Squatter sovereign. [volume] (Atchison, Kan. Terr.) 1855-1858, 1857-09-12
HEIDEA OF THE AGE.
BY REV. E. H. cHArIs, D. D.

GsSiy age mas mao It's lDEA-ltS grand
central principle; around which all its
movements have revoived, to which they
have tended. We say its movements, for
every Age has also exhibited some nsoUe-
0sent-either by way of progress or de-
cline. Time, and the earth never stand
still-nor does man cease to act. Men all
ways act, moreover, with some object in
view-dif1erent men. individually consid-
cred, with different aims, which, If exam
ined specifically, look discordant and con-
fiicting enough; but still, in the aggregate,
there is unity of purpose-some great
opinion, or effort, in which the mass agree
-and which affects, or is affected by this
yarieus mechanism of isiduai aetion
that is going on below. Every age has
had its Idea. Sometimes that Idea gives
it name, which distinguishes it through
all generations. "The Golden Age" "'The
Dark Age" 1.-THE Iron Age" 1.-The Age
Of Inrentions," "The Age of Books, -
what do these epithets imply. if not the
main movement, the IDEA of each separ-
ate time
This being so. il is natural that we should
be somewhat interested as TO the Idea of
our Age. AS men, we shall feel interest
ed in all Ages. Grand and solemn they
lie there, on the old bosom of the Past,
chequered by light and shade, rugged and
Scared by conf1ict-bearing the impress
of all tears and all rejoicing, of every
crime and every virtue; but through them
| all, in its course from eternity to eternity,
runs the bright web of human destiny. un-
broken-weaving from each its everlast-
ing issues. And, say, as men. we must
be interested in this history. But we are
more interested in the Present, because
here we are not merely men bu, actorS.-
The Presen: Age-this is onr age. We
commune with, but live not in the Past.
Our stand point is here-our duty noar.-
For ours were all past ages. Their riches
and beauty cluster here. For us are the
statue of Phidias and the tragedy of Eschy-
lus. For as was that great deed on Mar
athon-that lofty death of Socrates. For
us rang out that trumpet of the Reforna-
ton, that "LanG ho!" from Bahama, that
Puritan Psalm from the May-Flower. A
true thought breathed ou. into the world, is
thought for all generations. A good
twork vibrating upon one human breast.
thenceforward thrills all hearts. A beau
iful creation, born of the conception OF
genius, is beautiful to every people. The
good, the beautiful, and the true accumu-
late with every century, and so each new
Age is richer than the preceding. for not
only does It inherit the riches which the
preceding received, but those which it ac-
guired-yea, more good, and beautiful,
and true do they appear as the growing
light of ages shines upon them. Here,
then, in the Present, is the sphere Of effort.
the vision of hope, the accretion of all past
power ond wisdom. In the Present, then,
repeat, .ce are peculiarly Interested
What. then, is the IDEA OF THE PRESENT
AGE2
We look upon i, and readily discover
that i, is busy Age. 1t is in comparison
with this time, that we call past times
drowsy and dormant. That old pastoral
or robber life of Asia-those crusades ard
tournaments and chivalric enterprise ol
feudal Europe-seem almost stagnant be.
side our eager, bustling habit. From wharf
to mart, from mill to fac,oty, from shore to
mountain, to and fro, excited. toiling life is
ever rushing. We are beating swords in.
to plow.shares, and speaes into pruning
hooks. The click of hammers and the
roar of looms are our ordnance and arlil-
Iery. Go where you will, Labor with its
strong arm and sweat brow is there before
you. Here. in this heart of the land, youl
mighty city-there. where the tall grass
and the nodding grain shall grow wher
the sweet Spring rains begin to drop-and
Wonder where the axe has cleft the thick
wood, and the sunlight lies like faller
shaft far into the home of the biack.fox anC
the whip-poor-will.
And It is an Age of enterprise. The
old Egyptians are shamed. Palmyra ane
Pompeii are left to their solitude. w,
tunnel mountains. We walk under rivers
Every morning, to him who loves the sount
of cheerful toll, our colossal pillars. drag
ged from their granite beds, as they salut.
the sun resound with music sweeter thar
Memnon's. From their placid glidins
beneath the peaceful sky, the waters com,
gurgling through enormous aqueducts, an
der highways that are trodden by well-nigI
a million feet. Nations are ''grappled to
gether by hooks of steel" From this me
tropolis, how quick the passage of tn,
Great Lakes. The home.sick boy, who
as the sun sets. leans with a heavy hear
TO hear the Ginning of yonder bells, or th
wall Of the familiar waters as they chaf
the wharves of his native city, shall. err
the setting of another sun. hear a differen
sound-the rnurmur of winds through tn
gloomy woods of Ontario, and the ete-na
pealing of Niagara! Wealth. property
fashion, are, like foamy waves, now toss
ing here, and anon, glittering there. fiv
hundred miles ahead-while the raii.ca
tramps, and the echoes clap their hands
all along thrOuoh those. rocky arches from
the Atlantic to the Erie.
1t is time. too, of erciting discussio,
-of free thought and inquiry. The pul
pit, the press. the forum, the caucus-hox
full of agitation! Everything is talke
: about. everything is criticised. We woul
uncoii the ancient enigma. The Sphyn
has no intolerable riddle for US. The foun
: tains of the great deep are broken up
All questions seem timely, and meet wit
some sympathy. A member of Congre: