Squatter sovereign. [volume] (Atchison, Kan. Terr.) 1855-1858, 1857-09-12

| he dimmest eye there shines quechless
SOUL In different senses Diogenes and
we are both right. To find perfect man
is indeed hard-to find the germ of per-.
feet man, we need but look in the most
barren soil-in every soul-it is here.-
| Reform, benevolenee, equality, kindness.
mercy-these are common watchwords OF
1.-THE day. written on every banner, and
thrilling upon every ear.
Look. once more, at the character of our
| Literature. The most successful of our
| works OF fiction are those which are drawn
| from the actual, which unveil the course
of common life, and show even in the dark
est nook. some sparkling virtue. What
spell Of interest has Dickens thrown around
that poor. depraved Nance! And how
has he wrought up warm interest for
that uncared for, obscure Nescman .Noggs!
| And. passing by the palaces Of Kings.
| and the tents and tournaments of chIvalry,
how deep and deathless has he shown the
power of affection to be, out in the dusty
highways and the broad fields, in the
character of little, patient, foot-sore, dying
Nell! Two continents wait with eager
zest for the continuation of this man s
books. The secret of his popularity lies in
the humanity of his writings. They may
not arouse US like that grand vision Dante
saw-taey may not stir us as some great
Espic stirs us. But this. we knoU-they
come home to our hearts and our bosoms
they play with skilful fingers on every
chord Of the heart. and we answer with
smiles or tears. A better philosophy. too
we think. is beaming upon US. One that, i,
no doubt. will suffer from perversion and
abuse-will run in some instances, into
mysticism. irreverence. and bombast but
still one that gives US noble views of man,
the soul. and life. One that speaks of a
nobility in all men-for something, In all
bosoms, that is intuitive and immortal,
superior to the sensuous wells that shut it
in. We are assuming the development of
a lyrical age. Faith and sieerity are
taking the place of skepticism and artifice,
orators. poets and artists. begin to appear
in the room of reasoners. crltis and logi.
clans. There is good deal of spontane-
Gus outspeaking among US, and this out
speaking is on the side of humanity, free
dom. progress.
So. my brethren, all great movements
rf the day, evidently tend to the meliora-
ton of humanity. Of course, speak OF
movements Immediately round US of
movements in that arena where humanity
is the most perfectly developed. know
that there are portions of our world that
seem enwrapped In one long slumber.-
] There is Asia. What problem does she
present No less than this-that from the
bosom of the most unchanging people,
have proceeded the greatest changes that
have affected humanity. To-day, as two
thousand years ago, the Arab dwel.s in
his snowy tent, and the Patriarchai rule of
family and flock, is like that of jacob
To-day. as of old, the king views his sub.
jects as his property, and the cimetar hiss
es amid sPouting blood, and the bow-string
twangs, at his simple word. To-day, as
in that long dim yesterday, the palace is
the abode of Incidence and sensuality, and
the people crouch before mystic priests,
,numbling over religion as superstitious
charm. and lifting their lean withered
| hands amid the seething altar-smoke, that
goes up like cloud from the very fears
of the worshippers. Yet, sending out its
influences to other nations. and working
the mightiest revolutions-altering the
whole aspect of polity. worship, literatare
there she has remained, that yelled, myS.
terious mother, surrounded by the rites
and institutions OF thousand years, by
customs that through long, stormy ages
have there kept moving around upon one
old worn cycle. To such portion of the
world as this-where all goes on with It's
eternal distinctions of caste, of rulers and
ruled, of strong and weak-we may be
referred, aud told that our view is narrow
and unphilosophical, when we speak of
1 IL, r., IL, Is
manity. 1t may be asked-how is the
condition of humanity meliorated there
and beneath the burning line of Africa
> and in the serf-bondage of Russia by
Austrian prison walls, or among the peas
ant homes of France, or with the starved
squalid manufacturing population of Eng
, land !! We may he pointed to these corldi-
tions of our race. and asked-is this ar
, age for the melioration of humaniiy2 You
reason from your own country, your free
enlightened, enterprising population. to the
whole world-this is fallacy. But let me
say ihat our position is not affected by al
this reference. As in great man all hu
manly becomes great so, in hopeful
nation all humanity becomes hopeful.
Wien we speak of the lofty achievement.
of the human mind. We speak OF some on
fesD ninds-so. when we speak of tn.
; movement of our age, we speak of IL
most prominent movement We say tha
j the melioratien of humanity is the Idea o
E this Age, because it is the most prominen
Idea of the bes, developed nations of th.
j age. Besides. let no one say. that an,
part of the world is unaffected by thi
movement. or, if unaffected now, aIway,
It will be. No, there is a movement ever
: now. that sets deep and strong towards tha
E Russian bondage. that echoes 10 whisper
E from those Austrian dungeons. that work
: like heaving volcano in that "pleasan
: land of France" and that begins to smok,
] a fame somewhat among those hunger
E bitten artisans of England. whose awfu
|. motto is .sBFead or Blood 70 And Will,
: green margins of civilized life begin Il