Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-04

sure i'll transmitting II herewith; although rnnScl"iiS
of its defects. 10: which (ihnugh Your KIND Edul-
! .,cncc leads You To overlook tIcm,) | cammo with
equal confidence expect the indulgence vi the public.
| With sincere gratitude gentlemen. and with tho
warmest good wishes for the success "i your s"cc-
tics, and the continued prosperity of your distinguish
ed University, have the honor TO be your faithful
| servant. JOHN mitchell.
MIR. MITCIIELS ADDRESS.
| Published i'll the Enquirer by order of thr Literary
| Suciriics.
| If there he any one popular belief, gentlemen,
which has clearly taken p,rS,.s>ion of the world in
,hi. last half century, which has reduced itself into
maxim, established itself ns tru!sn, and g"i rccng-
niz,l not only true, but almost us the only nduhi-
table truth, il is the progress of this human Species
| In the whole world of morals, literature, politics, re-
ligins what single dogma is there commanding such
universal unuubtng belief ihi. most soothing and
| tiattcring article u fa-that arc at aIl events,
with all faults, wiser, better. stronger, above all
things, "happicr' than ancestors!
II il were permitted us al this period "f the world
so late in the nineteenth Ccntury-t" ruiS" question
upon this wcll-csiabshcd principle, il seems Ia
me that the inquiry would possess much interest iur
all men, aud especially for such compose the audi
encc now address, whose literary tnsics and studies
must have disposed them To generalization. must have
led them 10 speculation tsomrtlIncS Wild AMI wonder
ing spccuationl on the meaning Of this world, and al
the life We lead upon it-mr>t have driven them Ia
the doors of all oraccs, human and divine, natural
and prctcrnatural, aNiouslv scckin. solution of i'll
soluble eenigmas-passiunntcly shouting question at'
ter question into the Sybil Cave Of Destiny with no
| answer but the echo. Now, perhaps, amongst the
other traditions, crcrdS, philosophers the old and
| wurll-rcnowmcd aXinmS which nrc subjected 10 In"
daring speculation of these latter days, may law
fully examine or even call in question: this article u
nineteenth century iuh-manicy that the current
century is the top and Ot centuries; is nn,
y the heir of all the ages. but with the miraculous
gift (lencd 10 all former lnc) of srzing what j. good
in that heritugc and rejecting what is cvi-of apprn
| uiiJ tl,,S
| ties and insamtrs that have descended 10 hy the
| same title.
Especially one may sav that this soothing doctrine
of superiority is sngulurly liable 10 Question:
innsmlch us il is old. Am too conservative in ven
turing To hint that its novelty is against it For
surc,ily if il be true, it is also new and of the
present time not only the fortunate OF the
property, but the discoveries also. The eighteenth
century, the seventeenth had suspicion of il Yet
ii We have sixty centuries TO draw upon. to inherit
from, and To boasi they hal tfynnr AMI fifty.
eight respectively. Blu: they did know their own
happiness. The prevailing ton" ri all 'ra,ur" AMI
all speculation since history began Wits rnh,r tone
of mourning a corrupt and d"ca,!cm H-;"- there
runs through il all sound "t clrGiac ami drg"-
like complaint over the dcCcmcracy of the human
rncc, the failure of ancient Taiur ana ut pristine
faith, the failure even o human bone and -ilIcw, and
of that antique beauty and simple mgicsty OF body
and soul Which, to the Imagination of our niic"s-
tors, pcoped with dcnisods that m'ncmorinl age OF
gold
Perhaps it is well that have got rid of that
perstitiols reverence fur the who went bcior"
us, and have good reason I" transfer the homage
of our souls to noble selves. But ANY rate the
fact is worth pondrrng, that We have the luck to live
in the first ngc that has formally recognized itself IL
| the wlscst happicSt and bc,t.
Supposng it 10 be even ia;tcrrg dclt>ion, ,hcr.
must be cause "t this effect; '"r rItl": say II
cause III this defect. for this effect defective by
cause. To search ou, that Cause, mi gt lead far
st. upprehcmd, it may hc fuu,i. In the meantime.
let Try to state the between the nineteenth
century and the rest Of the poor centuries, "r at
least make approximation to the true sa.r r!nr:t.
make this attempt in d0gma;c spirit, though. for
convenience, may Use dogmntc forms. He would
be Il cunning accountant, indeed, who should under
take 20 draw out regular debtor and creditor ac-
count OF the several ngcs with nature aud fate. strike
their respective balances, ap1"rti"n their credit, and
ascertain their solvcncy declare them bankrupt
Ii will be enterprise qutc vcnurUu- enough, and,
perhaps needing no little presumption 10 pr"-c'i;
some few points ni comparison, some few prominent
features Of ancient aud Of modern lic i'll ,nc:I
ner as may begct reflection and suggest here and there
ar approximate conclusion.
No word SO wCarics the car ni the a", the word
"C,vilizaiion, III word vague III mcail!m.. harbarUl"
in inrn hybrid word, word with Il Latin head nnd
Il Greek tail; AMI Ike hundreds Oi other new iangd
words, on that principle. dubious ani confused in its
acccpiaIioli. We assured i'll all books, from all
pupits md platforms III all the leading articles even
i'll the very advertisements that Civizntl"n what
ever the thing Isl has been making great .ilil- ui
late years: mid that th" same is much tn our comfort
and advantage. And what, then, Is "Civiizaton -
Etym"logicay, 10 br sure, il means the clitur" 4"
those capacities and those virtues which III Il man 4"
bc good ri,i:ca; which qualify him 10 live ms n
Der 0i society community. II means the high dc>c-
lopmcn of those social virtues which cnahr -nr:"ty
adequately to discharge s main iunc!ion-hat If Ia
prevent wrong dom. and ensure Justice first hctwccn
InnG and man. next between nation ana nati"n.-
And docs not this seem 10 You NJ" only /" bc i" trn"
mriun. Of the word Civilization but also /" be the
rA substantial aim effort and end ut all society," and
r. ar ~ Man il grcgar!ous anmal) Of all cdnca-
ii II lrgsaton, politics and moral PHILOSOPHERS III the
W hi! The highest Civilization i'll the world means
si liz Justice; vet, if you ask the first ten You
mX casually meet in rail road ear, what they mean
blythe Civilization they talk of, lfor almost cvcryb"dy
talks Of it aud congrauatcs himself and his neigh
boIs upon tI nine OF them will tell You that it is steam
thu, it is electricity, that ii is printing press, that 1t
l. cnrpcts and upholstery, that it il gunpowslcr or
gus. One man, pronundcr than the rest, will per-
haIrs answer TINT j. il comncrcc.-ininte imports,
unhounled exports, and IN unhrard-oi carrying
tSadr worCl-cmbracing commerce that brings dis
kntSlaons near making them family ni mutually
k.lISu brethren. Such Is the current talk.
NSw it s not altogether clear, tha: discoveries in
!f'-and Science how widely sn cverappicd and mad"
sutsCrvicnt TO mems convenience. are any rca! i'm
CONVENIENT, demonstrate any real progress towards
anything good Civilization, so much as instri-
lncns or iurtheranccs Of Civilization. The printing
press, or the electric wire, is material vehicle OF
thought, of wisdom, of nonsense or of vice, us the
be. IT n man tell lie to end Oi wirc
il will not come out truth Ht the other end. The ra
road carries men very quickly upon their business
such is; be their rrranlS good evil, be their
intents wicked or charitable. The sumpuous appoint
in.nts of houses and carriages, indeed Il splcn
did garure of life, if men do not forget the wnv TO
live the while. As for what is called commerce,
certainly there il nothing intrinscalv basc or
evil in trade and traffic. yet il may be said with
least equal truth, that there is nothing clcvnting
flung purifying i'll 1t. As nail, saith the of
hnty t,nr ,,c
doth sin stick fast between buying and sclng.'-
However that be- certain il is, that there is
ruthless tyrant earth than the true commercial
spirit and the present age has seen more human be-
i,iys slain iu one natiol for the sake Of
mcrce in three ycnrs, than any thirty wears ever
slcw-morc miscraby and ignu'nniously slain, than
war at its worst and wickcdcst conld ever say. b.
this same golden bond Of commerce, nations
times be brought only too clos" together To the bitter
cost or one and the gricvouS corruption Of the other.
Commerce may he just unjust, bclichcc! or cruel.
Commerce is not aiI end, but urars; and, like all in
sruincn:s wieldrl by human han's, will be often,
perhaps ottcncst, made the nccns Ia base and evil
end. Those Suites, also, VIII lsr greatness has been
based commerce, have usually come 10 bad end.
Witness Carthage. Witucss Venice. And although
tho power and grandeur of England have not been
built upon trade alone, yet year by year they have
come To depend more and more upon thut. For sake
of trade and traffic, all mnti"in justice all personal
aud individual Justice all sucih bonds of fraternity,
nnd even of common humanity, have been made sys-
tcmaticallv to give way; UNTIL as keen stern moral
iSt has expressed H. the sole Hc10S between man and
nun has come to be cash payment. Aud now trade and
traffic having corrupted and ca"n out the old heart
OF England, are going too certany 10 ruin the State
aud nation, making her place Bio; and her name an
hssing.
wIich calls itself, and is cnc the world so Civil,
izcd enlightened prosperous aud rIch
':Descend where you will into the lower class, in
town or country by what avenue YOU will, by factu
ry inquiries, agricultural inquiries, by revenue
returns, by mining g-laborer committees, by open
ing your own eyes aud looking, the same sorrowful
result dscloses itself: you have /" admt that tho