The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-16

| (Vincennes) says the "same line of argumen
as that followed by the Sentinel based on tn,
same kind of premises, will prove the divin,
right of kings to rule, and the morality o
blood, slaughter, and bigamy." The Madison
Courier says that if the editor of the Sentine
has succeeded to his satisfaction, he had better
try the slave system, and see whether it oper
ates like Divine Institution. Some people
flee to the same book to prove that liquor
drinking is a Divine Institution when their
own eyes demonstrate that it is a curse. y
Other papers condemn the reasoning Of the
Sentinel and regard his position is one which
Southern statesmen never dared to take. The
race of Hunkers and Doughfaces is not yet
extinct
PROGRESS OF THE AGE, in its material as
pect, as well as in its intellectual and moral,
rightly interpreted, means association, neigh
borhood brotherhood, unity-DIsrANcE is the
enemy to be overcome.
The american RGit,Ody Guide reports that,
on the LIST of January, 1853, there were in the
United States, 1927 miles Of completed rail-
road; 1929 miles of railroad in progress of
construction and about 1000 miles under sur
vey which will be built within the next three
or four years-making total of SO, 1855 miles;
which, at the average cost of $4,000 Ia we'll
ascertained average) for each mile, including
equipments, &C., will have consumed a capital
of 1894, $50, 900; in round numbers, one thou
sand millions of dollars.
Add to this the canals and navigable streams
in the nation, and the telegraph lines, of which
we had 10, 1919 miles in December, 1852, and
the post-routes traversed in the year to the ex-
tent of ffty.nine millions of miles, and we have
some idea of the apparatus provided for the
intercourse of the people of the Republic.
twenty-five millions Of people have invested at
least fifteen hundred millions in the ways and
perhaps five hundred millions more in the
means or vehicles Of communicaton-eighty
dollars head invested by the people in the
routes of travel and transportation, railroads,
canals, turnpikes, plank roads, and river i'm
proyements) One hundred millions is the in
terest of two billions, at five per cent ; and if
the stock is worth par in the average, one hun
dred millions is the expense of travel and
transportation to the good people of the Union
Nine millions moro is the cost of the General
Post Office, and four dollars and half is the
apportioned expense of each individual, for all
the advantages of intercourse in all these ways
secured to u.s. One hundred and ten millions
per annum, the aggregate cost of our war with
space. By some of these routes, Time is almost
annihilated; by others, he compromises for
about five hundred miles day; on Others, he
holds us at the old jogtrot, inconvenience.
But materialsm is everywhere giving iCGy, and
the sovereignty of mind is rapidly getting itself
absolutely established. The hostile forces of
geography hold but little against US except its
mountain Notifications; but ere long it will be
driven from these also, and have no real rest
ing-place but in the Atlas. 1t will always
make show in maps, but in the fact it will
amount to nothing Time and space are moth
ing to disembodied spirits. When we have
disembodied them, our own bodies will be less
troublesome, and much more convenient for
our use. Bishop Berkeley denied the existence
of matter; but even those who, by his philoso-
ply, were able to overcome their prejudices,
were none the better able to get over the dis
tances which it interposed. The German
metaphysicians think that time and space are
mere forms Of the understanding. Well, no
matter about the logic that undertook so to
dispose Of the matter; we are hopefully busy
working out the fact, which will answer our
purposes something better f.