The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-31
SUpcrfciality.

The great characteristic of the age is
lack of earnestness. Never, since tn
niaiserirs of the Froude gave to the vocnbu
larry of the French people a new synonym
for frivolity, has so great disposition {
trife through life been manifest all over til
world. Everywhere men seem to be return
ing to the bagatclle-loving. volatile days O
their childhood, or at least to be crowninj
the red shoes and coral of their babyhoo,
with the cap and bells of maturer folly
"Pleased with rattle, tickled with straw,
they laugh and grimace and caper through
life with the skill of practiced Polichinelli
varied only as surrounding circumstance!
darken the lines ofthe picture, by the grim
sombre travestie of mirth which we mark
in the features of the ancient jewellers in
the "Dance of Death" Over large por-
ton of the civilized world desolation like
that of Balclutha has been spread, and the
afliction which brooded over the tents OF
Cushan has been repeated in all our South
ern country;-yet the pulse of humanity
seems not one throb quicker for the thought
that great battle of the ages has been
fought und lost for the world
Such, indeed, are not ut all the rehec-
tions which bear sway. Far otherwise !
The philosopher who stands at the head of
British speculative thought is a materialist
Of the shallowest and most material school,
an advocate of sort of philosophical dN-
ettdntei,m which refuses to assert that there
may not be somewhere in the universe of
God spot where the laws of nature may
be reversed, and two and two be found to
constitute fve;-whose practical effort as u
nations legislator has been chiefly to con-
fer the suffrage on women. A New York
editor crosses the Atlantic in yacht and
high and low are frenzicd with excitement.
as we can imagine men in the simple, ear
nest days Of old, thrilling to the knowledge
of some newly discovered law of being, or
the disappearance from the heavens of some
familiar star. A half crazy Federal SER
geant und rtakes to walk through subju-
gated land unarmcd and bearing unfurled
the conqueror's fng,-and instantly we
must applaud aud welcome as if another
Sir GALAHAD was riding through dragons
and scorpions and all the power of the
enemy 10 win another San Greal or MS if |
here, forsooth, was q story to thrill the
after-time as the tale Of that other whilome
ride through uwe-hushed Coventry! The
of the spirit of the time seems to
come like blight upon the energies, and
to permeate like n subtle poison through
the veins Of all sorts and conditions of men.
The greatest singer of our time has been
beguiled by this tricksy Puck, who has
seized the reins of things, to roar as gently
and we'll nigh as Silly as any sucking dove.
Those kings of modern thought who have
retained their royalty so far us not to de-
:cend and gambol with the crowd, have for
he most part, shut their mouths from vain
and folded their hands from
ruthless interference. Mr.. CARLYLE. after
'ne last tug at the reins has wearied of
forts as futile as PHAETnoN's, and utter.
nces as despiscd as CAssAXDEA's, and is {
umbly waiting to see the future come Mr.. :
lATTHEw ARNOLD, too, records his protest ,
MI shuts the book with regrctful hau,l. {
hey will not have The ''>weelncss, beauty
nd light" to which he points the way, and
c, for mis- part, will strive no more. Let" +
Z says, s.
sIet the long contention cease.
Geese arc swans and swans arc geese: :
Let them have it how they will {,
Thou art tired, b 2st be still !" $.
Is not ali this u homily upon the times
there not something better in the world +
ian all these trities: True, no remon- 6. s.
rance can check the current of events. y
ne most that the most earnest can do, is i
keep his own skirts clean, and perhaps, if ca
te is kind TO him, to leave his protes; behind :. :.
NJ on some monumc 1t less pcrishablc lhan i
mself. In the meantime AL the noise -
d outcry Of the former mem must 20 for sd
ught with their children The world I
Ist be entertained Who will listen to PA
r plaint? Leroi S'amGys' .sal al