New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-14
TIE LESSON.

TIE LESsON.
The loss Of the Arctic suggests some reflections
which may meet with consideration at this time
of sorrow and humiliation. We feel what trans
parent deceit is the supremacy of all material
forces in the race of nations, when the prize Is
attended BY the wholesale destruction of a COM
munty-for many a community numbers less than
the sum of those just swallowed up By the hun-
cry waves But most of all are we reminded by
such a tragedy Of the inhuman contempt OF life
in this struggle for mastery of the seas: Some
three hundred whrled into eternity without
moments warning, while eagerly looking 10 the
happy conclusion Of their voyage in reliance on
their ship, and the SKILL and foresight of its Com
mander.
There is q certain callousness which use or GUS
tom begets The circus.rider living on horse
bsck-ridiDg without saddle, turning somersets on
bis horse aud ling among the heels of the
fiery beast, is constantly in positions which would
enttle Cd ordinary man to have his brains kicked
out The bod carrier, laden with bricks, rushing
mp ladder ard depositing his load dizzy scat
folding vibrating down in lollopping steps to the
ground feels secure in his practice. These ex
ampes could be indefinitely multiplied; but
what We wish to add to such propositions is that
tie best hCrseman sometimes gets his brains
kicked out through his excessive courage, aud the
most expert hod.csrrier rolls from q scaffolding
to the ground, without the aid of the aforesaid
ladder. But each of these acts on his own a.
count and is responsible for his own neck,
when he jeopard9 it By fool-hardiness. But there
S another clsss-Representatiye Men, sea-cap-
tsins, for example, who hold the lives OF hundreds
each voyage Ia the hollow of their hands, and
they are not like circus-rders or hOdcarriers in
the immunties which they enjoy for selfdestruc
ton, but like the n are equally oolhardy. The
drOw ming of such functOnary is fearful social
business There ia regiment to be annihilated
along with the commander.
These distinctions are sheer truisms, but the
whole &" gO-ahead and never mind system" of our
day and of US Americans in particular denies
them, and lets the individual and the representa-
tive men named above, act their self-destructive
parts with equal facility. "On ye furies for
[" life is short" is our lyric. It would seem, ac-
cordiDg to the highest practical wisdom Of our
century and county that life is one thing and the
Individual man another; or, in other words, that
the man can find a second life and therefore al
low others to cast itaway. What becomes Of the
whole theory Of progressed progress dependent
on letters and arts-on thought and labor saving
machinery-on much leisure and heavy crops
when men approaching or leaving or resting in
this metropolitan City of the United States have
EttI tha IL.
tribes of the desert Is this an exaggeration
Look at our steamers-look at our railways-look
at our streets. We have now no promise in trav
cling hundred miles, that a misturned switch or
conclusion will not smash trains palptating with
humanity into shreking despair and mortal aa-
gush. Our great street, Broadway, at this instant
is so greasiy filthy that yarousy from one hundred
to FIVE hundred horses fall down in the muck each
dsy-the Nineteenth Century and the city of
hotels and palaces not having the wisdom of a
blind bat-namely, to lick itself clean and whole
some.
1t is mentioned in an illustrated life of Napo
leOn-nOt AbbOts's-that being with certain
nsmeless woman, and wishing TO gain favor in her
eyes, be ordered bis troops to charge the enemy
after the victory was gained as the said woman
had never seen battle, and the great man
wished her to see one. The biOgrapher apollo
gizes for the act Of bis hero on the ground that
every man commits faults. Now the contempt
which Napoleon felt for life, inlucing him to sac
rifce not for merely technical reasons but as
psstime, crowd of men, is not bit worse than
the shame and folly of this City in bullying fogs
and waves for the pa.time of seeing steamer
arrive in 8 d. 81 IN. and 20 3. from Liverpool
making the hairsplittings Of calculation cause
for discordant commercial Growing, and of an
amount Of selfillustraton not allowed to indi-
wduaI persons but by hitch in logic universally
assumed by communities.
Can we not have an end Of all these things
Maywe not accept old average Of uncertainties,
and vibrate between the crib and the coffin with
less menacing swing Of LIES pendulum Who