The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-11-10
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

evil OF which that abomination is only one of
mary manifestations, renders longer silenc,
censurabIe
There IS tendency in many persons t
break away from all restraint, and to exal
the individual above societv-to cultivate al
individuality inconsistent with the relation
they sustain to the race, and to make a nev
gospel for themselves whose deity is EGO
and whose Scripture their own impure imagi
nations. Beginning with the motto "Knov
myself" they first mistake the way, in tn,
study Of chronology, and then, going Of
acting upon that false estimate, and tie still
f:iscr philosophy derived from the SAM
source, they 90 on from bad to worse through
mesnerIsm. c!arvoyancc. and spiritualism
down 70 free love. and all the vacaries Of
the French socialists. The transition iron
ono step to another is easy and natural Tn,
philosophy of these persons IS compoun,
of infdelity and scnsuality, whose centra
sun is SELF, and around which is made I,
revo!ve every thing which can minister I,
desire, OF feed the fame of imagined great
ness. More censurable than those who sir
from impulse rather than from deliberation
they build over the frightfuI yawning chasn
Of death bridge which will prove LITERAL,
a Bridge of Signs" contrive by false licht
and discolored atmosphere to produce ;
mirage Of deccitful beauty upon the forbid
den shore and so dance life away to the
harsh grating Of an eternal discord
We have ever relied upon education as the
means whereby much of Ibis false estimate
of life and its relations might be set Alright
But the mere education Of the schools VIC
are convinced will never do it, Did Bacon
wisdom make him an honest man? Did the
learning Of the Arabians,-thcir schools of
science. and art, and poetry-their libraries,
unr;va!!ed in all the treasures of the nations.
learned men and magnificent princes,
EVER have power to overcome the down
ward tendencies Of their religion. and the
'a!sehood of their philosophy: Impossible,
from the very nature Of things Aud so at
he present day The schools must teach
besides the facts that three and
wo are FIVE, and that verbs must agree with
heir nominativc eases before we shall be wise
,nouyh TO cease following Rarnum's Baby
'Lows or putting faith in the incuhercnt
a,incs OF Stephen Pearl Andrews. What
re those truths: and how shall they b,
'nGhf are questions Of grave import and
eft wiser heads than ours TO answer. n i,
q our province to preach. but to chronicle.
nd warn. But this mech is unpue>.ionah!,:
he wisdom that puts to shame the workers
iriGuitv" is ours by revelation. and no,
rough the wisdom of man. which is folly.
There is A wonderful f,S -inaton towards
',fa;n doctrines, which younr men find il
!iicult to resist. We do not now res, par
ulariv to the "free-,ove" theory. Tut 10
o>e more general and inleGnahle notion,
out recognizing society on more gen
'ous systsm. in which al! the evils of this
Grid shall be turned to blessings, and man.
-ricct happiness secured Since tho Ideal
public" Of Plato, and the Utopia" of Sir
AIRY More. the youthful dreams of Cole
DE Of Wordsworth and Southcv. Down to
'wen. Fourier. and their disciples in this
)un'rv. there have.ever been few cn.hu,i-
ITS seeking The realization of such IDEAS
he men OF strong and sound minds have
olked themselves clear Of the theory in
w wears while the others have noundcrrd
n in the mire Of their own creating. Ii
ems so easy in the estimation of these Wis
'naries for every body to live exactly right
al all live ike brothers, that whcr the sad
nth that men will not live thus, forces it,
If upon lhcm they are utterl, discouraged.
ieir dispositions are soEr.d, and from feel
rs Of universal berevolence they drift a.
,ns towards misan,hrorv ii at either hates
r despiseS everything. Enlarged views,
n! the experience which comes with every
aSsinc year, often cOrrects the falaces of a
'orc immature mind; but the ten dcncy is in
nat direction, and not seldom leaves an i'm
ress upon the character which clinss TO it
rough life.
Now. in our opinion, most Of these extrav-
RANGES NAV he avoided bv little timely
Dunsel at the start These opinions of
outh are the result Of errors in Judgment
matters upon which they have
adj no opportunity of forming a correct es-
mate and hence, actuated by generous i'm
u!'es, they believe more than the truth will
arrant If YOU have corrected the iudc
lent, the opinions may be left to themselves.
he truths upon which these errors most
arise are ottcntimes the converse
something like the following For any
ling we know to the contrary the millennium
yet long way off, and not to be realized
y any system Of Association" ever invent
!. There seems to be an impossibilty of
'catlnC any working model of machine in
hch human hearts and brains can be used
n r1lleys, wheel and axle, screw and wedge,
inclined plane. This is an age of Grand
Consolidated "hitewash Societies." of"Uni-
d Grand junction Ebenezcr Temperance
but the world is neither better
or worse for their existence. and swings a.
'lmly IN space as ever. The truths which
owe the universal heart lie far back of all
DpIIlar DEMONSTRATORS and worL e;l,.I,