The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-05-20

mas the human lntellect been SO active, or push
ed It's investigation into every department 0
nature with 50 ruthless, all-grasping peril
naclty. The world appears 10 be rushing OF
with leap and a whirl and crash which NJ
other period in its history ever Witnessed
The strides Of progress or at least of apparen
progress, in discoveries and inventions, in The
triumphs Of theI mind over matter, in the ex
plorations Of thf earth's surface, and in The
appliances for bringing remote portions Of til,
globe into immediate contact, commercially anC
morally. with each other, have never had any
parallel in any age. Events, which, but fol
our familiarity with them would be deemed
most extraordinary crowd in so rapidly upor
each other that ,one becomes almost dizzy r
viewing the passing phantasmagoria, and is
almost at loss sometimes to determine
whether the tendency Of things is to chaos Oh
order. This state of mental and physical &C
tlvlty characterlz7es more peculiarly our own
country than any other, and is generally he
lieyed to have grown legitlmately and naturally
from the nature OF our institutions. The spon-
| taneous quickeniig Of the intellect, exhibited
| IN the practical results in the country, contem-
poraneously with the Inauguration of free in
sututlons, the ulshackling of the mind the
dispeling Of the illusions and subserviency
created by the dicta of authority, when the
republic rose into being, certainly gives strong
ground for the reasonableness of this belief
That we have rise IN to be first class power in
the family of nations in mere hand breadth
of time, within the recollections of hundreds
now living, is of itself the greatest of all the
wonderful phenomena which the age presents.
The extraordinary working of our system of
government, the rapidity with which it has ex-
panded, the moral results in physical power
commercial achievements, literary growth and
tenacity in unity, it has exhibited, and contin-
ues to exhibit, to the astonished world, have
gradually tended 10 the formation of schools
Of political and social philosophy differing some
what both as to means and ends. We do not
refer TO what is usually understood either by
sectional Or political parties. The distinction is
subtler and broader than the foundation ofthese
and the line of demarcation between these
schools runs athwart party divisions without
the slightest regard to them. They will be un
derstood if we designate them as the consery-
atlye and the progressive and although these
terms apparently mean, in the minds of mul
titudes, actually do convey essentially differ
ent ideas, they yet are very far when properly
construed, from designating doctrines at all,
rreconclably or Inconsistent. In ordinary
parance, however, the people of the country
have become divided, to a considerable extent
into progressives and conservatives and, as
they are generally spoken of, there is a decided
difference between them. The origin of ellis
phassophic division of sentiment is found in
the un unparalleled development, activity and
force of the phenomena to which we have be-
fore referred. The more thoughtful and saga
cious observers of the times have apprehended
that the ship of state was getting up more steam
and crowding on more sail than she could carry
and that there was in consequence danger of
her blowing up or laundering from the tremen-
dous pressure. They have therefore been in
favor of taking away a part of the motive
power in order to secure pleasant voyage and
the security OF the noble craft.
The more reckless and ardent, on the con-
trary, conclude that as we have managed to
steer clear of the shoals and rocks thus far,
we shall never meet any hereafter, and they,
hence, shout, hurrah and up steam. Both of
these classes are undoubtedly honest and may
be equally patriotic in their sentiments; though
as the progressives have had, it would seem, a
large majority on their side hitherto, it is rea-
sonable to suppose that they have had greater
number of rascals on board, some of them
piratical enough to be willing to see the ship
wrecked for the plumber which they would
hope to obtain.
To drop our figure. We believe that there
is really no incompatabiliy between true pro-
gress and true conservatism. That hair-b Drained
and furious spirit which dignifes every expert
ment and every fool hardy or Quixotic act as
progress is simply the spirit of destruction
working through ignorance. Its triumphs will
be the downfall of the republic. On the other
hand, whatever is truthful in the development
of science, social Or physical, must necessarily
act in harmony with whatever is valuable and
in accordance with nature laws that is already
known, and the combination must tend to the
preservation and the strengthening of the use
full, the humanizing and the beautiful whether
upon a small Or upon large scale. Hence,
we believe in the principles of progress and of
conservatism, never rejecting a new truth be-
cause it is new, nor discarding on old truth be-
cause it is old. We would tenaciously pre-
serve the old land marks the pillars which the
fathers erected, and embelish them as our
knowledge may enable us to do; but never
would we be guilty of the objectionable folly
of hewing them down under the fanciful CON
ceit that we should by hook or by crook chance
to find others to supply their places which
might prove superior but which might on the
other hand, prove wholly worthless If any
one of them should be found defective from
time and altered circumstances, we would be
sure, before removing it, to have a better one
to put in its place. ...- .
A LOVE AFFA1R.-The Liberty Herald, Un-
MON county, Ind, tells the following:
We have been placed in possession of some
most melancholy facts, in relation to a young
man and young lady, ;the former resident Of
Preble county, Ohio, and the latter a resident
of Oxford. 1t appears that the young gentle
man is student at W 2st Point Military Acad-
emy, and the lady waA his betrothed. Being
absent from her long time, he returned home
some two or three weeks since, and found her
married. Although a correspondence was reg
uIarly kept up between them, she had concealed
the fact Of her marriage, and of course he was
startled to find out how matters stood on his re-
turn The young maj ! wisely determined to
let affairs pass off quefy, and seek friends and
fortune in another placf..
In view of this determination he concluded
not to see the lady, but ilnwise counsels prevail
ed with him, and he went to the house where