Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1867-05-18

and described tho exact spirit Of the latf
/ government of the United States =
The painting of the Middle Ages az
the statuary and architecture Of the a
clients fills US with wonder and admiratl+ z
aud leave US no superior excellence TO Z
hoped for. Demosthenes, Kschines en-
1 icero still stand as models IN orator9
! Archlmidss and Euclid are still the ~
! wonders in mathematical scietice.
kind studies and tries in vain to iml5s
the sublime strains of Homer, Pindar
Virgil. The tragic pathos Of Sophoc!{
the grave, historic pages OF Ihucydidf
Liyy and Tacitus have never been a
celled: The ancient sririt rappers ra1ao
up real si!s asi Socrates, PlaS1,' sAllris9te q
oeasca, and fpictetus, the slaIc, gave knd
most exalted examples of the lofty 8w.
acute powers OF the intellect. The p0hn
ers of the human reason and imaginatifx.
have long since been discovered and | Z
erted to the utmost. Me
We have, then, not progressed in i,al
fine arts, in government, or in intellecNve
power. But we have done this-we hs 70
applied art and the intellectual powers
useful purposes. bis
Archinides could apologize for Its
madness as being merely innocent resur
OF the dolce far ,siente Of a philosophers
Seneca could strive to clear Democriaie
from the disgracefnl stain of having maily
the first arch the ancients could apl2ir
the power of steam to add ter.ors to then
mysteries. But the present age has takhe
steam and bound it in iron, and taken ne
lever and screw of Archimides, and Ito
arch OF Democritus, and set them all iii.
work. Art and mind build factories, RI a
roads, steamboats, and foundries. AnAd
poor family now can travel better, ails
have better coats, shoes, buttons and p Ia
a better house to live in, better chairs 10.
beds, and better food, than the phstscsrs
pliers, or even their own grandfathd
had X
The Philosopher despised AstrononSn
except as it served to elevate the mind sas
contemplation. But the present age Ars
set the sun to work, and made the st}os
mile tones. Philos. p'l Kind
and Priests thought that Knowledge 5d ;
Philosophy were not fit for the vulgar heate
now, our printing presses strive to eleTso-
every man to knowledge and true Phildres
ply. The vigorous minds of the old s;E,ite
could contemplate life in all its phases qSour
as we'll as we-but very different is
Philosophy from theirs. Test
Life Is like great feast of the cost Rpy
and coarsest fare spread beneath a GAMMA
OF blue, spangled with stars. and illumi6h
ted with the most brilliant lights. And lnds
what dense and motley crowd surroil r.,
it'll baress. sle.-s@l.> ~ y, >---f u
above the uproar you hear the shaEtyT3 ~
the coffin makers hammer. Anhod ] |.
living stream comes pressing in at br HON
weeping, praying. sha L
curslng, hoping and fearing, TO the II ri
another stream. a silent stream, of Ee} B
and biers, attended by mutes, moveslhY rb
backway to the grave yard, until theeIe =
burdened earth groans with its dead. NE
So it is, and so it will be. They will
come in, and drink and starve, and feast
and quarrel and dance. The filled will hob
mob with each other and despise the hun
cry; the hungry will hate each other, and
the filed too, and both will be carried out
and their places will be taken by Others,
until, suddenly, in the midst of their revel-
ry the lights will be extinguished and they
will look aghast to see the blue canopy
shriveling with heat, and the massive col
umns OF their edifiee falling. and the floor
cracking beneath them, and feasters and
feast will be swept away in fire smoke. and
darkness.
What matter whether we be wise or fool
ish. rich or poor, good or bad, loved or
hated? What matter any condition OF
life A? That delirium A little laughter, a
few tears. little joy, a great deal OF
trouble, all for the most part imaginary,
and We vanish awayl The same events
happen to all and we all lie in the grave
together. Opera house and hovel, ball
room, and sick room, rostrum and tireside
we must leave them all and they will know
US no more forever.
Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-
morrow we die--says Epicurus. Let us
wiring our hands aud weep-says Hcracli-
tus since all of these outward things are
so vain say Plato, Zeno and Epictetus, let
man improve his mind by contemplation
for his mind is his poblest part. But says
the Philosophy of this present age: while
men live they should have comfortable
clothing, good food, and true knowledge
They should be freed as much as possible
fiom all the evils incident to poverty and
ignorance. For life, though it apps{r .
vain show, is solemn, active, importan,
reality. This reality does not consist in
the feeting events which compose life, but
in the effect those events have upon the
rational soul, which isimmortal, and there
is vast and an eternal difference between
folly and wisdom, virtue and vice. Lei
any man look into his heart. and let nom
ory perform her Office. Let him take some
wrong he has committed-the first which
starts up. You vince, but hold it steadi
ly before you; look well at the stain
Now argue to yourself. 1t happened 9
long time ago; | was young and inexpe
rienced the damage has been repaired
my neighbor has been satisfied it did lit
tie injury, and the world goes on as vel
as before. Aye, make excuses Argue
away "Out damned spot! I" But it i;
yours, yours forever and ever. You can
not get rid of it. Fly, and it clines te
you; sleep and forget. but wake, and yor
see it. Go crazed. but when your sense:
return In this world or the next. it il
with you. So, too good action, though
but your duty. and imperfectly performed
perhaps, gives you delight, and the pleas
ure is your own forever If. then, the ef
feet of one, perhaps. trivial, act be so i'm
portant, much more important Is the eiIec
of all the acts of life taken together TIT
whole duty which man owes to himsei
and to society is love, which embraces ev
cry virtue, manifssts itself by benerolence
and Is the very soul Of justice. And it !