Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-09-13
Modern Progress.


? The characteristic of this blessed nine
teenth century of christianity is progress
3 It is indeed, wonderful to contemplate tn
} advancement made in arts, in arms, IL
science and in vice, if not in virtue. It
some rejecting minds this contemplation
is not more productive of admiration thai
of fear and dread, for in the wonderful
events that have occurred, and are occur
ing daily around us, they seem to see the
verifcation and fulflment of those ancient
predictions which have given so much un
easiness to SO many men, in so many ages
since their utterance, and which 1t Is
thought foretell the destruction of this
earth, upon which amid trouble and trib-
ulation, we fret away our few days.
This view of the case, however, does not
cause as very great deal of apprehension,
for what with cholera, yellow fever, wal,
pestilence and famine, and the thousand
and one other ills that flesh is heir to, y
we have little expectation of witnessing the
last grand confagration before we are call
the chief emotion excitedin US by the nigh
ty changes that have occurred. Progress
marches with resistless stride and leaves its
stamp upon every thing. We see it every
where around us, beneath us and above us
With us, in this country, to which the Star
of Empire has at last arrived, it bears the
image and superscription of the U. S. L.
Revenue Commissioner. Ii Europe it
bears that of Count Bismarck and the nee
die gun. It has, however, been suggested
that in Europe there is more owing to Aus
trian imbecility and cowardice, than to any
peculiar virtue in the famous needle gun !;
upon this point, however, we are not pre-
pared to give all opinion. The achieve
ment of the age however, that by which in
future ages this century will be known, dis
tinguished and remembered, is the Ocean
Cable After years of patient labor and I'M
ceasing struggle after series Of failures
disheartening enough to destroy the ener-
gy of the most persistent after enormous
expenditures of money, success crowns the
enterprise and the earth is indeed, as it
were, "girdled." No two points of the
civilized world are now more than a few
hours apart. Every day brings us intelli-
gence from the remOtest corners of the
earth. The result of this close and con-
slant communication is plainly shown in
the character and quality of the informa-
ton we are now receiving. Nothing con-
corning such close neighbors and intimate
friends as the Greeks, or Turks, or Chi
nese, is too unimportant for transmission to
us at the port of Wilmington. There Is one
inconvenience, however, to us, at least, who
have not paid much attention to the study
of Geography, since the days of our
boyhood, and that arises from our
forgetfulness of the names and places
of some of these interesting new
neighbors. This causes blush Of shame
for our ignorance. This free interchange
of information must be very productive of
good will and harmony among mankind, to
say nothing of the great benefits conferred
upon the human race by the diffusion of
such useful knowledge. Every one can see
at glance how instructing and improving,
and E;thal exciting, it would prove to the
good people Of BAshQk to hear, tomorrow
morning, that certain freedmen had desert
ed their employers i'll Wilmington last
night, and had gone to the g Sound" All
Siam would be in an uproar at once. and
forthwith Chang and Eng would receive a
dispatch announcing their appointment to
the command of opposing armies.
Approaching the Importance of such tel
egrams, the Gable Company have devoted
themselves chiefly to their transmission. For
instance, the following, which we published
day before yesterday
VIENNA Sept. 10.
Austria il about to introduce extensive reforms
In the organiza ION OF her afmF.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 6,
Via LONDON, Sept. s,