The New York herald., 1867-04-07

Fifty Years Of Progress.
Fifty years ago. How sweeping are the
changes which have passed over the world
and society since thenl Fifty years ago In
the oldest, wealthiest and most civilized Of the
Old World communities locomotion could be
accomplished at no greater convenience than
was afforded by the numbering stage coach or
Diligence, and In the case Of the more highly
favored classes by the unwieldy family car
riage. Then, to quote the language Of one Of
the most successful of modern English word
painters, "The mail still announced itself by
the merry notes of the horn, the hedge-cutter
or rick-thatcher might still know the exact
hour by the unfailing yet otherwise meteorio
apparition Of the pea green Tally-ho or the
yellow Independent and elderly gentlemen in
pony chaises, quartering nervously to mako
way for the rolling, swinging swiftness, had
not ceased to remark that times were
finely changed since they used to see the
pack horses and hear the tinkling of their
bells on this same highway" So was it on
land. 1t was not materially different on sea;
for the age Of steamboats, and of yachts swift
IS steamboats, had not yet come. Fifty years
ago the streets Of our largest and finest cities
could boast Of nothing better than the rude
lantern which dangled midway-the lantern
which proved fatal to many life, and which
will remain in lasting association with the first
French revolution. In the houses Of the
wealthiest candle and oil for lighting purposes
were the greatest luxuries which could be COM
manded. These were the "good old times !" Of
which the romancists speak when life had In 1t
something of the agreeable. These times may
have been "good," household joys may have
been sweet, life may have been easy and COM
Portable, stage travelling may have had about
it somewhat Of the picturesque; but we have
no reason to regret that they are now old"
They were extremely slow and were neither
in harmony with nor fitted to encourage the
activities of the human intellect.
The changes which have since taken place
are of such character that they speak for
themselves. They certainly have not dimin-
ished either the number or the value of the
amenities of life. If we have not now tho
slow rolling stage coach we have at least the
railway and the steam car. 1--we have not the
tallow candle and the train oil we have surely
equivalents in the clear sifssniag gas light
and the brilliant kerosene. Who would elect
to 60 back to those times or to have those
times brought back to us, when gas and fail
roads and steam cars and steam engines aud
electric telegraphs and postal communication
and newspapers were either non-existent or a.
yet in their infancys To carry US back over
these Afty years, or to bring that period back
to US, were such thing possible, would be to
restore @the reign Of Chaos and Eternal Night"
Life would not be tolerable. ...s----ss.y
More real progress, in fact, has cen
made during these last 6fty years than
was made during many previous CEN
turies. The emancipated intellect of man
has been revealing its power in all direc-
tions Mind has been asserting its authority
over matter. The elements Of nature no longer
govern-they obey. Truly, and by no figure,
science has laid her hand upon the ungoverna-
BILE deep and made 1t the pathway Of commerce.
She has arrested the fierce winds In their pro-
gress and trained them to be the carriers fthe
globe. She has caught, nay, she can create,
the terrific lightning and she has made it the
swift-winged messenger of thought. Such has
been the progress of discovery, and so habitu-
ated have we become to the most violent sur
prises that from the vocabulary of science the
term "impossible' has all but disappeared.
y Astonishing as has been the progress " hicl
has been made we are not without ev idencs
at Ae present moment that we are entering
upon new and more wonderful era still.
The discoveries which are being made,
and whisA are but the precursors Of others
which WIN prove more wonderful and.
more beneficial, prove that we are ON the
eve Of . great revolution, the effects Of which
will be experienced not by particular nations
or communities, but by the entire human
family. 1t will be worldwide in its influence.
Electricity promises more aud more to be the
principal servant of the human intellect in the
future ages Of the world. On the one hand We
learn that by certain improvements in the
telegraphic apparatus all the inconveniences
resulting from interrupted communications and
inseparable nom the present system will be
completely obviated, and that from any one
point to any other point irrespective Of dis
tance and without the necessity Of any inter-
vention along the entire line, messages will
be safely and surely transmitted. We are glad
to learn that new company has been or d
being formed with view to take full sdvan-
tage Of al recent improvements. II Il con-
templated to have line from Paris via Brest to
New York aud on to San Francisco and other
large centres In the Union. According to this
improved system messages win be flashed from
extreme to extreme, from Paris to San Fran
cisco, without any interruption. So much for
Biography, On the other hand we learn that
Iuch improvements have been made in the pro-
iuction Of electric light that II is not deemed
impossible to give light enough 70 make Lon
lon or New York by night lighter than London
- ~ vc~l Ixw A ,r~nx e. Is-nA