Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-10-20
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON

England-Europe--ha lost her most distin-
gushed military leader. The "lron Duke"
was the last man of that renown epoch, which
will be known hereafter as the first revolution
ary period of Modern Europe. Fruitful in ge-
MUS and of events that have not, yet expended
themselves in results, the social and political
convulsion known as the French revolution,
brought upon the stage, men who might other
wise have sIumbered in obscurity, or exhausted
their energies in quiet pursuits
Napoleon was the morning star of this era, as
Wellington was its evening star. But rose
above the horizon in the East-the one near
the Pyramids of Egypt, the seat of ancient civ
iization, of which its stupendous monuments
are its only record--the other, amid scenes of
earliest scrptura history, the richness of orien-
tai magnifcence and Pagan splendor. Napole-
on reconstructed society, shattered by the
transition from feudal to republican forms-from
u christianity, corrupt, and tinctured by mod
ern mythology, to infidelity, to worse than Hea-
then superstition" Death is an eternal sleep"
The Grecian Philosopher, the Divine Plato, ages
before, had passed this dark point Of the hui
nun mind.
Action and reaction, like the surges of the
arose the genius of the storm, the Man of Des-
tiny. Thrones crumbled, dynasties vanished
before his gigantic mind, his victorious legions
swept over the continent like the wrath of Hea-
ven in the tornado. From the orange groves
of Spain to the frozen regions of Russia, the
invincible warrior displayed the power OF re-
publican energy, and the grandeur OF plebeian
thoughts WELDING the sceptre of Charlemagne
the morning star of modern civilization, he
struck with dismay the puny monarchs around
and brought the defendants of the Caesars hum
bic supplants to his feet, daughter of the il
lustrious lineage, to his bed. Napoleon seemed
to be the link which was to conjoin and unite
the Oldest and the newest, but the mghtiest
thrones
Napoleon was too elevated mark to be
stricken down by other than an Almighty hand
He fell by the violation of those laws of Provi-
dence which are unyicdng, governing alike the
destiny of simple man, and majestic monarch
As the hosts of Pharaoh were overwhelmed by
the waters of the sea- so were the legiOns of
Napoleon palsed by the elements direct from
heaven. His power was broken he became the
prey of his former sateites-but one spark of
Imperial vitality was left, and it rekindled to q
fame
But the work was done-only final blow
remained to be given. The Duke of yelling
ton gave that blow, and crowned himself the
conquer of Europe's conqueror.
The drama closed-Europe rested-the re-
action came. The two warriors have departed
another revolution is at hand.
Heretofore, the politics of Europe have been
eminently eclesiastical-the Church in the ascen-
dancy. Napoleon began his Imperial career by
overturning the temporal dominion of the Pope
and caused to stand, the most august automa-
ton of the coronation cortege while he crowned
himself
The Church was thence to hold place SUBJ
ordinate to the civil authority. The struggles
of Charlemagne, of friedrich, of Philip Augustus,
of Gustavis, of Marlboro through centuries gone
were now hallowed and consummated by VIC
tory that released the human mind from fatal
superstition
When Time shall have unrolled his ample
scroll, then, and not till then, will the true po-
sition and character of the Alpha and Omega of
the first period of Europe's total emancipation
from feudalism, be read in living light, with a
clear and wide horizon.
We do not believe, however, that Wellington
will be ranked with the chief actors of that era,
although it was his fortune to be conspicuous
character in the last act of the sanguinary dra-
ma. Wellington will take his place in the cat
alogue Of England's heroes next to Marlbor-
ough, exceIing all others in the magnitude Of
his exploits and the extent Of his operations
Asia and Europe have felt his prowess, and
both will record his deeds ia their annals. The
once mighty is now food for worms and in
earthly court and camp no more than the dead
peasant who sleeps in an unknown grave.
Another territory is about to be added to the
United States by the organization of local gov
eminent, and the election of delegate to Con-
gress. The people of the rapidly settling Ter
ritory of Nebraska, feeling that their interests