The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-03


NJ. copy for publication, and in a neat reply
he granted their request.
ADDRESS.
If there be any one popular belief, gentlemen
which has clearly taken possession of the world Ia
this last half century, which has reduced itself into
maxim, established itself as trusm, and got re-
cognzed not only as true, but almost as the only
ndubitabe truth, it is the progress of this human
| species In the whole world of morals, literature,
politics. religions what single dogma is there, com
manding such universal undoubting belief as this
most soothing and flattering article of faith-that
are at all events, with all our faults, wiser bet
ter, stronger, above all things, happier than our
ancestorsl
If it were permitted us, at this period OF the
world-so late in the nineteenth century-to raise
question upon this welestablished principle, it
seems to me that the inquiry would possess much
interest for all men, and especially for such as
compose the audience now address, whose literary
tastes and studies must have disposed them to gen.
eralizaton, must have led them to speculation
(sometimes wild and wondering speculation on the
meaning of this world, and of theiife we lead upon
it-must have driven them to the doors of all ora
Giles, human and divine, natural and preternatural
anxiously seeking solution of nsolube enigmas-
passionatey shouting question after question into
the Sybil Cave OF Destiny" with answer but the
echo. Now, perhaps, amongst the other traditions
creeds, PHILOSOPHERS, the old and world-renowned
axioms which are subjected to the daring specula-
or even call in question: this article of nineteenth
century faith-namely, that the current century is
the top and crown of centuries is not only the heir
of all the ages, but with the miraculous gift denied
to all former time) OF seizing what is good in that
heritage and rejecting what is evil-of appropria-
ting all the wisdom and ignoring all the stupidtes
and insanities that have descended to us by the
same title.
Especially one may say that this soothing doctrine
OF our own superiority is sngularly liable to aues
ton, inasmuch it is not old; am too conserva.
tive in venturng to hint that its novelty is against
it For assuredy if 1t be true it is also new; and
we OF the present time are not only the fortunate
owners OF the property, but the discoverers Also
The eighteenth century the seventeenth had no sus-
picion OF it, yet If we have sixty centuries to draw
upon, TO inherit from and to boast over they had
fifty nine and ity-e:ght respectively. But they did
not know their own happiness The prevailing
tone of all literature and all speculation since his
tory began rather tone of mourning over a
corrupt and decadent age-there runs through il all
sound of elegiac and dirgeike complaint over the
degeneracy of the human race, over the failure of
ancient vaor and of pristine fath the failure even
of human bone and sinew, and of that ANTIQUE
beauty and simple majesty of body and soul which
to the imagination OF our ancestors, peopled with
denigods that immemorial age of gold
Perhaps it is Well that have got rid of that su.
perstitious reverence for the men who went before
and have seen good reason to transfer the hon,.
age OF our souls to our noble selves. But at any
rate the fact is worth pondering, that we have the
luck to live In the first age that has formally recor.
nlzed itself as the wisest, happiest and best.
Supposing il to be even fattering delusop, there
must be some cause OF this effect "or rather saw
cause of this defect for this effect defective comes
by cause To search out that cause, might lead us
far; yet, | apprehend, it may be found In the
meantime, let me try to state the between the
nineteenth century and the rest the poor centuries
or, at least make some approximation to the true
statement l make this attempt in no dogmatic
spirit though, for convenience, may use dogmatic
forms He would be cunning accountant indeed
who should undertake to draw out regular debtor
and creditor account of the several ages with ne-
ture and fate, strike their respective balances ap-
portion their credit and ascertain their soly.pcy or
declare them bankrupt. 1t will be an enterprise
quite venturous enough, and, perhaps, needed no
little presumption to present some few points of
comparison some few prominent features of an
cent and of modern life in such snner as may be-
get reflection and suggest here and there an approx
innate conclusion
No word 30 wearies the ear of the age as the word
"CiviliZation, "a word vague in meaning barba.
rous In form, hybrid word, word with a Latin
head and Greek tail; and like hundreds of other
new tangled words, on that principle, dubious and
confused in its acceptation. We are assured in all
books, from all pupits and platforms, in all the
leading articles, even in the very advertisements,
that CiviliZation (whatever the thing is has been
making great strides OF late years. and that the
is much to our comfort and advantage And what,
then, is "Civilization1' Etymologicay to be sure,
1t means the culture Of those capacities and those
"ulCE III d uidu " Uc h SOOU CUIz6H: which
qualify him to live member of society or com.
munity. 1t means the high development of those
social virtues, which enable society adequately TO
discharge its main function-that is to event
wrong doing and ensure justice, first between man
and man, next between nation and nation. And
does not this seem to you not only to be the true
meaning of the word Civilization, but also to be the
true substantial aim, effort and end of all society,"
ana lso lar as Man Is gregarious anima of all ed
ucation, legislation, politics and moral PHILOSOPHERS
in the worldi The highest Civilization ia the world
means simple justice; yet, If you ask the first ten
men you may casually meet in a railroad car, what
they mean by the Civilization they talk of, Gor al
most everybody talks of it and congratulates him
self and his neighbors upon i nine Of them will tell
you that it is steam that it is electriciy that
it is a printing press that it is carpets and up
holstery, that it is gunpowder or gas. One man,
protounder than the rest, will perhaps answer that
it is commerce-intilite imports, unbounded ex
ports, and an unheard of carrying trade a world
embracing commerce that brings distant nations
near making them family OF mutually helpful
brethren. Such is the current talk.
Now, it is not altogether clear that discoveries in
Art and Science, how widely so ever applied and
made subservient to mems convenience, are any
real Improvement, demonstrate any real progress
towards anything good are Civilization, or SO much
as instruments or furtherances of Civilization
The printing press, the electricwire is a mate
rial vehicle OF thought, of WISDOM of nonsense or of
vice. as the case may be. If man tell lie to one
end OF wlre 1t will not come truth at the other
their business such it is be their errands good
or evil be their intents wicked or charitable The
sumptuous appointments of houses and carriages,
are indeed splendid garniture of life, il men do
not forget the way to live the while As for what is
called commerce, certainly there is nothing intrin-
scally base or evil in trade and traffic, vet it NAV
be said with at least equal TRUTH that there is moth.
ing elevating, refining purifying in it. "As nail
saith the son of Sirach, sticketh fast between the
corners OF stones doth Sin stick fast between buy
ing and selling" However, that be, certain il is.
that there Is no more ruthless tyrant on earth than
the true commercial spirit; and the pressnt age has
seen more human beings slain in one nation for
the mere sake OF commerce, in three years. than
any thirty years war ever slew-more miserably
and ignomniousy slain, than war at its worst and
wickedest could ever clay. By this same golden
bond OF commerce, nations can some times be
brought only too close together to the bitter cost of
one, and the grievous corruption of the other
Commerce may be just or dnjust benefcent or
cruel Commerce IL not an end but means; and,
like all instruments welded by human hands, will
be often, perhaps oitene st, made the means to a
base and evil end. Those States, also, whose grea.
ness has been based on commerce, have usually
come to bad end. Witness Carthage Witness
Venice. And although the power and grandeur Of
England have not been built upon trade alone, vet
year by year they have come to depend more and