The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-12-06
For the Spirit of Democracy.


ration, are promn ent traits of the huma
mind; and feelings of the kind only be
come the more excited. when we kno,
that their full qualification is impo ssible
What subject Of human enquiry can b
more abstruse and inscrutable. than thos
glimPses into the world of futurity, som
| times enjoyed by uninspired persons.
| popular notion has long been prevalen
that aged persons, at the approach @
death, are gifted with knowledge O
] future events. With very great diffidenc
suggest that this phenomenon may, ii
part, he owing to awakened attention ex
cited by near prospect of the eterna
world. A Mohawk or a Mandan coult
perceive the tracks of his enemies wher.
white man could see absolutely nothing
Fear, apprehension, stimulated the sense.
| OF the savage warrior. The relations o
mankind with the invisible world are o
the most absorbing interest. Hence in
tense excitement on the brink of the grave
may be the parent of supernatural knowl
edge. But whether so or not, popula,
opinion has always attributed something
OF presclence to the aged. An elegant
English poet has made touching alusion
to this popular notion
..The souls frail cottage battered, and decayet
Let in liuhf .hT0u oh ipkS ~,
made"
Campbell represents the benevolent old
wizard, who tried to keep Loeb Lochiel ol
Cameron away from the fatal field Of Cul.
loden, as Of this opinion
'.'Tis the SUNSET OF life gives me mystical lore.
And coming events cast their shadows before"
But shall spend no further time in try.
ing TO explain that which admits Of no
explanation. The subject is too recondite
for successful Investigation
'sThere are more things in Heaven and earth,
- Horatio,
Than are dreamed of in our philosophy
On the contrary my intention is simply
10 lay before the reader some curious facts
in the confidence that they will prove in.
terestng. shall not call attention to the
jewish peasant. who for seven years be-
lore its final destruction. necessarily de.
nounced woe to the devoted city OF Jeru.
salem. The men whose unhappy bias
leads them to doubt or dispute the authen.
ticity of divine revelation might question
the veraciy Of Josephus. My facts are
derived from celebrated modern writer
on Medical jurisprudence, whose original
French has been translated into English,
and probably into all the other languages
Of Europe. For the following he vouches
The Biography Universal, Vol. 8, p. 42l:
Thirteen years previously to the revo-
luton of 1899, Pere Beauregard, "a learn.
I'D preacher.) made the arches Of No,re
Dame vibraie with these singular words:
!. Yea thy temples, 0 Lord, will be desc
grated and destroyed, thy worship pro-
'cribed; but what do hear? Great God
What do see? Lascivious and profane
songs succeed the holy canticles to which |
hese arches have resounded in thy honor |
And thou infamous divinity Of pagsnism,
vanion Venus! thou comest here auda.
,iously TO take the place of the living
iod. to, set on the throne of the saint OF
Iaints and receive the culpable incense of
by new adorers! !"-Boismont' Rational
History, pags 237.
But the following is more curious still,
md for its truth NJ. .Boismont avouches |
Ia Harpe. Madam de Genlis, the Countess
le Beauharnais and other names well
,nown to the literary world:
s"lt appears to me but yesterday" says
"a flarps, '.and yetit was eaily in 1888
We were dining with one OF the members
# our Academy, a man of rank and tai
mt. The guests were numerous and OF all
anks; courtiers, lawyers, writer's, acade.
aicians. &c; as usual they had teasted
1t dessert the wines Of Malvoisie and
gave to the gayety of the com.
any that sort OF license not always dis
rect; they had arrived at that pitch when
nyihing was allowable TO raise laugh.
,hamiort had read his insipid and liber-
me tales, and the great ladies had listen.
d without having recourse to their fans
Then arose deluge of jokes on religion.
)ne quoted TRADE of La Pucell; another
ecollected those philosophic verses by
)iderot:-
sAnd the bowels Of the last priest,
Bound the neck of the last Kings"
nd applauded them. A third arose and
olding brimming glass said: sSirs,
m as sure that there is no God, as am
raj Homer is fool and in fact he was
s sure Of the one as Of the other.
..rhe conversation then became more
erious: they were full Of admiration al
he revolution effected by Voltaire. and
rgued that he had won the highest title
> glory. He had given the ton to his age
nd was equally read in the ante chamber
nd the saloon, One Of the guests told
. with bursts Of laughter that his hair
resser had said to him: You see sir.
hat although am no more than poor
ppreDtice, | have no more religion than
ihers.' 1t was agreed that the revolu.
ion would soon be completed; that super.
tition aud fanaticism must actually give
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