The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-01-02
IMPROVEMENTS OF OUR AGE.

Aoil NV ChA@AN . Va YIN 49,
That the present age is distinguished over
all the pas; as an age of improvement, is a
ruism which no philosopher can gainsny-no
historian conlroverI; but whether our IN
provemeut he Intellectual or material and me
ehanical, is question OF easy solution
The age OF such men us Shakespeare ana
Bacon, was one Of genius in letters; lthe age
of Queen Elizabeth Of England) and ihe
succeeding one of Isaac Newton and SAMUEL
lobrso, a. 10 mathematics and the philoso-
pbv of the human mind, has fairly distaneed,
IL seems, all competition, as TO pas: and flu
ture, up to the presen. epoch.
But our times are radically more improved
thun any age of the pa.t. In all departments
Of busy life-ecclesiaslical, medical and legal
we are greatly advanced above antiquity
In former times, no physician could arrest the
small pox or manage the plague; to-day, all
can. In by.gone days the clergy CROPPED in
darkness, and s,lt their way in the establish.
ment Of conflicting crreds by controversies
that often convulsed empires. Nov, men and
churches seem 10 have intelligently and Pi-
ously settled down, with peaceful satisfaction,
upon the principles Of equitable concession 10
each other of ths right to worship cd ac-
cording 10 the dictates of their eonsciences.-
And in Law, long line Of presidents, cstab-
lished by "ihe aggregate wisdom nj manSind,"
justify the permauency Of adjudications, and,
in some degree, guarantees the general adj
ministration of justice. All these are but the
experience Of mankind, maiured by trial, aud
built up in systems. ....
But the main feature Of our improvements
10 mechanical. Invention aud discovery have
contributed to the felicity of man. We ira
verse the globe on rapid cars-we cross the
ocean almost with the courser's speed, and
TRANSMIT, intelligence will, the celebrity of "the
winged Iigh,nings!" Navigation, machinery,
and all things pertaining to material comforts
seem to have well nigh attained perfection.
Acting upon the utiljtnrian basis, our cities
are built more for use and comfort, than rs
wonders In architectural skill and artistic
sdornment. No modern pyramids or magnifi.
cent temples vii! tell 10, future generations
the character of our architects aud arti6cers.
Still, while all are engaged upon meeha,,-
isms, discoveries and temporal expedients, the
Mind is receding back wards from the power
and penetration Of those who, shut up in
ascctic sec!usion by The difficulty Of travel,
their attention not distracted by u super abun
dant and trashy literature, devoted more time
and greater energy to mental advancement.-
Secluded from the excitement and hustle OF
the present ERA, the scholar attained a perfec.
ton now nowhere found.
Whilst these causes have combined TO dis
courage that profound eruditon in the fev
which characterized former times il cannot BE-
denied that the utiliiarianism of the present
age has diffused general intelligence among
the masses. All men are now more or less
niormrd-few, fany, are profoundly learned.
To the student this picture looks rather
gloomy than enlivening. The nge Of INTEL
iectual giants--of mental phiIosophers-of
elaborate and get perfect ~riters--is gone!
An age Of short rrasoners--of telegraphs and
business minds has come. Such politicians
ms Clay. Webster aud Calhoun, may not be
seen again; much less such authors rs Addi-
son and johnson; until n future generation,
tired Of utiiitdrianisni, shall esteem mere
material progress us ''vanity and vexaiion OF
spiri'." Then the pale poet and author will
immune themselves in the solitude Of the
study, and once more productions that de-
marked Milton, Young and n Byron, and
essays such us displayed the solidty of n
Bacon and the force and beauties of II "Junius"
will issue from the press, aud Mind again
assert its supremscy.-- Southern Waichman.