The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-26

tendency prevails In political economy, government.
and the administration OF public affairs for instance. we
longer observe that seyIe subsection 10 facts, as they
called, which once manifested These general
IDEAS. reason, prncpes-whai are called theories-are
introducing themselves and causing themselves to Dc re-
spected. The movement OF which we speak is there
lore double movement Facts inrudiDg themselves
n,o the intellectual order, and ideas inlruding them
selves into The social order The outer world governed
more according 10 reason. and the intellectual world
more according TO reality Thus IN our times are TACT
and theory brought together and made 10 move in
company This is the last and greatest intellectual
achievement Of the agehe glory of modern civilization.
II not SO hundred years ago. Then IN the intel
lecual odern abstract science and philosophy
respect paid TO reality, and the imagnaons OF men,
refusing 10 be controlled by facts they existed IN the
world around them into the widest excuses OF the
DRY and hypothesis. On the other hand in the social
order, general ideas found no place al all and he who
attempted 10 Tor them any influence in political
economy, or the administration OF public affairs was
forthwith branded as visionary and dreamer. The
provinces OF facts and general ideas were then entirely
distinct and independen--each supreme IN It's own
domnion ard would tolerate intrusion by the other
The consequence has Just been stated that specu
laon ran INTO the widest excesses, ana ihe intellectual
world was filled with fantasies and chimefas while the
social world remained dead, chaotic mass. The pro-
gress of modern civilization has last corrected this state
of things. We find fact and theory everywhere
moving in company, acting and reachng upon each
other-modiying each olheT-fact controlling the ex
OF theory, 1heOIy
fact Guizot. his History OF Civilization, (whence
have borrowed it.) has developed fully and forcbly
the idea which have been endeavonng TO express,
that we will take the liberty OF quoting the passage He
says:
We now compelled 10 consider science and reality,
theory and practice right and fact and make them move
have lived apart The world has been TO see
theory and practice following different unknown
gene raj IDEAS have wished inemeddle in affairs
influence the world they have only bsen ale % effect This
10 the present time the government OF human soc,ees the
direction OF their affairs has been divided between Two
would rule all according abstract noionsenthusiass
ON the other, ignorant Of all rational prnc pleex-
State OF things is now over The world viii no longer ag,
for the sake of abstract principle, some fancul
theory, sons Uopan government which can only exist In
the imagination of enthusiast; will il put up with
practical abuses expressions however formed by pre-
crplion and expectancy when they opposed TO just
prnc pies and the legitimate end Of government. To
sure respect 10 obtain confidence governing powers mus
knowledge the influence OF both. They must regard as
sy-mus. shun one hand bnd prlde OF the la
matte theo and on the other the no less bnd pride OF the
libeune practIcan."
This scientific method Of investigating truth is extend
ing itself in every direction. II has. we have seen,
taken possession OF science and phllosophy prevails
in political economy. government, and The administration
OF public ahaIs generally and is now reaching INTO the
DOMAIN OF history. Indeed, the revolution which II has
wrought in historical literature within The last half
tuy is unprecedented The historian OF the nineteenth
no longer gGzeser, and ms history
dry record OF battles treaties, and public acts OF
ment He feels that he has higher province than that
OF merely collecting public facts and setting them down
in chronological order. Besides these outward and l.
eria facts. open to the inspection OF ALL there other
moral and hidden facts, which, although cannot at,
zach to them any precise name or date yet concerns
quite as much TO know. those battles, treaties, and
public acts OF government OF which have spoken.
To bring these hidden facts to ghto evolve those gen.
era principles wlcn lie buried under the chaos OF nnu
meIabe isolated iacts-o eluciiale those great moral
problems which connect themselves with the social
progress OF every peoflebis is the mission Of modern
history; and is this recent alliance between philosophy
and history which precisely measures and characterzes
that revolution IN historical literature which IT is our
purpose 10 note.
The results OF that revolution have been immense II
has, indeed, changed the whole OF history, and
given new direction to the labors OF the historian.
Heretofore history has been occupied almost excusvey
about courts, Campo and battle fields, orRettng that II
no, in Camps yet battle fields that the
life OF people spent, or their true history discovered
but tar away from sciences like these IN the nell. the
work shop and the factory, on the highway and IN the
retired valleys OF the world causes which few eyes
and which chronicled in no records, silently bu
steadily and Irresisuby moulding The desnies OF the bu
man To detect these latent and record them
Tor the instruction OF the present and future generations
lis the province oil history and hereafter he who does
this will alone be esteemed historian while he who
writes 10 about courts and camps and battle fields
who collects and sells down chronolog zeal ORDER under
their appropriate heads 10 be OF easy reference the
remarkable events OF the past, such the birth of princes
the death oil kings the dates oil battles the change OF
nasee, political revolutions general laws and public acts
OF governmen-may be regarded less ins,ruc-
i've gazetteer, but nothing more. Mankind, If they
could only be induced 10 think have much deeper
interest In those arts sciences, discoveries and nven
tions by which the comforts OF human life have been
extended and civilization advanced, than in those wars
revolutions, and publ acts Of government by which the
world has been so often scourged and whole nations de-
vastaied.
With much force and beauty does Carlyle ask
(Which The greater nnovaor. which the more
important pefsonage in mans history-he who first led
armies the Alps and gained the victories OF Gamma
aid Thrasymehe, the nameless boor who first ham.
mered out Tor himself iron spade' When the oak
feled, the hole forest echoes with but hund
anons planted silently by nnnoced breeze. Bat.
ties and war tumus which for the time din and
with JOY terror ntoxicaie every heart, like
tavern brawls, and, except some Mafaihons and Mo
gartens, remembered by accident by desert Laws
themselves, political constitutions, life, but
only the house ohsrer f IL kd-nay they but the
bare walls OF the house all whose essential ufniture-the
inventions, and traditions, and daily habits that regulate
aud support extencear the works not Of Dracos and
Hampdens, but OF Pb9nican Mariners Of Italian
and Saxon meiHlurgsts. OF philosophers, achymist.,
prophets and all the long train OF artists and artisans
from the first, have been jointly teaching how think
and how to act, how TO rule pnua and physlos
nature"
IL IL these PhHncian mariners, Italian masons and
Saxon meallurgss, philosophers, achymls,s prophets
and all The long train OF artists and artisans who, from
the hrs have been teaching how think and how
II Is this hitherto neglected and de.pised class who only
appear on the pages Of history when they gathered
together on battle field to be slaughtered for the
glory oil their Masters who have given to the world
those arts and sciences which have redeemed The world
from barbarsm, and preserved civilization a trust Tor
lheir children and future generations Honor and glo,
are attached TO their names but we know nothing OF