Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-27
THE AGE IN WHICH WE LIVE.

That this is a progressive age is beyond dis
pute. In war as in peace, the products Of
distinguished skill follow each other in quick
succession. Time was when the axiom,
"there is nothing new under the sum- was
considered truism, but none now incline to it
in its literal sease. Let the historian, or
reader of history, but look back to the days f
the Revolution, the French war, or, still
later the Mexican war, and compare the I'M
plements of destruction with those used in the
late rebellion See, too, the gunboats Of those
days, and picture, if possible, how many OF
them one of the Monitors which lie upon the
Ohio River opposite our city could send to
"Davy Jones' locker per hour. Refer back
to the days when cavalry was advan;ageously
used in charging against infantry, and consider
how fool. hardy the attempt would be now in
the face OF a determined band armed with the
Henry rife each ball carrying thousand
yards . .........
But we are pleased in the reflection that it
is not alone in the science of war that this
spirit of progression is manifest. 1t is, if pos
sible, to greater extent observable in the arts
of peace. Within the last century Franklin
taught us how to use tho lightning, and Daguerre
the sun. Agr;culturists have been taught how
to husband their strength. Women have been
supplied with sewing machines Free schools
have been instituted, and the spirit of progress
is stamped upon everything we see.
|, is but a few years since that the man in
the East who had travelled as far West as
Michigan was on his return honized, and looked
upon as man of mark. Now it is not un
common to meet men who have traversed the
entire continent, nor rare that we see those
who have been around the world. Our young
gents and misses travel across the water to
France and Germany, and converse with the
natives of those countries in the French and
German languages. Men, when they attain
their majority days, know more in rea
ton to the general resources of the entire
country than a few years since they knew o
their own State or country.
This is not only an age of progress but o
facts Men of this age are more practica
than were these of past ages. We are opcrat
ed upon less by prejudice and more by reason
than were our ancestors. Time was, and tina
not ju the far off past when intellect and edu
cation were sparsely distributed and the few
mentally controlled the many. Not so now,
While all are willing to accord genius anc
ability to those who merit it, yet each individ
ual reserves TO himself the right, and considers
himself competent, to determine as to his owf
course of action. Political collars cannot nov
be fitted TO mems necks by political moun,e
banks as in days of yorc. Our people are no
charmed by party names as formerly, but a.
tach themselves 10 principle rather than men
Facts are highly relished and stubbornly in
vestigated by those of the present age, an
their perverter is looked upon us a commo
euemy Our children ushered into the worl
in this enlightened and progressive age, i'm
bibe ideas which fit them for men and women
as though by absorption, and they help them
selves to the joys and blessings spread befor
them by the Almighty, not As though they wer
committing theft of irfinite wickedness, bu
believing that He provided them for their use
They look upon the Almighty as their frien
and beueiactor, and do not allow their nature
to become imbued with metaphysical tormer
and their mental vision to be obstructed wit