New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-04
SHADOWS OF OUR SOCIAL SYSTEM


If G. man rnrs away from the light he always
chases hs own shadow; sno even when he ap-
proeches the light the snadow pnrsues him. i have
teen little boys attempt 10 dodge these blsck ghosts
Of lheuseyee, bul they GITaJs fail. Ran where
hey would the shadow too. Tben one Of them
got usi and stamped on the ground, bat thc shGdoy
atsuped slso, foot 10 foot, in mimic wrath. @ He
shall bruise thy heel sprang ns'inativelyto my
line Tor the shecO w seemed 10 emb01y all evil, rs
type.
Then the sun rose steadily in the heavens aud, e.
m'c -dey, / saw the boy stamping upon the head OF
lis osg gray small shade 2, it lay, Lu nbed be-
fore him. ca the ground. "Ah yes, thou shall bru'ss
IBIS D s-ol.i-sed, t.,asafhsnt'y- Dozen
fairy feet began to dance over q troop Of shadow
beaes, simultaneously, SIS if they had oil caught,
alphabetically, the spirit Of my thoughts.
There is indeed, e deep significance in this, ss
symbol of higher ihings. An opaqueness sttsches
to all finite powers, and thro ws hide of imperfec
ton over their beet works Whether this thought is
expressed sanctmobouslJ, as dogma Of the schools,
or most toaiheni.lly as biting jest against ilu-
meniiy, it is recognition Of the came dsrk truth.
Polished, enlightened, civilized, Chrstisnzed soci-
tiy hes yst tee black SHADOW, more or lees deose;
on It's vre.'releed cottages and its marble palaces,
ito temples of Justice and its halls of leasniogi on
lie costly churches built up grand houses for Gods
people TO fell asleep in, and on it, church spees with
their long fingers pointiI far up toward heavens on
the cheek Of the litue maiden, ard on the broT Of
the crave Judge. WHAT is there, or wlo is there
wholly absorbed by the ideal-becomrg thing Of
rcht with DO shsdow falling about 1t
" are al causes, and the deeds we do are the
tYecis b.. they aye always go,d deal stained with
earihiress. There Is sting in them which IL 20
sharp and 20 f.t4l, tina. sometimes wonder, alter
all, whether aIkihd not Ike the ancient hero
whose mother held him by the heel when she bathed
him in the immortal waters and whether evil Is not
really brnisiog poor Humanity in i's only vulnerable
an mortal port.
And yet i. must be that MANKIND are progressing.
They are going toward the light and one day. they
must come ints such relation to H. that they viii be
able a, least to crush he head Of oil present pal
rsble evil Ito he duet. scoTs Of causes is some-
tires bouIa Up in one little bUodle-a bunde OF OBJ
durste irrevocable laws individual add social, which
We might EASILY forget, if tht1e were 10 rewards ard
Iensiies attached.
The shove train Of thoughts Was suggested BY tho
following eyeIts;
SLOW STARy ALTON ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
an OribCCo1 ctrg giIc- WIZ ID az eiS4S' ~ ~ -
a bae6iiary depre,sion Of slIits, year or .t~s
since became veiy deaf THIS 40 increased his de-
foenseroy, that be LEI Inc ministry, sad removed 70
New.York sn6 begSa work as a DeguerfsotyI+'t
Vhs infruity mace S.n unsuccessful in his business
o. q bis wife who had previously oNsioed sit1ston
ga teacher in an Industrial sohool. with salary OF
siCO year yes med tas school into the charge o.
their oldes; daughter, while she herself stayed 10 Ia
Daguerrean roam al day, ssd then sst up NJ MO
night, seriDg. b., for al this, she found II el
iremely difficult 70 support faulty o. seven eAl'
drsn dursg u hard tines Of l1a; winter An sDei'
.etc and well educated woman, abe could NOT ossE
to sckrowledge their poverty snd seoePt OF co Aiyi
20, pother,1ke, she toied, AID endured S'oS
/ starvation.
In The splLbh IrqDisiiiOn there wa a mode o.
torture. cslled the " WATERPROOF Ire victim wa
placed in an inpoyable petition. A single drop G.
water fell upon his head from far above, thez
suo,ber. snd another slowly, ssstdils, drop, drop
crop. At FIST the sensation VIVA rather agreeable
;hen it grew psinful-,hs: steady dropping in on
apos, til i, seemed to FIJI uPsn the very quick Of ~