Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-06-04

to give practical influence over pubs
lie men and those who are to man.
age the revenues A few there are
but they are without notoriety or
nfuence-proscribed by monarchy
and church from boyhood, inexperi>
enced, and the very literature Of the
country linking them as apostles to
truth and religion There may be
hope for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
France, but we can not see it in this
generation. Monarchy and supersti-
ton still live in the hearts of mill
ions of French men and French moth
ers, and these elements of revolution
and masses of ignorant people are to
be utilized by the abIest heads in
France and marshaled for restora-
of monarchy and bigotry. But we
shall soc whether France under the
new order of things betakes herself
| to schools for the masses and to God
fearing men for rulers. If so there
may be hope in the distance.
Europe is vast field of old castles,
churches and other antiquities, and
these are well calculated TO excite
the venera:ion. And there are books
filled with legends and tales of fic-
tion,in which these Anticipated places
are made to yield supplies of ghosts
to ornament such tales with scenes
of terror; and fiction books are the
popular reading of the masses. -
Among the masses these fictions and
ghost stories are taken for the truth,
at least the foundation structures are
believed, and even the skeptical re-
ceive them as probabilities. There
are battle fields everywhere aud the
historians mark them with deeds of
horror, in which Kings were the
chief actors in mortal conflict. Ev-
cry neighborhood has its chronicles
OF blood and ghosts, preserved in
book and song through score ofgen-
erations. And there are no skeptical
critics to question these traditions, as
there ia no market for books calculat.
ed to spoil the fine old legends of a
thousand years, so venerated in the
family. Superstition pays, it does
pays the church, the state, the book
makers.
In America the ike eudearing
monuments OF antiquity are nowhere
met with, and but few battle fields,
nor any scenes of ancient chronicle
were kings and brave knights clad in
mail of steel fought with huge axes
and swords, and nought left of them
but their ghosts which still appear
on guard at stated times TO commem
crate thir defeat or triumph. We
have no monument of departed con.
querors, or few worthy to attract
pilgrimage, and no antiquities except
Indians, and nobody believes the In
dianshave souls capable ofplayiug the
ghost. The scenery is wild, often
grand, but never bearing any legend,
and the old houses so frally con-
structed rot and disappear long be-
fore the veneration can coDjure and
dress up tales for the credulous.-
There are worn stories, with few to
credit; we have known haunted
houses, but always occupied by I'M
believers, charmer5 and witches and
fortune tellers patronized only by
the curious or very ignorant. Ameri-
ca is sorry land for those who
woulG encourage superstition Tor the
profit, even the superstitious sup
posed indispensable to certain forms
of religion. And yet there are su-
perstitious people in America, some
times natives But they are few and
weak. OF course large numbers of
foreigners brought with them their
superstitions and their other faiths
of by-gone times, and are expected
to cling to these tor one or more
generations. American Independents
cy, free criticism and discussion, and
the tendency for disbelief in wbatev-
er science or reason condemns, are
too strong in battle with error for
superstition TO maintain the field.
But errors die easy in America
tb ey AIDE away, vanish as Old roads
and lie stones by the railway side.
In Europe old legends and ghost
stories and government based upon
heraldric tradition are desperately
tenacious of life, with the religious
and other eqnipage which uphold
and carry them along as lawful bal
last. Ages must roll by aud schools
penetrate TO every plebian household
before Europe is as free from the
vice of superstition as America -
The literature must change, as no
country can abandon old ways and
beliefs and become radical and pro-
gressive until new literature pre-
pares people for the leap and the fin
al liberation.