The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-11-20
i1sEE FIRST. THIRD & FOURTH PAGES-E
Railroads rs Moral and Progressive Agents.

Railroads rs Moral and Progressive Agents.
Since Nature stood aghast at the death of
its Creators son, never before, in the hlsto-
~ Of man, has there been so momentous
period as the present. As the curtain OF
time rolled up, and the nineteenth century
stepped upon the stage, science and art
struck hands in solemn compact, and
promised to lift the incubus which had
forever rested upon human genlus-prom-
ised to remove the barriers to human pro-
rrcss, and make the widest dreams of the
nncients, tangible realities to US. How no.
blv thew have redeemed their pledges, is
written in lines Of life and beauty, where
ever the foot of civilized man has trod.-
Forces of immeasurablc power, which, Tor
nearly six thousand years had sported in
their giant strength free as the will OF God,
are now enlisted IN the service OF man, anu
working revolution in human affairs which
muscle ard mind alone, though ncrvcd with
Hercuesn strength, and blazing with the
fire of genius, could have never Effected
Electricity, which for ages amused ana as
tonshed man with its playful freaks-leap-
ing from cloud to cloud, or sending swift
ruin in the crashing thunderbo!t, has been
fcttercd. and now, as it flashes along its me-
tnllic path, it whispers at every station 1t
1isits-ssl nm doing errands for man."
Steam, which, since it first rose from the
Kissing surface of liquid world, had known
no master, save the Almighty, is no" the
servant of man, and whether wbirling the
spindle, pumping the mine, ploughlng the
ocean. or chained to the flying car, ana
sweeping through the valleys, under the
hills, and over the plains Of both hemlS-
rheres, IN tones that reverberate IN eAul-
tant echoes round and round the globe, 1t
proclaims its glorious mission. The terri
bio blast of war cry which so lately swept
the hcartstrings of Europe's millions is
hushcd. The hcaving ocean Of outraged
humanity has sunk to rest, and despots 90
on, as they believe, in rveting the chains
more firmly upon their long suffering sub
iccts. Poor fools. unwittingly they are
sapping the foundations of their bone-Prop-
ned. blood cementcd thrones. They are
employing steam, the great civilian, to make
their people more obcdicnt, but, needless OF
A tyrant's rod, it is knocking of their fet-
tors forever. They are weaving over their
.mpires network Of railroads, fondiy
dreaming that each rail laid down, is anoth-
or link in the mighty chain Of dcspotlsm -
fondIy chuckIing at the thought that at a
moments notice, they can send rebellion
crushing armies whirling over the track,
from centre to border Of their wide domains,
Forgetting in their blindness, that knowledge
with "frcc pass" is following the IRON
horse wherever he goes, into the darkest
regions of dcspotism, and teaching the mas
ses that each individual man, by his God
given heritage, is rs much q sovereign as
his king. Yes, railroads are the great evan
ceists Of this magic age. They are max
Ing the world Republican. They are wear
ing off national prejudice and national ha-
treds, and uniting in the bonds of fraternal
fellowship, the whole brotherhood of man.
In our own republic, they are linking State
TO State, with ties ten-loll stronger than
tongue or pen ever made. They are form
inc n contract between section and section,
which fanatics and fre-eaters will strive In
vain to annu. In short, they are giving
iron guarantees of higher civilization, a
wider enlightenment, mlghtier power,
than the world has ever vet seen.