Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-07
MR. MrrcHEL,s AppR. IS.

got recognized not only as true but almost
the only indubiinble truth, it is the progress of
this human species. In the whole world OF NOR
ais, literature. politics, religions what single
dogma is there, commanding such universal I'M
doubling belief as this most soothing aud ilatter
ing article of fath-that we are. at all events.
with all our faults. wiser, better stronger, above
all things, "happier" than our ancestors!
If it were permitted as, ut this period of the
worlds late in the nineteenth cent ry--to ruise
aquestion upon this well established principle,
1t seems 70 me that the inquiry would possess
much interest for all men, aud especially for such
as compose the audience | now address, whose
literary tastes aud studies must have disposed
them to generalization, must have led them to
speculation (sometmes wild and wondering spec
ulation) on the meaning of this world, and Of the
life we lead upon t--must have driven them Ia
the doors Of all oracles human and divine, natn-
raj and preternatural, anNiously seeking solution
of insouble enigmas-passona shouting
question after question into the Syhil Cave Of
Destiny" with no answer hut the echo Now,
perhaps, amongst the other traditions, oreeds,
PHILOSOPHERS, the old and world-renowned aXioms
which are subjected to the daring speculation of
these latter days, we may lawfully examine, or
even call in question, this article of nineteenth
century faith-namely; that the current century
IS the top aud crown of centuries l. not only
the heir of all the nges but with the miraculous
is good in that heritage and rejecting what is
eyil-ot appropriating all the wisdom and ignor-
ing all the stnpdites and insanitos that have de-
seconded Ia Us by the same title.
Especially one may say that this soothing doe
trine of our own superiority is singuarly liabe
to question, inasmuch as il is not old. Am too
conservative in Yonturing TO hint that its novelty
is against it Fer assuredly if il be true. il Is
also new; aud we of the present time IRE not
only the fortunate owners Of the property but
the discoveries also. The eighteenth century.
the seventeenth had no suspicion of il; yet II We
have sixty centuries to draw upon, 10 inherit
from, and 10 boast over; they had fifty nine and
ifty-eght respectively But they did not know
their own happiness. The prevailing tone of all
literature and all speculation since history began
was rather tone OF mourning over "a c )rrupt and
decadent age there runs through il all sound
OF elegiac and dirgeko complaint over the de-
generacy of e human race. over the iaure nf
ancient valor and Of pristine faith the future
even of human bone and sinow and of that an
tque beauty and simple majesty of body and
soul which, to the Imagination of our ancestors
peopled with demigods that immemoral age of
gold.
Perhaps il is well that we hive got rid of that
snperstitous reverence for the men who went be-
fore us, and have seen good reason 10 transfer the
homage of our souls TO noble selves. Bnt nj
any rate the fact Is worth bordering, that we
have the luck to live in the first age that ha for
maly recognized itself the wlsest, happiest
and best.
Surprising II To be even fatterinp delusion
there must be some cause Of this effect "or
rather say, cause of this defect for this effect
defective comes by Cause To search out that
cause might lead US far; yet, apprehend. il
may lie found. In the meantime. let me try to
state the case as between the nineteenth century
and the rest OF the poor centuries, or at least
IN IN 10 tba tsua I'M
make this attempt in no dogmaic spirit though,
Tor convenience may use dogmatic forms He
would be "A cunning accountant, indeed who
should undertake to draw cut a regular debtor
and creditor account of the several ages with ma
ture and fate, strike their respective balances
apportion their credit, and ascertain their sol
yency or declare them bankrupt. II will be an
enterprise quite venturous enough and. perhaps
needing no little presumption to present some
few points ct comparison, few prominent
features of ancient and of modern life. in such "A
manner as may beget reflection and suggest here
and there an approximate conclusion.
No word so wearieS the ear of the are as the
word "Ciyilization. "a word vague in meaning
barbarous in form. hybrid word. a word with "A
Latin head and a Greek tail aud like hundreds
of other new tangled words, on that principle
dubious and confused in its acceptance. We nre
assured in all books, from all pulpits and plat
forms, in all the leading articles even in the very
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., thht "tlNlllzatlon' (whatcYpr the
thing ls) has been making great strides of late
years, and that the same is much To our comfort
and advantage. And what, then, is "Civlzn-
ton !"-Etymoogically to be sure, it means the
culture of those capacities and those virtues which
TIT a man to be good citizen which qualify him
to live as a memaer of society or community
1t means the high development OF those social
virtues, which enable society adequately TO dis
charge its main function-that is TO prevent
wTOng-do1ng and ensure in stree hot
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, and ESQ far as Man is a gregarious
anlmaD of adj education legislation politics, and
moral PHILOSOPHERS in the world! The highest
Civilization in the world means simple Justice
yet, if you ask the first ten men YOU may casu-
ally meet in railroad car, what they mean by the
Civilization they talk of, (for almost ev,rybolv
talks OF 1t and congratulates himself aud his
neighbors upon it, nine of them will tell Won that
it is steam that it is electricity, that it is print
ing press, that it is carpets and upholstery that
1T is gunpowder or gas. One man, prof under
than the rest, will perhaps answer that il is com
merce-inhnite imports, unbounded exports, and
an unheardo of carrying trade; a world. embrac
ing commerce that brings distant nations near,
making them family of mutually helpful breth-
rem. Such is the current talk.
Now it is not altogether clear, that discoveries
IN Art aud Science how widely ever applied
and made subvervient to mep's convenience, are
any real Improvement demonstrate any real
progress towards anything good, are Civilization,
o. so much as instruments or furtheranees of
Civilization. The printing press, or the electric
wire. Is a material vehicle of thought, of wisdom,
of nonsense or OF vice, as the case may be. fla
man tell lie at one end of wire, it will not
come out truth at the other end. The rail road