The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-11
GtreGtstettfQett
LUMINOUS.

mer in the local columns of the Register,
thus plays around the obfuscated path
way of this benighted generation;
There seems to be FREQ uently some
invisible agency combined with the pc
culiar idiosyncrasies of human nature
which move the masses of the people.
Sometimes there is general buoyancy
OF spirits, tending to conviviality;
sometimes our spirits are depressed
without seeming cause. And so man
moves on through the labyrinth of life.
Sometimes great national political
events seem to occur without the agen-
cy of man. That there Is such an
agency now moving the minds of the
multitude, Is scarcely within the pur-
view of doubt. Everywhere they are
moving in one direction-toward the
temple of liberty and justice.
Observe, there is ian invisible agency''
well, not certainly, but there ''seems
to be-" and frequently" This may be
the whisky ring, or it may be the W Risky
itself, for that becomes invisible" very
soon after its acquaintance with the
Register Office. 1t might be "Plau-
chette," but we incline to the opinion
1t is whisky, because we are told it
combines with the "peculiar idiosyn-
crasies of human nature" (The saga
cious reader will be careful not to con.
found the peculiar idiosyncrasies with
theotlIer kind Then, again, the masses
of the people are moved by a relative
pronoun, which may represent the in
visible agency, the peculiar idiosyn-
crasies, or the human nature-it is not
clear which, and does not much signi-
fu 10 F1G To
are moved. The next thing worthy of
note is ga general buoyancy of spir-
It's" This strongly confirms our theo.
ry that the invisible agent is whisky,
| especially when we reflect that this
buoyancy OF spirits tends 10 "convivi-
atty" And, then, the depression of
spirits" sometimes, without SEEM
ing cause" piles up the proof strong
as Holy Writ that our theory regard
ing the invisible agency is the correct
one. The buoyancy tending to con-
VITALITY is late at night. The depres-
sion is late next morning. It is true
the Vermont news might create such
depression, but then there would be IL
seeming cause, so the theory Is still
good. The next thing we find is, that
man is moving, not his household goods
and gods, nor ION the enemy's works."
but "through labyrinth" Now why
he does this is not clear; but he moves
$50, !" which means by the aid, or under
the influence, or by the adumbrant
guidance, OF the invisible agency. In
other words, instead OF moving on Il
geometrical right line. or in tho usual
phrase, instead of walking chalk
line, he takes both sides of the street;
he moves in weaving way; he wan
ders in labyrinthine paths with neither
outlet nor inlet, in an inextricable maze
of confusion worse COMPOUNDED and be-
wilderment more bewildered-all OF
which goes to strengthen our theory
about the invisible agency. But who
this "man" is, Is still u question: II
must he the editor of the Register; and
II so, is the labyrinth a real one caused
by the invisible agency or an intel
lectuai one caused by-well by circum-
stances over which he had no control.
Having CROPPED his way out OF the
labyrinth our friend discovers that
"great national political events seem to
occur" (mark they do not really occur,
they only seem toy "without the agency
of man"-the same man, we presume,
who was in the labyrinth. How vague,
shadowy and underlined the "man's"
ideas. Things seem to occur without
agency. Or If there is any agency 1t is
invisible. Can this remotely refer to
the increase of the Radical majority in
Vermont? It must, because there the
invisible agency failed to manifest
itself.
'That there is such an unseen agen-
cy," continueth this philosopher, "now
moving the minds of the multitude, Is
scarcely within the purview of doubt"
Here we are. all at sea again. What
ugency Ia this 'such anP" Is 1t the
same Invisible agency first described,
or is it the ''agency of man." in the
sentence Immediately preceding. II
so, It is an unseen agency of man,
which may be the same as the invisible
agency; and may not. 1t is very i'm
portant to know this, for the minds of
the multitude are being moved, and
we ought TO know what it is that moves
them. Are they too moving through a
labyrinth, and irso, how many? But,
to make the matter worse, we are as
sured that it sis scarcely within the
purview of doubt" that things are as
repIesented-that is, on the move. Does
the gentle reader ask what is the pur-
view of doubt? The gentle reader
should not be inquisitive; but we will
let Webster answer. PURvIEw''
means: 81. A condition or provtso."
But this meaning is obsolete, and our
friend does not use obsolete words. It
means $50. Gaw.) The body of stat
ute. !" as distinguished from the ,,ream-
BILE; "3. The limit or scope of stat
ute the whole extent OF its intention
or provisions; and "a. Limit or sphere
of authority; scope; extent" The edt-
tor means, therefore, that 1t is scarcely
within the body of statute of doubt,
or within the limit or scope of a statute
of doubt, or within the whole extent of
tho provisions of statnteof doubt, or
within the limit of authority of doubt,
or within the scope or extent of doubt,
that such an unseen agency Is now
moving the minds of the multitude
which makes the meaning as transpa-
rent as stone wall.
And "to where are we drifting ?"-in
the language of Democratic handful
posted round the city. That is, "to