The southern press., 1851-07-23
SOUTHERN PRESS.
WASHINGTON CITY.
MONDAY, JULY 81. 1851.
The DestInIes Of Races.

gress, and is directing its luminous course
towards lands hitherto unknown, to occupy and
cultivate them. This race is confident in its
destiny. Its language must become the living
language OF mankind. Its moral energies out.
strip that of other races and, with liberty for its
watchword, it is awakening up the nations with
new ideas, and shaking tyranny on its throne
from the Hellespont to the Pillars of Hercules
There is something so wonderful in this pos
sessing of new world-there is something so
remarkable in the boldness and irresistible en-
ergy with which this tide of men is rising above
and oyerstepping the boundaries which it had
marked out for itself, by impulses and moral
currents beyond the control of law, that the Old
World, with its respect and generation for au-
thority, stands curious and apprehensive, lest the
wide ocean should at length be insufficient to
contain this movement of Western humanity.
The prosecuted and the rejected of Europe,
have found the promise land. America is des-
tined to renovate the earth.
Progress has reen westward. From the
eastern shores of the Mediterranean, the civil
cation, the morals, and the religions of Asia and
Egypt have been transported by colonies to
Greece, to Italy, to Spain, and to the southern
coasts of France.
The love of liberty, and hatred of persecution
and tyranny, have ever led to colonizing distant
lands Asiatic emigrations founded Greece
- lat lat.o
of Roman liberty; and Roman conquest and
colonization laid the foundation of those Ill er-
ties in western Europe. which centuries of bar.
harlan invasion, ard centuries of barbarian su-
perstiton, were never able entirely to obIiteratc
Liberty struggled in Italy in opposition to the
feudalisln OF the ncrtheris; ard with such
nndying energy, that while Europe lay pros
trate at the feet Of superstition, protected
by the sword of the Hun, and the Goth,
and the Saxon, republics sprang up there on
every band, and saved civilization, truth, and
progress.
The intelligence and the morale Of the
Asiastic inspired the Greek, and made him the
child, greater than the parent The intelligence
and morale Of the Greek created the Roman.
And the mental energy Of the latter soon made
him triumph over the barbarians, who had over
whelmed and broken up his divided and totter.
ing government. 1t was Roman intelligence
it wss the activity Of the Roman mind, that
alone shone forth in the darkness of the middle
ayes, and preserved what little learning remained
in Europe.
Italy, all this time, remained the centre of at
traction. Rome was as completely master OF
Europe, many centuries after the overthrow of
her imperial power, as she had ever been be-
fore; and TO this day her destiny is TO govern
spiritually over the majority Of those whose an
csstors owed her temporal allegiance.
The difference between her first and her Sc.
cond influence is, however, great and remark
able. BY the first, she carried the love of lib.
erty and her institutions to every corner OF
Europe. BY the second, she preserved knowl'
edge, while she strove to perpetuate ignorance
smong the masses-and kept herself in Powe,
by flattering the passions and ambitions Of bar.
barisn conquerors and chieftains.
Italy had still remnants Of free Institutions
and the memory Of loved liberty. She re.
gained them, and maintained them for ages.
With her gold she kept in pay many thousands
Of foreigners. These, and the multitude of
travellers who visited her from all parts, re-
turned home with new and more liberal ideas,
acquired by serving republics, and by observing
their independence Of ecclesiastical authority.
Hence, gradually sprung up in Europe those
cries for reform, and those demands for NUM-
cipal liberty, which by degrees shook both the
spiritual and temporal power all over Europe,
and brought about that great revolution in favor
Of liberty of conscience, which goes by the name
Of the reformation.
In all this. We see the Same influences at
work. And we find the northern races inyigor-
nted by the moral energy Of the Roman race,
re-a:quiring their independence, and manifest
ing, in due time, its mental power and accom-
plishments.
In Spain, the effort for moral. liberty was
crushed, an the old authority held its stringent
sway even more tenaciously and oppressiyely
than before. The spectre Of moral liberty in
spired terror that led TO fearful prosecutions
aud civil broils. In France the struggle was
still more violent and uncertain, bnt ended as in
Spain. In Germany, success was partial; but
her continental position left her populations
in check from military power In England, al
most alone, and favored by good fortune, mora
liberty wss 30 for triumphant, as to lay the
foundation for new energy in man, that vii
probably be undying.
Thus, in glancing over tie worlds moderr
history, We see in The colonies disseminated
throughout The eart's surface, fruits Of the fear
ful struggle at home. Spain, with her anti
quated institutions, has only sown weakness
and decay. France, with all her independents,
and energy, has lost her plantations in the deepe
interests arising out Of the struggles for liberty
Gina more unsatisfactory form,) which she has
"a "A .C - ,turx