True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-01-18
nsrThn nresent is an acc Of reform.


R8-The present is an age of reform.
The nineteenth century seems to have been
selected in order of events, as the period
in which the genuine spirit Ofreform should
more fully exercise its powers, than in any
previous age. True, in every age has the
genius of reform been at work, but it has
been left to the present time, as that in
which his labors should be so widely ex-
tended
He is now at work in good earnest
His hand is upon every thing, "reshaping
the deformed, demolishing the false, and
moulding all the rudeness in harmony and
symmetry" No element is exempt from
his touch; no department Of thought is be-
yond his reach.
He is busy in Church, in State, in the
departments of medicine and law. Moth
ing important to man escapes his criticism.
He is dealing with our bodies, our minds,
our manners and our customs.
He suggests important improvements in
our food, our clothing, our system ofschools
and our manner of imparting instruction
in every department of education from the
primary school to the university.
His voice is heard in "the midst of the
din of work shops, the ceaseless roar in the
streets of commerce, in operations of tele-
graphs, in the perpetual activity of the
babbling press, in the thunder of cars and
steamboats," like the mysterious commands
of the fatal wandercr, crying, onward on
acard! ONWARD!
Yes, onward and upward forever, is his
course. He pauses not, nor casts one long
ing look behind, but presses on to certain
victory, issuing his proclamation, command
ing all men to hearken to his voice.
All real reforms are founded in the ne
cessities of mans nature. They seek his
improvement-physical, moral, and intel
lcctual improvement. They desire to ad-
vance him in the scale of being. They
are "concentric-unity-all claiming sup.
port for precisely the same reason, viz
that they are for the good of humanity
for, if they more particularly concern few
by reason of the oneness of the real inter
ests of all mankind, they concern the
, world" Hence, all genuine reforms ar,
harmonious in their operations. The gen
uine spirit of reform is impartial in its la
bors. Wherever there is an abuse in h
: practice of man, it seeks to remedy it.
Here the reformer may learn lesson
Many there are whose souls are so engage
in some particular reform, that they ca
:, contemplate nothing else. Like Mr.. Far
T. tom, their minds are 50 engrossed with h
o wrongs of the Poles and South American;
d as to leave them no time to attend to til
/ petty sorrows Of poor houses and apprel
= tices. Such evidence the fact that the
ID are one-idea refOrmers, men who do nj
lie act from comprehensive principles and
E love that embraces all mankind.
>, This is not the spirit of the genuine r
u former. He acts from a world wide lo'
u in the field of reform. He chooses a &C
~ tain field of labor as the one in which !
J" believes he can do the most good. In sh
vi field he works. Justice to himself and Il
l. cause he advocates, requires that his til
. should be principally devoted to his pa
u ticular sphere. But his heart is too fl
~ of love to his fellows, to his country,
" permit him to confne himself to one thin
70 He looks abroad over the whole field
'S reform. He examines each one CAREFUL
IL hoping to find some good in it, and shou
+ he fail to discover its genuineness, he fee
IL it his duty to oppose it. True, he may
III mistaken, may unluckily cast his inHuen
ie into the wrong scale, but, "to err is h
Is man." On the other hand, after carei
M investigation, should he find it genuine,
g, matters not whether it merely proposes t
OF rectifcation of some slight error in t
Il, practice of man, Or raise its voice agar
III some fragrant abuse of the laws or custol
oi of society, which threatens to destroy
y very foundation--he yields it his unqua
ID fed appreciation, and gives it, on eve
IN fitting occasion, his hearty support.
Hence he is found laboring not only
Il those reforms which attract large sha
of public attention; but also in those viii
70 for the most part go unnoticed by the pu
al lie at large. Certainly, he who acts ot
lie erwise is deficient of noble, manly a
n; true reformative spirit.
no MA.We are indebted to the Hon. JoI