth. Their names, though
chiselled in flint and carved in marble
like lineaments which childhood's fingers
in idle moments may have traced upor
the sand, time has erased from the mem
ory Of the living, But their noble work.
still live after them, and many Of tn
golden prscepts which they have laugh