Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-02-16
No. 26.

me world presenting similar evidence, f
fornter greatness.
these wonderful revolutions, overthrow
'ng ana DESTROYING the labor of man. and
dlssolvlng the evidences of ber skill. have
occurred, and will still continue f.
occur SO long as time shall last. Judpinoa
the future by the past, we must experience
them IN our day and generation. The
present condition of our country satisfies
Is that we are not exempted from the ca
astrophies which have befalleu other peo-
pie In times past. We witness the rise,
Hogrcss and decline of nations We see
hem emerge from barbarism into civiliza-
ron, march on in the path of science
'nd then retrogade to their aboriginal
condition Alas is this our case Are
fe golug up or down the hill? Verify,
he North Is in her declina,ion. Width
rSoever We turn our eyes, to whatever
lSarter OF the globe We direct our atten-
Ion, we find the remains of nations once
more powerful, more highly cultivated
Slllfui and renowned than ourselves
Inc discovery BY Columbus of the New
"orid, 1t was supposed opened the wav for
ne cultivation of great people, the es-
sbilshment of a powerful nation. What
eason, now, have the countrymcu of Fer
-tlnand and Isabella by whose muni6cence
his Western continent was brought to the
knowledge OF the world, for supposing
hat this portion Of it will ever TEEN with
It'es, and temples, pyramids and obelisks.
comparison with theirs, will not bear
ne slightest resemblance Convulsed
from the circumference to the centre bv
';lvll war, our men in the tented field. our
finances wasted, what great relics Of n
freat nation shail we be able to leave be-
hlEd for the inspiration Of travellers when
reduced to the condition of other nations
once. more powerful and opulcnt. Let
thc history of other nations teach us a les.
son OF humiliatlon, convince US of the
ruth that Jehovah is in history, which
man cannot read. If it required one hun.
ired thousand men, relieved everv threa
months, thirty years to bu,ld one of IL.
Egyptian pyramids, what conclusion nav
''quities 5uF" uF"rEo 5sni,shs in ssssgqra the
Will SO back into vaudalism-the infdeli.
: y OF her people will bring down the curse
of God upon them-her cities, witiou,
me commerce of the Sonth, will dwindlc
INTO insigniticance-hcr factories will blow
ap-their spindles rest-ruin and desola
Ion will cover over her land-her people
; "llldeyour one another-and become the
3, ;eproach of the world.
! The South will come out of this con.
est, like gold refined in the crucble-di-
'ested of her alloy, the North, in fftv
'eas, her population will thirty millions
o' people highly cultivated, refined, ouu-
snt powerful at holne--respected and
;;ared abroad-able to define herself
>galnst the aggressions of the whole world
.-and will furnish history of which
; 'iFeece and Rome in their pamiest DAYS
would have been proud. A non-inter-
,ourse with North will preserve her
'fom all future talninatioa--eleya,.
s'er IN the scale of nations-teach her to
'ely upon her own ample and abundant
! .csources-establish an intercourse with
-surope, and the time will soon come. when
the will be the scat of arts and sciences
hnd with a firm reliance on God. the mis-
iress of her destinies. ] Nj