Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-08-09
IRON the N. Y. Courier and Eneutrer.l
sALUTAToRY,
Peace hSth her victories,

No less renowned than War.
1t was nobly said, and yet what did John
Milton know of the victories of PeaceP How
utterly impotent was even his inlaglnation-the
mlghheSt, perhaps, of modern times-to con-
ceive of such victory" as that now announc.
ed to the world Had even his own Gabriel
| heralded to him that Peace should conquer space
itself, and bring the continents into direct dis
tcourse with each other, he would have shrunk
back amazed and incredulous. The poets eve.
rolling in its finest phrenzy, never caught the
| glimmering of an idea like that; and even We
two hundred years after, familiar as we are with
/ electricity, of which not even the name existed
| IN MiltOn's day, and schooled aSawe have been
tor years III its thought transmitting powers.
still lind it almost impossible to realize that the
great ocean itselfis no longera barrier, and that
the Old world and the New now speak to each
other as those of the same household speak face
to face. We have been made familiar with
what the electric telegraph can do upon dry
land-have seen it convert all Europe into one
vast whispering gallery, and on our own shores
bring Newfoundland to the very ear of Texas
we have been prepared too by the successes in
the Mediterranean and in the North aud Irish
Seas to expect great things in the way of sub
marine conmunicatlOn-nay, this very transact.
lantic enterprise itself has been progressing for
! twice twelve-month, and has formed the topic
OF every day remark and speculation until every
body had Ventured upon something like an ex-
pectation that in some way, at some time, the
end would be accomplished;-and yet when the
thing is actually achieved, it is almost imposs-
bic to credit it, it sounds so much like story
from the land Eof dreams. The mind clings to
its old habit of regarding the Ocean-tho deep
and dark blue Ocean"-as anTeverlastihg un.
changeable barrier between the continents.
Interchangeable save to the wild waye'a play;
Tine writes 10 wrinkle on thine azuce brow
seeh as creation s dawn beheld thourolleSt now.
The idea of vastness and grandeur we have
always associated with the sea is not easily re,
conciled with the fact that men may drop
morning compliment across it with as much ease
as over any yillcge creek. And yet if the old
idea cannot be reconciled, why then SO much
worse for the old idea; the fact is not going to
to give way toit even though we have to refralne
our whole style of speech, and make it penal
offence for any Byron hereafter to attempt to.
pass the ocean off as "boundless, endless and
sublime" or ''dread, endless, alone" It is the
fate of nature TO be snbdued by man. The Nj.
agara will be bridged, the Alps will be tunneled,
the Atlantics will be girdled; aud it is all done.
too, in Pursuance of very old commission
commission to .hsye dominion over the eartb. :,
given at the very first interview of man with
his maker. 1t is only in the last age of the
world that man has seriously put himself to his
work, and henceforth there is no such thug rs.
resting in it, Each victory" is brit. the sum.
mons to another,battle. "A point which, yester-
day was invisible is the goal to-day, aud will be
the starting point tomorrow