The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-05-12

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following them you will reach your des,n,
| invite you to ascend with ne the watchto =
er of history, overlooking the grand pane
rama or the development Of human affairs i
| which the American Republic stands in ;
bold and prominent relief
He who reviews the past Of this country j
connection With the history Of the world be
sides, cannot fail to discover a wonderful co
incidence Of great events and fortunate cir
cums;ances which We're destined to produc
everlasting results, unless recklessly throws
away By imbecile generations.
Look back with me four or FIVE centuries
The dark period of the middle ages is draw
ing near It's close. The accidental explosion
Of that mysterious black powder discovered
bv an obscure German monk, is the first fash
of lightning, preluding that gigantic thunder
storm which IS to shatter the edifca of feu-
dal society TO pieces. The invention of gun
powder strips the teuial lord of his presti "a
as warrior; another discovery is to strip
him OF his pres i4e as a man Guttenburr.
another obscure German. inveats the print
ing press, and the gunpowder blows the
castles of the small feu1al tyrants into the air,
50 the formidable a lillery of printed letters
batter down the citades of ignorance and
superstition. (Loud appltase) Soul aud
body take up arms AMI prepare them selves
for the great battle Of the Reform l.ion-
How the mighty volcano OF the German
mini bursts the crust Of indolaace which COW
cred it. Lather's triumphant thunder rat
ties against the Holy See Of Rome Gap
plause The world is abazs. all the ele-
ments of society are rising up in boiling com
mo.ion-two ages are battling against each
other.
That was the time when the regeneration
Of tie old world was to take place Bat the
old order Of thing~, fortified in customs and
prejulices and deeply rooted IN stitu.ions, did
not Surrender at the first blast OF trumpets
The grind bat fearful strug sle Of the reform
atory movement p!unges all Europe into end
less confusion. The very wheel of progress
seems to grind and crush one generation after
another The IDEAS which concerned the
hishes. and most sacred relations of hum an
ity, seem at the same tins t. call ia,o their
service the bascst and most violent passions
OF the human heart. and in all Europe the
wars Of great principl degenerate int5 wars
of general devastation.
BIT meanwhile ne " country has opened
its boundless fielis TO those great ideas, for
the reaIiz zl.ion Of which the old world is no
longer 10 BE- wide enough 1t is as though
the earth herself had taken part in the gen
eral revolution, and had thrown uo from her
ea-covered womb naw hail ,; =
tile spirit oi the new era Ihat is America
Not only the invention Of gunpowder ani Of
the pratinS press. but also the discovery OF
America ina s,surtted the m iern age.
There is the new auI immense continent.
The most restless and en.erprising elements
OF European society direct their l)o<S toward
it. First the sreelness of the gold ,lrsn-
turer pounees upon the new conquest; bIs
his ia,rIins.e appetite being appoin.el,
he gralltlly aban iols the field to mtl in
whose hearts the future OF the new wprli Is
sleeping unborn.
While the coast of Virginia Is set,lel BY /
motley immigration LED anl raj Il bv m n Of
IDEAS an enterprise. the starilest eatnp "a
OF principle descend uppa tn stony shores Of
New E1glani, (Appluse) Wa.is the
Southern colonies are settled under the eIS-
pices of lorily merchants ami propr,e;arjas,
original democracy plants is stern btnaer
upon Plymouth rock. (App,s1se Mercan-
tile speculation, aristocra.ie ambition AMI
stern virtue. that seeks freedom an. nothing
but treeI5m '-ai the most different classes OF
people. J ;era1t II 7.i-in, habits AMI p,r-1r-
sion upon tuu vir-.r II. taI 'ntrust to the
the task of realizing ..- -..Gt p. 1ciTles If the
age Nor is this privDe- aa..t t, one
nationality alone. While the .n-. .D.a
took possession Of New England, .-..a.a
and Pennsylvania. the Frenchman plants us
colonies in the soil OF French Florida an the
interior of the continent, the Hollaaier l)-
Gates New Netherlands on the banks Of the
Hudson; the Sweies led there by the great
mind oi Ox9nstiern, occupy the banks OF the
Delaware: the SDanard maintains him self in
Ptninsular Florida. and numerous can grl-
ton Of Germ ans. who follow the call Of rel!-
gious freedom aud Of lrishmea. gradually
flowing in, scalters itself over this vast extent
Of country. Soon all the social and national
elements of the civilized world are represent
ed in the new land. Every people. every
creed. every class OF society have coatrbIte1
their share to that wonderful mixture out of
which is to grow the great nation Of the new
world Ii is true. the Angjo-Saxon establish
es and maintains his ascendsacy. bu. withou.
absolutely absorbing the other national ele
merts. They modify each other, and their
peculiar characteristics are u be blended to
ge,her bv the ai-assimilsling power OF Tree
dom. This Is the origin of the American na-
tionaltv. which did not spring from one fam
ilv one tribe, one country, but incorporates
the vigorous elements Of ali civilized nations
on the earth, (APplause.l
The fact IS not without great importance.
L : an essential link in the chain of hissori-
cal Development The s,udea. OF history c4n
not fail 70 notice that when new periods Of
civilization break upon humanity, the people
Of the earth cannot maintain their national re
la.ious. New ideas ara 10 be carried out by
Young nations From time 70 time, violent.
irresistible hurricanes sweep over the world
blowing the most different elements Of the hu
man family together, which bv min-lin,, re
inyigorate each other, and the general confu
sion then becomes the starting point o. new
period of progress. Nations which have long
sub>isted exclusively on their own resources
viii gradually lase their original vigor ana
die tie death Of dccrepitude. But mansinl
becomes Young again By is different elements
being shaken together. by race crossing race
and mind penetrating mind. tApplause-)