Spirit of the age., 1861-05-15


chant her old familiar melodies on the high
peaks of Caucasus and IIimalaya while the
level steps, of Liberia and the fertile plains
OF the Euphratcs and Ganges have submitted
to numerous conquests, and listened to the
tuneful echo Of languages of different aces
Why did the wall of the Celtic Ian iage re-
sound among the Carnish rocks fier the
lowlands of England had bece ne Roman,
Salon, Dane and Norman by MS, and the
mingling Of five-fold race had given to the
country the most capable population under
the sum- 2 Why have ne cliffs of the Atlas
retained their inhabitants, while the proud
commerce of ancient Carthage has been ar
rested and the splendid cities of Egypt, that
attracted at dist nee fhe anxious gaze of
the travellers have ceased to exist; while the
Goth and Hun have trod in mockery over the
tombs of the. .Scipios, and the turbaned Arab
has erected his tent upon the fallen palaces of
Numantia? Why have the Swiss whose on
ly music is that of the terrible avalanche sli-
ding down the mountain side, remained the
same, while the inhabitants of Lombardy
have expert change after change p
What, we ask again, has enabled the rude
mountaineer to retain his mountain dwell inc,
while the inhabitants of fertile plains, sur
rounded by every convenience, have been
subject to change after change? Why, the
mountaineer loves nature, she is his darling
object, and with her it is his chief delight to
converse. He courts Nature as his compan.
ion, tries to appreciate her beauties, and she
instils in him love for the objects around him,
and a patriotism that has no bounds. He
knows no other pleasure than that which he
derives from her. and lives contented, where
ever exists mountain pine and mountain
goat, and his footing is on a rock as firm as
either.
The inhabitants Of deserts, Gaetulians,
Mauritanians, Scythians and Bedouins, have
ever remained IN savage State-ignorant of
the arts and sciences, and the determined foes
OF all mankind except their own tribes vet
they career over the same sandy plains over
which they rode their noble steed centuries
and centuries ago. They would not exchange
their own country, towards which Nature
has been the least bountiful, for the fattest
land beneath the sun. In sorrow would
they migrate to the richest and most delight
ful region Of the globe. In those wild and
dreary wastes, man dozes away life of ease
rowing occasionally, as necessity compels
him, from place to place sleeping on the
ground and armed only with poisoned ar
rows for his protection. He is unburthened
by the cares of selfish ambition, and that
| sordid desire of gain for which the civilized
man sweats his life away.
Which is the sage-the slave that tolls
EqrgxtI, aJpfl fes- sl7 r. n ,Arr,rsi,o -~'',
They leave him scarcely aught to do 2
The spirit that prevails in the early states
Of society, is generally the spirit Of patriot
ism. Society, in its first formation, has
many difficulties with which to contend !;
and it is said that difficulties always increase
love of country and besides, before the
arts and sciences are introduced, the mind is
not fixed upon motives Of selfishness-of am
bition, and other evils developed by the arti
fetal causes incident to highly polished ano
civilized life In the early periods OF the
Grecian history, we find that the patriotic
spirit and love of ingenious freedom were
extensively dffused among the people Bu
as the nation advanced to power and splen-
dor those noble virtues continued to becOm
more and more corrupt, till they almost ceas
ed to exist. In their place came selfish am
btion-an inordinate desire to rule. NJ
T. Leonidas could then be found who woult
70 willingly risk his own life and the lives c
C his brave three hundred contending for tn
'f rights Of his country against an lnnumerabl
d host, drawn up in battles magnificent
h stern array" No Aristides who was able t
ir acuuire from manifestations of disinteredneE
J. the euithet OF Just" The result Of tn
le degcneracy Of the ancient Greeks, was deci
v i've of their fate, and that splendid country
IS once rich in vines and figs and genero
:. crops" once the home of the arts and scie
ces-once the birth llace of the poet al
G. orator. ranks among the poorest Of mode
nd nations.
W. And is this to be the sad fate of our oy
lc- great and prosperous Countrywide only I
a public Of which the world can boast?
he this grand experiment of civil freedom d
at tined TO fail, and to cause despotism a
G. darkness again to overshadow the world
D; The times indeed are ominous of danger
o- And to judge tho future by the past af
nd making due allowances FIR circumstanc
he we cannot see scarcely a single cheering
m of hope to illumne the dark cloud that oy
hangs our political sky. Our hot-hea'
IS, politicians by betraying the sacred tr
a committed to their keeping, have inyol'
ia us in troubles the end of which no one
u.s. foresee. Ohl shade of Washington, coul
ed thou burst the shacklcs of death and ret
err opain TO ca, tn and behold the mourntul
Gle ucneracy of thy children, how 1t VIC
the cause thy noble heart to bleed But Lei
dca prophcsy for the better, and hope, that
re- present dltncultleS may yet nave salS
rom tory solution. And may no orator in the
rks distant future, when speaking of these
rom ted States, be under the necessity Of req
the ing verses similar to those repeated
hat Philips concerning the city Of PersepoliE
=, lyon wastes where roaming lions howl,
far 1on aisle where means the grey-eyed oW
fiat Shows the proud Persians' great abode,
the Where secptred once an earthly god,
and His power clad arm controlled each ha
ctor cline,
ares Where sports the warbling muse and f;
tbo scars sublime"
rs IN We sincerely thank our Correspon
~" for the above timely and elegantly wri
with Communication, and hope we shall have
,wer pleasure Of hearing from him again. In
the mean time We hope his fears for the pc
i .,' VI uation of our civil and religious libel
y wa ia tie South will be relieved, and his
imi- of our mournful degeneracy" be ent
Ma removed, The children of Washing
e''ei in the Southern States have only done
ntain he would do, were he living in this day
por- generation. ED. AGE.
and
et ane1 Now, then, my hearties," said G;