The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1860-10-04
rsp We learn that Maj. SPARTAN D. GooDLErr,
of Greenvillc has been elected Major General to
command the 1st Division, S. c. NJ.
For the .Mtelligencer.
The Six Decades of the Present Century.

-
From our present stand point l1s6O) we oflen
try to peer into the future, to reason out there
from the results of the forty years experience,
but all is dark all is gloom, all is buried In pro-
found oblivion, and with saddencd feelings We
turn to the past when memory clutches w,th.ea-
gelncss thousand incidents upon which she res-
els in exstacies and If there are few spots that
array themselves OH the side of regret, they are
soon lost amid the bright galaxy of events that
have made the last sixty years an era OF glory 8
Al the commencement of the present century,
Science in all its multiformity, was yet IN Its IN
,ancy. ami the world generally was but just ava
kcning from long lethargic sleep, or just begin
ninr TO emerge from n night of moral darkness,
that nothing but Il general system Of education
could effcctually dispel its gloom. This general
system of education as far as it is already inau-
gurated is the most peculiar feature Of the pres
ent century Ills true, that previous to that date,
Europe was thicLly studded over with Universe
ties, Colleges, and Academies, but the education
received Mt most of them was strange conglome-
rated mass of religion politics and fanatcism, the
principal object of which was to keep the rest Of
mankind in the most profound ignorance of every
thing that would elevate his character These
European institutions of learning were mostly IN
the hands of the Catholics, and were Immediately
controlled by the Jesuits for the propagation Of
oninions and dogmas that would now disgrace .
heather but the nineteenth century ushered In
the dawn of a day that was destined to give
light to TIE world that had never yet been seen by
the human race. Tic American Republic had
Just been firmly estlblishcl-thc first Napoleon
had taught the Old World that the Pope Of Rome
as lihss-shaaA .ef mankIna-
lie had swept off from the face of Europe the
musty cobwcbs of ages, and had even reached
Asia and Africa, disseminating principles feelings
and thoughts, that have continued to burn, and
shine, and difuse light, until Mohamedanism has
begun to totcr, and this century closes will be
counted among the things that were. ~
During the present century, the divine rights OF
Kings has been exploded, until drunkard, do
bauchce, or tyrant is as quickly hurled from.a
throne as he would be from the private abode,
where peace and good order was the ruling idea
During that time, nearly all the monarchies of the
Old World have been continually making conces-
sions to their people, until of them are az
free to-day in reality this far-famed country Of
ours, and the balance of this century will close
out the existence of many of them, and their
places be occupied by Governments more assimia-
ted to our own: where freedom and free institu-
tions shall predominant.
Up to the commencement of the present centu-
ry, the educated few were, as general thing, not
practical men, consequently mechanism had but
little more than physical existence, while nov
Science reigns in all her workshops and the me-
chanic who is not guided by her teachings, ia
dragging out life of toll, and in most cases, Of
penury 'Tis true, Watt, Newton, and
Franklin had demonstrated to their own satisfac-
ton that there was higher sphere in this world
upon which the indomitable powers of the human
mind might oe elevated with pleasure and profit;
but their declarations were generally thought to
he the crude ideas of visionary brains, and it re-
mained for the men ftbs century to render
them into facts. TEsV j effort of Fulton upon
the Hudson River in 1907 has now spread itself
over the broadest cxpanse of earth's waters; and
not content with this, the almost unseen power,
Steam, has grapplcd with the s'iron horse'' end
hurled him slireking, and snorting, and putting,
and blowing, among the hills and dales of the en-
tire earth. Steam has entered our workshops,
propcs most Of our machinery, does much of our
cooking and washing, and the man who wishes to
make his exit out of this wvrd with much eesas,
must be abruptly sent on voyage of discovery
through ethereal space by the power OF Steam,
From the Kite, string, key and bottle of Frank
lin, with himself at respectful distance electrici-
ty has been effectuay brought subject to the pow
ers of man. He has taught it the aphabet-it
drives machincry-assists the mountebank in the
exhibition of his humbug, and occasionally goes
on burst-up upon its own hook, when it tares to
pieces, formerly, the labor of years of its new
master. But the operations of man with electrici-
ty is yet in its infancy.
Previous to the nineteenth century, the man
who pursued agriculture for q livelihood, was lite
rally bound down to the injunction that sin the
sweat of his face should he eat bread" while now
Science peryadcs the whole agricultural world,
and will no doubt go on until everything will be
brought to scientific standard.
Science has taken possession of our manufacto-
ries 1t has in this century more than doubled
the knowledge of chemistry, developed astrono>
my beyond all former conception, and almost ad-
vanced philosophy beyond the comprehension Of
man. To what extent science will yet develope
he resources of this universe cannot now be con-
,eived of.
The present century found the United States
containing about four millions of souls, her GoY-
,rnmcnt enecred at by most of the world, owing