Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-10-26

PERFECT MAcHGNERY.-All machinery, the
most perfect piece of mechanism which ever
csme from human hands, will wear out, be-
cause there Is friction. It's coes. its wheels,
it's bearings, its axes and its cylinders all move
nnon one another, more or less directly. Such
motion implies friction, and friction causes loss
Of substance necessarily. Millions Of money
are expended every year for the purchase OF
oils and other lubricants, to lessen the wear
and waste in the running OF our iocomotlVes'
the trains on our railroads and the machinery
OF our numberless mills and manufactures
But the living human body came from tne
hands of the I1fnite One. 1t IS the perlec
tion of mechanism, aud has within itself Inc
mower of growth and development ; and more,
i makes It's own repairs and provides It's own
lubricants works necessarily, day and night
Summer and Winter, seed-time and harvest,
for hundred years. 1t never stops, 1T never
wears out, untiI the work is completed Tor
which it was made and the Master Builder
bids it run no more 1t is made OF Its hun
dreds of muscles, and hands, aud sockets, aud
hinges, ard pulleys, all playing upon or drag.
ging across each other. The very smallest OF
these motions involves waste indeed, not
single crook Of the finger, not bend or the
ann. not twinkle OF the eye, not thought
Of the brain, but is at the expense OF some
solid portion of the human machine; and yet,
at the end of century, it remains whole 10 all
its parts while the most perfect constructions
OF man come to dead stop in very few
months, and would stand still forever, unless
some new cog, or pin, or pulley was suppned.
But the tongue which speaks to-day spoke
hundred years ago just as well, and the eye
lid wnks as easily at iorescorc as IN infancy.
1t does not even wink tredly. And all tb!s'
not because there is no waste OF substance in
this wonderful frame Of ours, but because 1t Is
as promptly repaired as made.
PREVALENCE OF CRIME. The evidences OF
it are all around US. They stare Us 10 the face
every turn. Glance over one OF our daily
newspapers. Its columns are filled with re-
cords of crimes of every variety and degree.
So universally has crime become staple OF
news, that in many of our newspapers you Will
find the history of it grouped uuder appropriate
heading as: 'Curiosities OF Crime" Grimes
and Casualties &c., &C., where may be read
mourntu calendar OF arson. rape, adultery,
murder and every sin which diSgraces and dc
grades our fallen humanity.
Our familiarity with and ind itference to this
shocking degencracy is evidenced by the flip
pant style in which it is tie fashion to write of
these things.
And this prevalence OF crime is not copfiaed
to the lower strata of society. Making all due
allowance tor the exaggeratious of partisan
maigpity, it cannot be doubted that fearful
corruption prevails in high places in our gos-
ernment; and in the records OF our divorce and
police courts may be found the names OF those
who figure in the front ranks OF our "iashona
BILE society," ,
We will not stop now to inquire into the
causes of these things; but what is 10 be their
result, or how are they to be remeded?
Here is consideration that must give u;
pause" That, unless something be done and
that speedily, this epidemic OF crime must DC e
fatal to our national existence cannot De oouos
ed by those whe are familiar With the histories
of nations. The careful student OF history
needs not the authority OF inspiration for be
lieving that Righteousness exalteth nation q,
but sin is reproach to any peopie.-Norfo"
Journal.