Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-20

SINCE CIVILIZATION began, the antl-progres'
sives must surround us with sort of
Chinese wall, and bring our "wooden
walls" to anchor, every one of them,
within limits already commercially trib-
utary to the United States. Our mer-
chants must not be permitted to grow
richer, lest they become more adventurous
and enterprising. Our mechanical i'm
provers must be cut short in their career
of usefulness, lest they accomplish some
thing not only improving US at home,
but strengthening us abroad. Our men
of scientific requirements must shut up
their books, laboratory and other expert
menting arrangements, lest they lay the
foundation for new channels of American
commerce, which will increase our for
eign markets, or send our merchants and
mariners rowing further in greater num-
bers in search of new articles made re-
quisite in our domestic trade, by some
important step forward-by some pro-
gress in the arts or sciences. These things
must be accomplished by our Joshuas and
Canutes of the press, if they hope to
check the onward march of our country
which will Ego ahead despite their fore
bodings of evil consequences, as surely as
the sun travels from east to west, and the
waves of the sea dash higher and higher
upon the shores, as the tides rise. Pro-
gress is the nations law of nature. A
thriving and improving people have never
yet failed to spread themselves in all di-
rections, on once becoming the most i'm
portant nation in their immediate quarter
of the world. We should like the -4mcri-
can to remind us of single exception TO
this general rule, if the history of the
world, ancient or modern, tells of one.
We have further to ask the american
to explain to us in what respect we may
injure the future of any people or country
within striking distance, by transplant
ing our institutions, social. industrial,
moral or governmental, among them?
These are simple questions and truthful
answers to them will surely dispel many
of the editors e bugaboos.'
To our mind, progress, such as is the
"manifest destiny" of our country and
its institutions, is in strict keeping with
the spirit of progress so earnestly incul-
Gated in every sentiment of the New Tes-
lament. st. Paul was the great progress
sive of his day, next after him whom he
followed. Had the Saviour of the world,
and his little band of original progress
sives, failed to venture to press onward
against the prejudices, errors and fancied
vested rights of those around them, (who
set themselves up as the supreme judges
Of all the right and wrong,) America
would, probably, still have been in the
hands of the Aborigines. Progress means,
in plain English, improvement; which, I'M
der the benign influence Of Christianity,
is as certain to inoculate all, without re-
gard to nation or cline, with whom it
comes in contact, as the smallpox. 1t
assimilates the ideas of all touched by its
wand. 1t opens the hearts of all to like
influences, and their minds to like i'm
pressions. In more modern times, Thomas
Jefferson lit taper on the altar of civil
liberty, which, burning brighter and
brighter from that day to this, has be-
come, at this time, raging fire, warming
the hearts of all educated men, the world
over, and opening their eyes to the better
economy of progress in all things. 1t is
not to be auenched until it does its work
of calculating, everywhere, the sound
philosophy of the principle of Government
based on the axioms of the New Tesla
ment. We care not what powers of the
earth may essay to defeat its work. 1t
will Observation-Disclosures onward to
the entire regeneration of the moral, in
dustrial and political condition of man,
wherever civilization penetrates.