The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-06-20
The End OF the World.

Why should not this world come to an end
to-day? That for some fifty thousand OF orr
fellow -m0rtals the world will come suddenly
and decisivcly to an end between the rising
and the setting of the sun, past experience
and the memorable voice of the Statistical So
ciety compel us to believe. Why not. then.
for the rest of us? What reason have we for
supposing that the depopulation of this globe
of ours will 20 on forever, after the gradual
fashion that has been so long in vogue?
The movement of mankind from one part
to another of the ground terrestrial ball has
been singularly irregular. Intervals OF gen
eral quiescence have been followed by ages of
impulsivc and uncomfortable excitement. when
the fever of exodus possessed the tribes OF
men, and whole nations, displacing themselves
like GLACIERS on the mountain-sideS, went
drifting off to other lands. Why may not the
accounts of the race be suddenly closed. then.
by one grand wholesale catastrophe which
shall transfer us in a body to other seats and
other spheres These are qucstlonlnSs to
which no philosophy can give satisfactory
answer. Analvze the matter as subtly as
YOU NAV. you will find It impossible 10 deter
ii
ANONYMOUSLY knocked out of his comfortable or
his uncomfortable cell in the great hive with
out a summons or warning. the mighty null
titude of us. the innum; rablc myrladS of the
comfortable and uncomfortable men and wo-
men that swarm in the same busy. busting.
troubled. vexatious. incomprchcn>ible abode
NAV not be trlndled off as unexpectedly. az
dccisiyclv. into the limbos of space.
/ If Jones or Smith were never called away
until he had visibly done the work which a;D-
pcared for him to do. and lived out the lie
of which he seemed 10 be capable. then vi
might indeed hold the sudden termination g.
the worlds gr, I lie to be vague ch;mera
For clearly that vast and ingenious entity
mankind has hy no means as Vet put the bc>,
face upon itself, lis affairs. and the earth that
we mhabit. There is a vast deal of work. oi
dirty work and of clean work. too. still Ia he
done beneath the SUM- The Russian war has
ended but the Chinese war has Just begun
Kansas is in a way Of pacitication, but rebel
Pierce has expired by limitation. but Jct.er-
son Davis i making eyes at the Gulf of Mex
ico-pcace begins at Seguine> Point. but the
streets of New York are Vet uncleancd.-
Think of the terrible questions vet TO be
solved: of the future of France and of Eu-
rope. trembling in the uncertain breath OF
one bold. bad man; of the fearful possibilities
and the odiouS c"rtaintic> of our Slavery
question undecided. incapable. pressing pas
siona,clv upon our attention. Think OF the
social difficulties Vet to he made >mooth-ot
/ 4 Il, 4 4
heart of ci>ilization-of the premature mis-
cry of millions of children. and of the hope
less degradation of adult millions more. Think.
too. Of the splendid opportunities YET to be
improycd-ot the magnificent unsettled re-
gion>. tceming with undcvcloped plenty and
unrcalizcd happiness for va>tcr generations
vet than the earth has ever seen. Truly the
world. if it vanish to-day in the fiery rush of
the as vet undiscovered enemy whom the null
titudC> have scented atar off. can claim no Gu
thana>v as having done It's work and fulfilled
lis many chances.
But. is We have said. this thing cannot
po>>ihl. be a guarantee OF safety To Us when
we look around upon the perpetual fux and
disappearance OF incomplcted Jone>c> and
of untultillcd Smiths whi>kinS off into outer
darkness and the silence from which no all
>wcr comes
And SO il IS that in all ages the masses Of
men lave been IN tiuttcr of uneasy an,ic;pa-
ton Whenever any extraordinary natural phc-
noncnon seemed 10 threaten al unusual up
f rear iii the elemental world. Plaques. pc
tilcnc,S. til" -t",'',u hOrcalIS. carthG uaktS.
Na,cr>poutS. tamincS foundations have each
and all made, thcnl>c YES rtSponSihlr NJ o,,,
time CT another for frightening mankind on.
of their senses with the notion that the END
81 all things WAS At hand" But above al
other strange and dolorcas .i,iinc>. Your COM
ct has been the tavc:itc herald Of the ti,,sl
woe.
1t does not ..lattcr that fifty comets have
come and gone. leaving still adjourned the
>o.cm" settling day. The titty-fr>t shakes
>.uddcring horror over all the weary
world and now. in the middle of the nine
tcenth century. more men than would care
10 own it viii feel 4 little uneasy in their
minds between the midnight of the twelfth
of June and the morning of the fourteenth.
Tomorrow : breakfast will be eaten witt, 4
sense of great inward renewal bv numbers
OF sufficient. intelligent pcoplc-while a
monS the ignorant millions of both continents
We may be sure that there will be almost as
general drawing Of the long breath that
follows danger as there was when Dean Swift
looked with sad and scornful eyes on the
terrified picty and the rcaSsumed hla>phemy
OF London streets a century and 4 half ago
Tor after all. We do not believe the world
will end as.-N'w Iork 7im,<Jancl3.