Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-29

world has undergone strange mutations. The
star of empire has steadily held its course
westward; commerce has changed its seat
Palestine lives only in history; and Jerusa-
lem, the pride of the great East, has long
since fallen from her high estate. The torch
of war lit up her temple and her streets. and
her gates Welded to the hand of the Saracen.
Rome, the then mistress Of the world, at
whose shrine the learned and the great ones
of earth paid submissive homage, is now but
n spectral shadow of her former self Her
orators are silent, and her generals are slain
her legions are scattered, and her scepter is
broken. Britain was then rude and barbar-
Gus island, scarcely known or regarded. Learn
ing and religion had not then bless d and
instructed her children, nor had the light of
science dawned upon her; but the darkest
superstitions. severely taught in the shadows
of her druidical oaks, constituted her sole
fund of enlightenment.
To-day, she is II great nation, occupying
place in the front rank Of wealth and civili-
zation; powerful upon the land, and supreme
upon the sea. With her, it has been eloquent
ly said, "Rome, in the height of her glory, is
not to be compared; power which has
dotted over the surface Of the whole globe
with her possessions and military posts,
whose morning um-beat, following tn sun,
and keeping company with the hours circles
the earth with one continuous and unbroken
strain of martial airs of England"
America was then entirely the un-
known to civilized man. The foot of the
Caucasian had never pressed her soil nor
had her peaceful bosom been disturbed by
the shock of barbarous war or political strife.
Enjoying none of the advantages of civiliza-
tion, neither had she tasted its sorrows or
felt its numerous and oppressive burdens.
She was just as God had made er-silent,
beautiful and gran 1; reposing in majestic
solitude on her own side of the world.
To-day, she is mighty nation, filled with
an enterprising, happy and free people. In
diplomacy, in arts and in arms, sh' is second
to none And, though yet in her infancy, it
is plain that her destiny is great, and that
her future lies through fields of splendid
achievements and national triumphs. Nine
teen centuries have passed silently away,
and more than fifty generations of men have
gone down to their graves. The church has
endured bitter persecution; science has bled
beneath the cruel heel of military oppression
the lamps of learning have often been well
nigh extinguished; splendid libraries have
been consumed; and vet, the heaven born
still preserved 1t has been preserved for
this occasion, to glad the hearts of men, and
herald the completion of that great bond
which, in the future, shall bind the nations
of the earth together. This incident certain
ly presents fine moral spectacle. We listen,
astonished and delighted, as we hear the
glad tidings horne from England's shore to
ours. We behold old mother England, st nd
ing upon the chalky cliffs of her own island
home, lifting her voice 30 her truant son far
across the waters, her heart swelling with
pride and thankfulness, forgetting the early
difficulties that ended in family rupture,
saluting him in angelic phrase "Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men!"
The lightnings of heaven catch the strain,
and, through the deep, resembling sea, along
the watery thoroughfare of thought, beyond
the explorations of curious man, amidst coral
rock and drifting sands. among the humid
graves of long lost mariners shut out from
the light of day, the gaze of stars and the
din of men, convey the words of peace with
the speed of thought, to eXpectant millions.
How beautiful, how auspicous, how replete
with the s'gns and promises of peace, and the
cultivation of the noblcr faculties of man.
May future events fully realize our fondest
hopes.
have one hope to express, one anticpa
tion to indulge, in connection with this great
Atlantic cable in which, have no doubt,
you will all most heartily join. 1t is that the
line cf telegraph which now almost encircles |
the earth, may soon be extended to the Paci
fic coast This is what we most need we
need it no,c to the end that we, too may
participate in the fruits of the recent tri |
umph. Whenever this is accomplished, then,
beyond all question, will speedily follow that
and, to us, most essential work,
the great railroad. And, without subiecting
myself to the danger of being deemed specu
lative or visionary, | have no hesitation in
predicting that in less than two years from
to-day, we shall be able to take up the Ma.
rysvile morning papers and read the doings
in Congress, and perhaps in the British Par
lament, of the preceding day. The civil
lied portions of the two great continents will
then be cireled by an electric current; and
news from the heart of Europe or ASIA the
fluctuations of the markets, the breaking out
of IL rebellion. the birth of an heir apparent,
the death of an emperor or the overthrow of
kingdom, will reach lis in few hours after
the occurrence Besides, our ladies, God
bless them. the pride and beauty of the land,
will then have at hand the means of procur.
ing the earliest news touching the hoop
market of the East, and the most reliable in
formation in the shortest possible period, re-
garding ch Inge in the style of a dress or
the fashion Of a bonnet SO that with their
usual activity and diligence, in this land of
science and sewing machines, they could cut,
stitch and don an exquisite robe or a dear love
of little bonnet, before their drowsy sisters
of the East would be out of bed so much
is lightning ahead of time.
In contemplating the increasing telegraph
ic facilities throughout the world, my great
est hopeis that they may be the means, in
directly, of refining the minds of men and
softening the native fierceness of their dispo-
sitions; of cultivating the peaceful arts, en-
couraging individual and national morality.
and breaking down that taste for brutal war
that has so long pervaded and disgraced the
nations Of the world. A country, to be
prosperous and truly happy must, in the
main, be at peace, and to secure peace. pub
lie morality is essential; for immortality be-
gets war, and war, in its turn, begets the
grOssest immortality. That this is preeminent
ly true. all history attests There is little |
doubt that the downfall and decay of the
great nations of antiquity is tracea6le, in al |
most every instance, to internal corruption;
md, if we weigh the wisdom and happiness
of their inhabitants, even in their most palmy |
days, we shall find more of spendor than re.
ality in their glory; we shall find in the
most " celebrated of ancient States, enormous |
vices and cruel abuses; we shall find, in gen
eral, that the principles of government were
atrocious; that insolent robberies barbarous
wars, and implacable hatreds were raging
between them;" that bloody and infamous
codes constituted their international laws;
that unjust and oppressive DEGREES controlled
Their domestic affairs; chat human life was