Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-27

what deep ocean valley does ii rest, when the
fash which carried the thought of man from
one continent to another darts along the wire;
through what strange and unknown regions,
among things how uncouth and wild, must II
thread its way! 1t brings MS up tidings from
the vast abyss, but not of the abyss itself, but
of men like ourselves who dwell beyond.
Since the discovery of Columbus nothing
has been done in any degree comparable to
the vast enlargement which has thus been CIV
en- to the sphere OF human activity. We may.
now that this, tie most difficult problem of all,
has been solved be- justified in anticipating
that there 10 no portion OF the earth,s surface
which may not be placed in immediate COM
munication with ms. We know that we have
in our hands the means of practical ubiqui-
ty. Distance as ground of uncertainty will
be eliminated from the calculation of the
statesman and the merchant. 1t is no violent
presumption to suppose that within very
short period we shall be able to present to our
readers every morning intelligence of what
happened the day before in every quarter of
the globe. The Admiralty will know to with
in few miles the position of every ship in
her Maipsty's service. The intelligence of a
Caffre war or an Indian mutiny will reach us
before the first blood that has been shed is
cold, and we shall be able to economist the
whole time consumed by the ordinary vehicles
of intelligence. We see with no Unnatural
satisfaction that the advantage of the discov-
cry will be the greatest TO those countries the
possessions Of which are the most remote and
therefore. that England has more to gain than
any OF her rivals. More was done yesterday
for the consolidation of our Empire than the
wisdom of our statesmen, the liberality of our
Legislature, or the loyalty of Der colonists
could ever have effected. Distance between
Canada and England is annihilated For the
purpose of mutual communication and of
good understanding the Atlantic is dried up
and We become in reality as well as in wish
one country. Nor can any one regard with
indifference the position in which the Atlantic
Telegraph has placed US in regard to the great
American Republic. 1t has half undone the
Declaration of l7I6. and gone far TO make us
once again, in spite of ourselves, one people.
To the ties of a common blood, language and
religion, to the legitimate association in bust
ness and complete sympathy on SO many
subjects. is now added the faculty of instan-
taneous communication, which must give TO
all these tendencies to unity an intensity
which they never before could possess
We are most happy that it has fallen to the
lot of this country to carry out an enterprise
in which human nature is so deeply interest
cd in concert with the only other nation on
the globe in which the flame of Science is
famed and kept alive by the breath of Free
dom. Let those who are assembled at Cher
bourg to celebrate another development In
the art of destruction, and TO fde the inaagur-
alton Of a fortress avowedly designed to threat
en- the independence and prosperity of the Isl
and, reiiect on the true nature Of the enterprise
which has thus been executed, and turn from
the contemplation of Science degraded into
the handmade of slaughter and devastation,
to Science applied in her legitimate office, as
the conciliator, the beneiactress and the en-
ligbtner of the whole human race. A military
Monarchy has created Cherbourg; political
freedom and commercial enterprise have made
the Atlantic Telegraph, and they have moth
ing to blush for in the comparison.