Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-01-08
The Last Half Century,

The Last Half Century.
Bv all methods Of calculation. with the
close of The present year the first hall Of our
Nineteenth Century will terminate. Tho
indicated by no signs in the heavens, it
marks the most august and impressive
epoch known TO the experience of the lv-
ing generation. and concludes a period as
full Of grandeur and masnifcence as any
recorded in the book Of time. Fifty years
in this brief life of ours. is a long interval
a: any stage Of the worlds progress. Il,
includes the birth, The deeds, and the
changes Of countless thinking, suffering.
struggling souls, all Of whom have contrib.
u.ed their part TO the great sum OF achieve
menis which make up the annals Of the
race. But into what space oil equal length
have been crowded such teeming events !.
What other hall century has swelled with
such marvellous deeds, such stupendous
changes, such mighty throes Of intellec,
and feeling. such reaches of discovery,
and enlargement of ideas, and improve
ment. and progress, as that which, from
the heigh, Of his advanced position. the
eye now looks back upon! Making all
allowance for the magnitude and impress
iveness which events acquire by their
proximity, and by any scale Of admeasure-
ment, there is no other period Of like d.
mensions in which the race has taken such
colossal steps of progress. and stretched
out so sublime a roll OF achievement. II the
whole ,eeming era could be placed before
The mind, and the eye could take in one
sweep the gigantic outline of changes and
events which the history of this period
records. no epic Of human genius or spec
tacle Of nature could surpass The grandeur
and beauty Of the idea it would convey.
The world has swept along a, a vastly
accelerated rate. as if propelled by some
of the mighty powers to which il has given
birth and the mind that pauses and re-
calls even the little segment Of lis own OBJ,
servaiion and experience, can not suppress
its wonder and awe at the grandeur Of the
scale on which history has been accumuIa.
ling her stores, and Providence working
out its mighty issues.
Our territorial dimensions have extended
from the Mississippi TO the Pacific. and
enlarged from an area Of million OF
square miles to three millions and a quarter. /
Fifteen States, some Of them of extraordi. |
nary capacity, have been added to our
National coniederacy; nine Of our chief
magistrates, and thiriy-nine # the origi
nal signers of our Declaration. have died
our National Legislature has increased
from one hundred and seven Representa-
lives 10 two hundred and thirty our pop
ulalion from about five millions TO proba- !
biy ,weniy-,hrcc and half millions. In
twelve of the free States, complete systems
Of common schools have been established, !
some furnishing competent education to
every child without cost, and, in all, p'a-
cinu the means Of education within the |
reach Of the poorest. In several Of the
other States, provision has been made.
more or less extensively. for the young.
Colleges and higher schools have kept
equal pace. The number Of collegiate in-
sIi,uions has increased from twenty five
10 one hundred ond twenty. greatly eleva'
,iny also the standard Of requirement and
study. During this period. lor'y-two Ihe-
olooral Seminaries have been erected,
rh,r,y.sevcn Medical schools. twelve Law
scboo,, and the Academy at IVES, Point.
Ri, This increase Of educaliona! facul-
,:cs bv no means measures the intelleci-
ual activity awakened by other means.
The increase Of periodical publications
within The fifty years, has been well nls n
astounding. In 1900. there were scarcely
more than 200 newspapers in the Union +;
\, The presen, time, there can hardly be
,ss, than 1000. Religious newspapers
have had their whole history in this inter.
..,-,hs Boston Recorder having been