The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-08
For the Southern Press.
Relies OF Scraps and Musings.
No. 85.
MARCH OF MIND.

No. IS.
MARCH OF MIND.
When refer to the new principles which are
rapidly introducing themselves into our social,
political, moral and religious systems, and their
increasing influence over State and federal lie
gislaton, am led to belief that the march OF
the human mind among large portion OF my
countrymen is towards conviction that man is
little less than omnipotent, and that he Is not
only wiser, but more powerful than his maker
Having within the last age, by improvements in
science, and especially the mechanic arts, ex-
tended his power over matter, he seems to think
that mind is equally subject to his CONTROL and
that he can mould it with the same facility that
he fashions lump of iron, or directs the force
of steam. In short, our great reformers seem
inclined to consider their fellow creatures as
mere machines, which may be governed by the
same mechanical principles steam engine
or a spinning jenny.
Because we can now travel fifty or sixty miles
an hour, and transmit news with the speed OF
light, we have in the pompous phraze OF the
day 'overcome both time and space" we are
beginning to fancy nothing impossible, and
that the mind is keeping pace with the speed OF
the body. Stimulated, and at the same time
blinded by this everything and presnmptuous
vanity, theories are every day preached, and not
only gravely advocated, but made the basis OF
legislation, which strike at the very root of our
social, political, moral and religious obligations.
Philosophy has run mad piety become super
stition and liberty requires strait walstcoat.
Rejecting men are becoming afraid, and gradu-
ally preparing to sacrifice all that is good or sal
utary in the latter, in the apprehension OF the
abuses which will inevitably result from its ex
cess. In opposing these, they have been brough
Into an antagonisical position with the great
doctrines of freedom of thought, of action and
will, because they are carried to extremes; and
thus the first great blow has been given to lib
erty, by drawing our attention towards its evils
rather than its blessings; to its abuses rather
than its legitimate consequences; to its defile-
ment rather than its purity. 1t ii in this way
that all freedom has persisted in the world. Lib
erty became an object of fear instead oflove, to
her excuses at length invested her with chains.
Thus have all free people gone before us, and
thus shall we go after them, unless we adhere
to those sober, and rational restraints, disre
gard to which is the invariable forerunner of
anarchy followed by despctism.
know not whether those VINO are taking the
lead in this new crusade against our social
State and political institutions are fools, or
madmen, honest enthusiasts, or designing hypo-
critical knaves, whose object is to rise on the
ruins around them; whether they are welding
weapons with whose power they are unacquaint-
ed, and striking in the dark, at random, or act
ing with cold malignant design to undermine
and overthrow the entire structure of society as
it exists at present, based on the Constitution
and the laws. But cannot shut my eyes to
the impressive fact, that this will be the ulti-
mate consequence of the practical application OF
their principles, and that there is a numerous
body of men in the United States, by no means
destitute of talents, and possessed of great infu.
ence, using every effort of industry, artifce and
intrigue to undermine that great fabric of ra
tional freedom and social happiness, which has
made the United States The wonder of the mod
ern world. 1t is to this end the march of mind
seems rapidly tending in its advances towards
that great millennium, the approach to which,
like the progress of the fly up pane of glass,
has hitherto been too often followed by deep
er plunge downwards, and an exhaustion that
rendered him for a long while incapable of any
new efforts.
| 1t is no such easy matter to make new world
out of an old one, or improve on the work o
supreme wisdom. Some one of these pompou'
pctigogues, who have taken th cuisines in hand
lately issued his bull, declaring that "nnen max
the times, not times the men," Meaning thereby
presume that the straw which floats with tn,
current gives a direction to the stream, and cal
make it run up hill at pleasure. That he ma,
trouble the waters is certain; but that all th
power of man can give them direction contra
nv to the will and the law Of the author of ma
turs, is the dream of folly and presumption
There are things which ought not to be meddle
with in this world, and one of the great lesson
of wisdom is that ofteaching man his own imbe
cility, when he steps ou of his proper sphere
To do good, the first step is to know what wi
really contribute to the happiness of the great
est proportion of our fellow creatures of whic
q infinite wisdom alone can judge--the next, f
know the extent of our power. If we attemp
anything beyond this, it is only rolling tn
stone up hill to recoil on ourselves.
4 Man may know great deal, and yet be abb.
to do very little. An expert anatomist, having
studied the skeleton Of tiger, and made him
self perfectly acquainted with bis physical con
formation took it into his head that he could