Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-06-01

vert the attention and interests Of men
from war, and attract them towards
peace, by displaying or developing the
greater nobleness and utility OF peace
pursuits, is a civilizer. War, in all It's
appliances, is the nurse of bruitishness
and despotism. Unfortunately, the hu-
man race have had most OF their great
shows in Tits, trumphs ind professions,
awarded to sword. and plume wearers,
and have ever been Infatuated 10 re-
I'd the soldiers lie and deeds as most
certain of winning the admiration and
applause of the world. There is a lit
tie room for wonder, then, that the bat.
tle-feld rather than the wheat-ield,
and the sword rather than the sickle,
have been the choice OF the ambitious
and aspiring. Even woman, as gentle
and peaceful in her instincts, when un-
wrapped by glare and l%alsehood, has
smiled her sweetest smiles on he hero
smeared with dust and bloom Of con-
nlct, and, as n mother, has taught her
son the story of a fathers glory ; glory
won where banners were flying, trum-
pets pealing, and human hearts wasting
their Iile-streams - brother graphing
with brother, and sire with son, with a
ierocious courage and JOY.
All aback there on the surface Of six
thousand years, there is but one picture
carnage and desolaton Castles full
OF armor and arms, magazines piled
with lrophlcs, and cathedral walls hung
with banners, grasped from Greek,
Roman, Saracen, or Saxon. A picture
at which humanity ~recoils, ~shuddering
"a picture drawn from the slaughter of
countless myriads who know nothing Of
the quarrels which drink their blood and
tears in strange lands, remote from their
w hearths and homes. And the priest
has sanctificd this work-the bard sung
p9ans TO 1.-THE orator spoken in It's
eulogy-womau has smiled OIL il, and
history writes Of little else on its tablets.
But in the golden light Of our age,
when human life is counted of sou
worth, beyond being whipped, chained,
and slaughtered Tor a teudal chief, a
despot king or a tyrant state, priests,
poets, orators, women and even history,
grow ashamed Of tapping blood as the
supreme feast. Honor, greatness and
glory are no longer tenants solely Of
tie camp and the castle. and the sword
and plume are only more respectable, as
playthlngs and gazing stocks, than the
FOOLS cap and bells, because more dan
gerous in The handling. Their empire
is fading out. Mar is nobler this day,
over half Of C~hristendom, with axe or
scythe, or hammer in hand, doing hon.
est, useful toll, than was ever lawless
cavalier perrilling life for his lady-love'
or crusader rioting around the holy sep
ulchre. The g~raln-field to. day ranks
before the battlefield, and the builder
of steam engines before the forger Of
Damascene blades. lndustr and en-
terprlse are bearing the palm oil courage
and valor,-the warrior draws nearer to
the murderer; and men wonder tina,
man has been a fool, a slave, and a
beast oil prey so long.
Hnman passion, strong and blind, has
done its work, and now human reason
assumes the sceptre. Invention grows
less and less devllish ; the useful ami
beautiful triumph over the destructive
and terrible. Every man feels a value
in his own life, and seeking to protect
and preserve It discovers that his iel-
lows life is equally valu able to hum
So each, for his own sake, learns TO
respect his iellow-to treat him as
would be desirable in return. All see
the bloody threat OF a game by which
lords and tyranls have used men here
toiore. Each step taken to increase
the home comforts, the individual! Inde.
pendence, and the general prosperity
through peaceful industry, strengthens
the empire Of peace. Civilization
most perfect wherever nan enjoys his
natural powers and faculties most,
whether in wigwam or palace-blos-
SONS, and spreads, and filings a rich
odor over the cities, . hamlets, farm
fields and work shops, where val and
strife are held in abomination. There
the white spire, sheltering the blessed
altar, points to heaven. There, the
smoke rises over happy hearths. There,
men salute as brothers, and nature ieels
the heart Of man at length beat IN uni
son with her OWN. Y. Mirror.