Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-09-08
From the Cincinnati oazette.1
A Few Words to Young Men.

| We invite the attention of those who
are about beginning their political life to
a grouping of historical facts, tending to
prove that all gigantic schemes for enslov-
ing the race have ultimately failed.
The controlling idea in the old Assyrian,
Mcdo- Persian and Bahyloniun nations, was
tue formation of IL strong central power.
"kngdOm empire" that should gather
to itself the energies of the masses, and
use their power for its own purposes
that should degrade and enslnvc the pro-
pie, while it strengthened and perpetuated
the power of the monarch. But there was
nothing in this idea that could help the
race onw"rd-no life principle that point
ed to better future. 1t tended to crush
even the desire for freedom. 1t w:s n
blow aimed at progress, and it failed in
consequence of this.
Again and again has the experiment
| been repeated, and with the saIlis.IzaElt,
fEvery age has witnessed the utter failure
of such attempts to rctard the march of
society, to Cypress the people. Egypt
tried it, aud tue sands of the desert have
driftcd over her palaces for centuries.
When mankind awokc to liberty in
Greece, it was. the same spirit that sent
Nerxcs to extnguish the light that was
kindling there. Though armed apparent
ly with every element of strength, disaster
and defeat followed his invading hosts
The chains which Alexander forged for
the nations fell before they were fairly riJ-
tied, and thus another obstacle to advance
ment was removed.
Rome covered the earth with her armies
and strove to govern it, when government
was but another word for oppression. She
laid her hand heavily on the masses, and
thus planted the seeds of dissolution.
Charlemagne attempted universal en-
pire, but failed because he strove to build
up his Kingdom at the expense of the pco-
! pie. The first Napoleon strobe over Eu-
rope needing not the right Failure and
overthrow were mctcd out to him, and
they have ever attended all such schemes
to crash the masses and thus rcturd ma
tional development.
As in the political world, so has it ever
been with attempts to force neral dark
ness on society. The principles of right
have steadfaStly resisted the inroads of
error.
| Mohammed went forth with fire and
sword to teach his new religion to man.
| kind. For time it appeared as if the
/ wrong would triumph. All nations seem
cd ready to bow before the crescent 1t
swept over Asia and Africa, where schemes
of political wrong had SO sigually failed,
/ AOASSN 4tSSIA 4uIO OuIGSLGHuOII13 dLl CuuSGu
itself to be recognized in Europe. But its
doom is now sealed. The day of ven
geance has come. Turkey can 40 longer
st"nd in the way of the worlds advance
ment. 1t is political corpse rotting on
the fields of Europe, which must be re-
moved and buried out of sight.
When Philip of Spain covered the sea
with ships, aud with his armada aimed a
blow at England, he struck at the liber-
tics of mankind. 1t was not for the over
throw of Great Britain alone that he urged
on those vast preparations. lie was
fighting the spirit OF the age as it was
bursting away from priestly restraint. He
sought to strengthen the Catholic Church
to widen the authority of the Pope-to
weaken Protestantisn, and to lay its
stronghold waste. The dogmas of Rome
were losing their hold on the masses, and
everywhere religious liberty WAS being
proclaimed. Philip struck at nll this us
heresy, aud the blow, unarrested, would
have fallen on the world with deudening
power.
He had waged the same battle in the
Netherlands, and striven vainly there to
roll bNck the wave of the Reformation.
His purposes were all against the race,
and he therefore failed, while the prin-
ciplcs he strove to trample down are
still leading the world onward and up
ward.
That Papal power that has SO long fet-
tered its millions is dying now. Once it
ruled all nations. 1t set up kings and de-
throned them at pleasure. Its anathemas
fell on the ears of emperors like bolts from
heaven, and lands were robed in mourning
when its accommodations went forth,
and the people were awed and subdued Us
by the presence of a pestilence. But it
too has been left behind in the worlds
march, aud it stands mere shadow of
power, the wasted skeleton of a mighty
wrong.