Southern reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1851-185?, 1852-04-28

which constitute their glory" and thci
" strength" +" arc to be laid upon the great ALTA
Of our common humanity. They are special
" set apart BY sacred conservation. as The
chosen instruments for good to their fellow
men. They owe il TO their friends, they owe
il to society, they owe il to their age, they
owe It to their country, they owe il to them.
selves, they owe Il to their God, to take this
stand and fulfill this mission. And glorious
indeed-yea, thrice glorious-is the mission
Of the educated young men Of America II
is making no boast It is no self laudaton, but
the statement Of a simple and universally ad-
mitted fact, when we say that the whole world
has its fixed attention turned upon our cOun-
try, upon its political, social, moral, and reli-
gious characteristics, as it has never been turn
ed upon any other nation since nations arose.
All classes in the old world are watching with
intense anxiety. though with far different wish
es, what they still call our "eEPeriment Of self
government" The despot narrowly marks
every phase and change in the political heav-
ems, hoping, momentarily, TO see that baleful
star arise which is to be the prognostic Of our
downfall; while earth's groaning millions fer
vently pray for the continued prosperity and
complete success Of our civil pOlity, feeling
that its Perpetuity and their hopes Of freedom
must stand or fall together.
Our social organization, too, and the gener-
al good morals resulting therefrom, have
formed the standing and still unsolved enigma
Of those philosophers who haye.always been
accustomed to associate as cause and effect,
the necessity Of standing armies to promote
social order, and a numerous and vigilant
police to insure individual honesty and guard
private rights.
nfgoing step farther. il is even yet the
special marvel Of many evangelical christians
on the other side Of the Atlantic, that we can
have any such thingas religion in our country
without an alliance between the Church and
the State; and many, yea, very many, have
been the predictions. and they arc still utter
ed by the best Of men, that our system Of
sustaining christianity on the voluntary Prin-
ciple. must eventually fail. These are honest
sentiments, INDUCED BY good men, and ex-
pressed in kindness and in candOr For their
frankness we thank them. But We cannot
sympathise in their apprehensions, while It i
a well known fact, that the religious aspect Of
our country, whatever croakers may say to the
contrary, compares favorably. yea, enviably,
with that Of any nation Of Europe, while, too,
the standard Of the cross is raised BY our mis-
sionaries in every heather cline.
IL is TO these several points that refer
when say that the gaze Of the old world is
turned upon the new. This statement is
sometimes made in a vague ana general sense,
without any de6niteness Of application. But
its force and truth lie in its dcfniteness. Our
political, social, moral, and religious condition
in all their special developments and varied
bearings, is what attracts the notice Of our
transatlantic friends and enemies. And this
this simple fact makes our position in the
great family Of nations, high, noble and a
most responsible one.
Who, then, are 70 bear this responsibility,
pre-eminently, On their country's behalf
who are to fulfill its mission upon this broad
earth.-who are to take tho lead in this, but
its educated young men The places Of their
fathers viii soon know them no more. They
will pass away, and leave to the young a glO-
rious inheritance but its possession will in
volve momentous obligations and its perpe.
tuity viii demand arduous duties
And who that observes at all the state and
movements Of the world, and reads in them
the signs Of the times, can fail to SEQ that the
responsibilities which press upon the young
men Of our country, are greater now than
they could have been at any former period Of
our historyl Every year that rolls round,
nay, every month and week, every steamer
that crosses the Atlantic, is spreading farther
and wider the knowledge Of our system Of
selfgovenment, and our perfect freedom Of
religious opinion-the two features which
have most staggered incredulity-while the
same feet messenger announces alike 70 the
oppressor and the oppressed, as the result Of
our civil and religious freedom. that social
order, peace and happiness, useful industry,
commendable progress in knowledge, reyer-
ence for religious truth, rapid advancement IN
the arts, growing national wealth and power,
and a commercial prosperity which has no
parallel in history, are the settled and every
day characteristics Of our eondition--so COM
mon, indeed, and 50 natural to US, that they
almost fail to attract our attention Or excite our
remark. Who, then, can measure the power
which such a state Of things must exert upon
the old world? And who can estimate the
responsibilities which must rest upon young
men Of education inour country, at the present
day, when, very soon, the ability to continue
-. h.s..ht ,vap,rla hafara fha world or fo|