The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-07-07

IToRIAL ASSOCIATION, AT PRAIRIE
DU CHEN, JUNE "a, 1870.
Mr. President, and Gentlemen Of the WIS
c01asin Press ~ f
That the time set apart for the recrea-
tion of overworked minds be not I'M
necessarily infringed on,we shall dispense
with all preliminaries, in way of intro
duction. and proceed at once to the an
nouncement of our subject, which wisely,
or unwiseiy. has been chosen for your
entertainment
"Moral Progress as aided by the Press
is text that admits of so wide range
of discussion, that twenty minutes
effort can afford but little more than q
mere skeleton of the subject. We ces
tainly heed not waste time upon an audi
ence like this in proving what is already
a scientific deduction. i4
That Progression is law of Nature
there can be no doubt; and that its work
ings may be greatly accelerated or retard.
ed by favorable or unfavorable condi
tions, is fact clearly established in
nature. The full period of time occupi-
ed in the growth and maturity of the
human race, will show the unmistakable
proof of this position. But that there
may be the usands of years wherein tie
workings of this law may be found sus
pended, is fact equally certain. a
Thegporular notion that each succeed
ing century finds mankind greatly i'm
proved intellectually and morally is Ger.
tainiy most fallacious one. That
man has sought out many inventions,
that he has greatly improved his sur
roundings, has made many grand and
imposing demonstrations over the elc
nlents OF matter; that he has multiplied
his enjoyments and even created new
wants, are facts most obvious to all.
Gould one of the philosophc: of old
be resnrrectcd and made 10 inspect our
modern ativanceinents he would undnubt-
IedlJ he filled with awe and amazement,
if he did not even fall down and worship
the man OF the nineteenth century. But
should he, by degrees, take time to care
fully examine our great Inventions, and
study somewhat the nature of the men
and women of the present age, he would
gradually regain his equilibrium, anu,
upon finding that mans physical, antcl-
lectual and moral organization was no
was three thousand years ago, his high
respect and reverence would undoubted
" be much abated And though it be
granted that in physical condition the
human race is at a stand still, yet the
question arises. Has there heen no adj
vancement made towards the perfection
of mans mental and moral powers, during
the historic period? We answer, that
though the sum of human knowledge has
greatly augmented, yet we have no proof
that the moderns in point OF intellectual
capacity, are one whit ahead of the
Antediluvians Where, IN modern litera
ture, can we find superior productions to
the Had Of Homer, the Songs of David
and Solomon, the poems of Ossian and,
above all, the Book of Job? ast
And again, when we note the wonder
full lessons in morality, ethics and re-
ligion, of those by-gone periods
that nave been subscribed to and adopted
as the authority and rule of action
throughout the civilized portions of the
world, we are forced to acknowledge
that those early periods were productive
of u class of men not only equal, but
greatly superior in devotion to truth, in
self-sacrificing beneyolence end the rigid
virtues, to any modern times.
The civilization of our own favored
land politically the freest on earth
has made no advancement beyond that
of Greece and Rome and, like. theirs,
bids fair to end in general obliteration
o. virtue and high toned manhood.
And here let us ask, Is not this great
republic subject to the same mortalities
of nations gone before? And do we not
already show SYMPTOMS of virulent dis
orders that presage decrepitude, if not
dissolution, at no very remote period
Are VIC doing any more than following
the beaten track-the broad road
of All renowned historic people?
"Thls is the moral of all human tales;
"Tis but the same rehearsal Of the past;
First freedom, aud then glory-when that
fails, aUt
Wealth, vice, corruption, barbarism at
And history with all its volumes vast.
Has bnt one page"
Christianity, thus far, has succeeded in
subjecting but small portion of man.
kind to It's dominions. Both Europe
and America. i is true, bear the label Il
but how much Of the Christianity taught
in Judea eighteen hundred years ago,
can be found at the present time in these
grand divisions Of the globey Man has
mastered the elements of earth has lit |
orally gained a supremacy over the forces
of nature. His real achievements are
more wonderful than those of the tabled
magicians of story. Does not steam har-
messed to his car transport HIM with the,
speed of the tornado Has it not become
his efficient servant upon both land and
sea? Have not the lightnings of heaven
been impressed into his service ye
retained to do his errandse