Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-01

| New lines OF traffic are In rapid progress
aud promise great things for the land. AZ
q people we arc intensely material THE
loudest talk is Of raiIwava ana
steamboats,, and telegraphs; Of grass.
and corn. and cotton; Of cold. and Silver
and copper, and iron, and coal; of mills
machinery, and fabrics; of stocks, and OF
oonas' No doubt much of this is unayoid
aole; much OF It is even ccmmendable. Our
nineteenth century is the century of dis
coVeries and inventions. We meet them
wherever We go. Indeed, it matters little
which way we turn our eyes, wealth of alb
servation and brilliance Of discovery on
every sside encounter us. Whether we
raise our thoughts TO the sidereal heavens,
to the countless throng of suns and sys-
TENS, or considerations and ornaments, with
all the immensely beyond, or descend TO
the rocky tablets of earth, and read the
unexpected, stories Of creation, wisdom, and
munihcence, ante dating the birth OF man,
which have been heard from the sepulchres
OF worlds long since ceased to be, or whether
we examine the dazzling experiments of
Dsvy, or Fsradsy's brilliant researches, or
toll with Buckland and LyeIl, land Hitch
cock and Miller, we would he justified in
declaring that there never was time when
science was more wealthy, or the stimula-
ted mind of man more certain of discover
ing yet greater things.
And If, from such pursuits, we turn our
attention to the educational and ecclesiasii-
cal machinery Of the country, have We not
much TO felietate ourselves upon, and be
thankful for? A nation is but the aggregate
OF the individuals Of which it is composed.
WheL individuals grow up ignorant and In
capable, the result is anarchy and torpoF
Where there his been energy, vigor, and
organized strength, there Is or has been also
an effective training of some kind. And
this is precisely one of the chief character
isticS Of the nation. We have an excellent
system of common schools for the common
people, better than that of any other nation
keep Prussia, and, in some respects, better
even than hers. We have also colleges
enough, suca as they are, and higher
schools OF training for tho learned profess
sions; and though not equal 10 the European
iversities, they are sun aspiring and wrest.
ing 10 reach their level. Best of ali, we
have the insti utions Of religion, the pulpit
and sscram of the CHRISTIAN Church,
organ led CHARITIES aud benevolent associa-
Eary con ribufions of the people. Here
lies our strength; here centre all our hopes.
Strange to say, what We need first and
most OF all is better civil government.
In our race for riches, and in our struggle
for the mastery of the continent, political
institutions have been lost sight of, political
duties shirked, political science sighted.
In looking after our own individual in
terest, we have overlooked the interests of
the country at large. We find the very
worst men, adulterers, bankrupts, iiber-
tines, have made their way up into the
highest offices of trust. No doubt evils ex-
list. The cause of justice mourns the luke
wsrmness of its friends and the audacity of
its foes. Corruption and swindling prev all
to an alarming extent in the midst Of our
high places. The lust of offiea has poison
ed the sweetest charities of life, and sapped
the foundations Of public morals. Az in
sane greed of wealth has usurped the place
o; quiet industry and modest content. The
ancient faith has given way TO superficial
convictions and selfish practices. Yet we
do not for moment distrust the redeem
ing power of the Most High. We have
much for which to be hUmble, and yet we
have much for which to be thankful.
If such evils exists-what is the remedy?
The text replies-"RigDteo exalteth
q natiop." A community is but an az
greg2tiOn OF individuals, and in proportion
10 the individual impurity must be the ma
tional impiety. Are the individual citi-
z7ns, then, growing more pure in their
private habits? Are they true aud just in
their dealings? Is their intelligence, IL
they are becoming intelligent, directed to
wards learning and doing what is right, and
avoiding what is wrong? Are they making
progress in the fear of God, or is self the
idol of their worship?
That is one criterion of true progress.
n atioual safety must have its basis in in
diyidual virtue; nor must we seek for na-
-ional prosperity apart from personal right
eOusness. We have rema, kable illustra-
lion Of this principle in the history Of the
Hebrews. So vital was this principle in the
vie Of the framers of the Hebrew Com
that on every side the people
we're taught that allegiance to God lay at
the root of real prosperity, and that as the
spheres Of Heaven would fall iato cOnfu-
sion unless held in their place by ths at
traction of the sun, so the best arrange
mems for agriculture, commerce, education,
etc, would loss their virtue and miss their
aim, unless carried on in due reliance on
the great sovereign power of the universe
the one great source Of order, prosperity
and blessing. With this agrees the senti-
meut of Burke: ave know, and what is
better, we feel inwardly, that religion is the
basis of civil society, apd the source Of all
good aud Of all comfort"
Ii is the same wherever we 90. All re-
publics require the highest degree of virtue;
and hsd not the institutions of America a.
the FIST been laid deep in moral elements,
hey must long since ceased to exist. The
States Of Greece with their lightning-like
genius, interpreting and etherealizing every
science, art and philosophy, became for a
time the cynosure of the nations, and filed
The whole horizon of history with dazzling
radiance; but in the course of a few ages
hey melted away like a moOnbeam from
the bosom Of the lake, just be ause they
lacked that virtue which Is Indispensable To
,be stability aud parmanence OF all human
empires. And thus, too, persisted the great
republic of Rome. These successive civil
zlious, like TIE successive animals and
-lan which appeared upon our earth in
Tiff rent geological ep lcns, had definite
curse TO run: an oTigin, all Increase, point
f elimination, a decline, and an exliDc-
ion. 81 with other nations. America,
Ike Britain, Is a com nercil nation, and 1t
: Oh her commerce aud her religion thEt
sic must depend for her influence among the
laJilus. II was commerce which gave to
tyre aud Babylon, aud her rival, Niueveh,
md other ancient empires, their proud and
ofty distinction; but il was commerce which
lad no connection with the divine and true,
md hence their glory was but partial, unsat-
sfacloTy and transient. And now that their
grandeur has passed away, since the waves
II tbs selnOW roll where once stood those
7sst and magnificent palaces Of wealth and
Injury, since the monuments OF their COM
nercial enterprise and prosperity are now
;rumbled into ashes, America is taught that
f the sun of her prosperity is yet to ascend
and shine forth full orbed, not only must she
enjoy a free and unfettered commerce, bus
hat commerce must be sanctihed. "Right-
eousness exslteth nation" The great prin-
,iples of justice and truth must pervade its
its sciencs, its enterprise; in these
S their stability, as well as their strength
aud power, and il she continue faithful in
he maintenance OF these great principles,
she will take the rank OF the more advanced.
and press into every field Of act ion. Her
eagle now stands with uDfJlded piniOn ready
10 take her fight to the ends Of the earth,
and her upward, onward passage to scat
I1acair,rc r.nb,nr ar1H m -ra ,1raa;DuS Nha.,