The Delaware herald., 1854-04-19
Original Artltlr,
Written for the Herald.
HE PRE- SEM =
BY JEEMs.

In speaking of events of the past. we say
they hare been those of the future-they oU
be but of those of the Present-theydre. We
may contemplate the sorrows of the past, and
think of them as some terrifying vision; we
may build fsiry-castles in the air, with refer
ence to what we will do but IN the F""sent,
we encounter life as it is with its .oys and sor-
rows. We behold the past and future as
through glass. The path of life seems DIS
robed of all its stern asprr ties; the sorrows,
perplexities, troubles and C res, which IN truth
beset it, obscured by the n. .ght light of the
sun of Pleasure; whilst rivers OF icy, peace
and happiness seem to cross t IT almost every
step. Its course appears to lie amid fiowery
fields, whispering groves. and d.wy medds.-
To the reflective m nc. however, the past, to a
certain degree, serves rs 4 criterion by which
he msy direct s present and future move
mants. Sch2ccrait states ia; the Indian re-
cords, on his tomah wh, -rcat events as they
pass, and Ju e wat W Il il open from what
has happened. Thus, anon us, the past in
part, serves as an oracle Of the ,uture. psf
ages have been prolific O. great events--of
mighty changes and revolutions. As iar back
the goddess of history has traced her footsteps,
every year has something prodig;ously wonder
tul to record-someth NJ which, no doubt, when
it happened, WIS coa earsl o vast npOrt ne, ,
bue which. TO us. lp0- rs ut is ! Mt r ppc
n tie mighty Oce'. y ccUrc tcG. thrt inter-
l.aes. The d stfac.o.. y, Troy, ever VIII ch
Homer rsig!ces, Ii.4 Nr1 90 rs, III Wa.cA
brave Gneas portrays n sucl . table coiorS,
seems to us as an ai!a r o. but ttie. import nee.
The student reads o' Ach lies, Hector, Aga
Lnemaon, Eneas, and d 10, with her unc0n-
querable love, one moment; and the next,
seizng his cap, he rushes into the playground,
caring not fig for their woe. But man ever
has been, and now is, propcllng personSce.
II is not consonant with h.s feelings, to ponder
or greve long over the past. Helen and Men
claus are soon almost forgotten. Parnassus
and Olympus. bereft of their NEUROLOGICAL inn
portance, soon become bleak hills. Thermop-
ye is soon regarded ae nothing more than
difficult pass The vastness of the Roman EN-
pire is sneered at, when compared with the
colossal Republic which Liberty is creating in
the west Rome dwindles away into a city of
minor Importance; Greece ceases to be a ma
tioa; the star of Napoleon's military glory,
perehed high in the political armament of
Europe, suddenly disappears, whirling head
long down the concave-arch, like a falling me-
teor !; yet the world jogs on in its course, as if
nothing had happened. The Golden age, with
its splendor and magnifcence; the Silver, with
its waning glory; and the rough Iron, have
had their sway. The finger of time has writ
ten upon them. But the Present presents a
new phase. It will tell fearfhlly npon the des-
tines of the world. History will record this
wear as pregnant with great events. Europe is
convyfised with q political earthquake, which
strongly threatens 70 demolish her iniquitous
thrones, and release her sons from the servlle
thraldom, which has so long deprived them of
the rights of men. The sun of political freedom
is peeping timidly over her hillss it hovers on
the horizon as if undetermined whether to as
cend the gloomy armament or not---dense clouds
lay piled upon each other in the East Oh
that they may soon be dissipated Shall Hun
gary be free! Shall Poland reassunle her destroy
ed nationality, and all Europe hurI despotism
and tyranny from their mpious thi-onesl Shall
the flag of Roman Liberty once more wave o. er
the city of the Cesarsl Italy thou land of
poets, painters, and sculptors; Italy the phi
losopher's theme and the warriors delight:
Italy! the pilgrims shrine and the poets song;
art thou never to emerge from the clouds oI
Priestcraft and oppression, which have sur
rounded thee so long, must the land Of Faust
Hugh and Luther groan beneath her woes
Must France still suffer tyrant's rulel Are
the French so pusIlanimous as to submit to 8
braggart's usnrpationa The future only will
tell; 1854 determines whether Europe will be
Republican or Cossack. IT, in the now pendinc
contest, Russia should come off rsonaueror. shC
will not only confirm her own government. bu
also extend the influence OF her Tower over tn,
whole Of Continental Europe. She will no
rest satisfied TIL the waves OF tyranny and op
preston, on the one hand, battling with th'
Arctic and Pacific, on the other, mingle thei
foaming crests with B.scay's blue waters, an
surge round the rocky citadels OF British Glib
ralter. oh! that the Russian hprdes may 500
he driven beyond the volga or even the IRA
and the sun Of Political and Religious Liberty
having gradually wheeled its way TO the zenitf
thsre rsrnain fixed, shedding its brilliant an
yivifyina rays to every shadowod nook Of El
ropss tyrxuizrd and oppressed 'Oil