Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-27

tanned in astronomical researches The rude savage and
untaught hind know nothing of the world they inhab
save the wild rustic by which they are imme
diaely surrounded; for then the broad earth may as
well be plain sphere aud the stars above them be
deemed nothing than spanges that gem the sky
frost the ground But as knowledge advances the real
shape of this dim spot" with its relations to the sun
and to its sister planets sbrought to light and in the fur
ther progress Of astronomical discovery leara that
besides the durnal revolution of the globe around its
axis and its annual revolution around tie sum- the whole
system Of which it forms part is moving through sierea
space in the of circle, whose tremendous sweep
around yet undiscovered centre is registered in
the sky, where the stars the only rescnes by
which to measure its progress And so in history he
knows nothing Of human progress whose knowledge is
confined to the sayings and dongs and srvings of his
own neghborhood, town. land For him the world has
historical cycles 1t is until the revolutions by
which has been turned and overturned registered
by pochs and eras that begin suspect and discern
the presence OF some pervadnS Law which has thus ~
governed all historical developments. Fo- certain d5
tance we may With less csrtainty 70 scB
the prevalence Of this law which Uniies and coorinaes
the phenomena Of history; but who shall attempt from
the historic of the worlds progress during the six
thousand years Of its chronology, to infer much less to
measure, the radius and circumference of that mighty
revolution by which is being waited towards the final
consUmmation Of all thngs?o And yet there his
torca philosophers who adventure the solution of this
problemmen who predict, with the confidence Of an
tronomer the eclipse of nations and thence with fear
Of change perplexing monarchs"
The reader whose patience has carried him thus far IN
disqusitions will have discovered that in judg
meI the philosophy OF history is in danger of relying
too much hasy and partial gcnerazatons in all its at
tenps to fix and determine the ultimate goal towards
which the human race in its totality is tending. The
perturbatons which disturb the orderly and legitimate
sequence of events too many and diverse TO admit Of
adequate and apportionate allowance for them by
finite mind in its calculations of the worlds calendar for
the ages to The most that the circumstances Of
the admit Of tentative hypotheses founded
nductons of facts less and coprehen
sve which hypothesis may for the present be allowed to
stand until the progress of events shall have confirmed
their verify evinced their fasity OF all such tente
tive hypothesis regard the present work Of Gervnus
Of the most ingenious and compact that has yet
under notice. He does dogmatize facts
until he has made them conform the Procrustean bed
of his theory but rather nterrogate the phe
nomena of history in the earnest and honest spirit of
sincere inquirer after truth He be phloso
per in the literal of the lover always of
wisdom if not always its finder and possesaor We are
not certain that his point of view is the best n order
survey and interpret the facts and events
which antedate the present time and are presumed to
have given it form and pressure Geryinus does not
seem quite certain of this himself But we that
no lover of rational freedom rise from perusal Of
this volume without feeling that the learned author has
fully justified himself in assuming the position he has
chosen though he may not have succeeded IN rem
derng it impregnabe al assaults IF the world be
really moving forward in the path he believes it, he
may console himself with this assurance, in spite Of all
the oboquy which pacemen and attorneys have sought
heap upon his name: and though in Germany his book
be suppressed, be may say with GaiaHo, "The world
moves nevertheless"
At early day hope lay before readers such
abstract Of the work may enable them form some
adequate idea Of its general eonsext and argument