The New York herald., 1870-01-30
TIE New Ase-Te What = the World
Touding?

1
1t. up to the present age, has been but the in
troductory chapter of the great volume OF the
| nineteenth century and to vhe w0nderful fu-
ture that is just opening. The old saying
that history repeats itself is no longer true,
except in limited sense, for the extraordi-
nary discoveries in science and the social, po-
htical and material developments of the pres
ent time are unlike any that have occurred be-
fore. In truth, this is new age, so new and
surprising, and 80 far in advance Of any pre-
ceding one that those who believe in mill
lennium have no difficulty in fixing this as the
period for the regeneration Of the world and
for the coming Of that new heaven and earth
ioretold in the Apocalypse. But we shall not
60 into the mysteries Of prophecy or into
speculations about theological or spiritual
matters; we shall treat Of facts only and the
deductions to be drawn from them.
Those who love to contemplate things of
antiquity or to study and dwell on ancient
history often profess to find a superior civili-
zation in the past. They 60 back to Egypt,
to Greece and to Rome. and attempt to show
that we are not only not in advance Of these
countries when they had reached the highest
point of their civilization, but that we are be-
hind them. This, however, is a narrow and
short-sighted view Of the matter, and shows
that these lovers Of antiquity do not compre-
hend the mighty agencies and wonderful pro-
gress Of modern civilization.
The most ancient of all civilizations re-
corded in history or on monumental structures
is that Of Egypt and no doubt this is the
Oldest, for nothing has been discovered to show
that any nation before the Egyptians had
attained that knowledge and the arts
Of life which constitute civilization
as now understood. The Hebrews were
only pastoral tribes before they went to
Egypt. The Chinese, though they boast of
civilization dating back before the Egyptians,
have a.peculiar civilization Of their own they
are not yet civilized people in the European
and highest sense Of the term. Egypt made
some progress in the arts of building, sculpture
agriculture and even in literature. The
Pyramids and her vast and gorgeous temples
knowledge of science as well as good deal of
art. Still, massive and enduring as these are,
they are comparatively rude and lack the
highest character Of art. They show also that
the mass of the people were ignorant slaves,
and that state Of things was incompatible with
a high civilization. The same remarks apply
to the great Babylonian and Assyrian empires.
Their civilization was much of the same cha
racter. The Jews were in advance Of all the
people Of ancient times in the superiority OF
their religion and in their code Of civil
and moral laws, but from their exclusiveness,
their peculiar theocratic system and narrow
views, they never attained great proficiency
in science and art. The Greeks reached the
highest point Of civilization in ancient times.
Their superb structures and exquisite sculp-
tare have mover been surpassed, and have re-
maiued the models of beauty and skill for all
succeeding ages. 1t was in Greece, too, that
the democratic and republican principles of
government arose and received their develop
ment. Not only were the arts of peace and
war known there; not only had literature, phi
losophy, poetry and eloquence reached the
highest point, but science, which distinguishes
in such remarkable manner the present age,
began to be unfolded there. Rome, that
mighty Power of the past took the various
phases of preceding civilizations and moulded
and adapted them to her own peculiar circum-
stances. Rome became great also in art,
particularly in the art of war, and greater
than any former nation in craftsmanship, in
her admirable laws, and in government. The
literature of Rome, too, like that Of Greece,
will exist forever, to show the civilization
attained in those times. From the period
when Rome declined the world passed through
long night of intellectual darkness and stag
nation. II was not until England began to
emerge from feudal and religious despotism,
till the free commercial cities of Italy sprang
into existence, and till commerce began its
civilizing influence, that the light Of the past
revived and that q new light began to shed it's
power over Europe. We might notice the pro-
gress made from that period, the discoveries
in SCIENCE the intellectual giants-such as
Newton, Shakespeare and others that illum-
mated the world-the spread of navigation and
commercial enterprise to all parts of the globe,
with the discovery of America /; but these would
not come within the limits of an editorial
article, and every reader Of history is familiar
with the facts.
All the events and progress to which we
have adverted seem to point to these latter
days, and appear to have been ordained by
Providence as preparatory to this new age-to
the wonderful developments Of the nineteenth
century The civilization Of Greece or Rome
and that was the highest Of ancient times-can-
not be compared with ours Of the present
day. The most intellectual people Of former
times never dreamed Of the magnetic tele-
graph, Of that steam power which now circum-
navigates the globe and unites all the nations