Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-01-08
An IMPERFECT CIVILIZATION.


If to civiIize meaus to refine and to
educate. and if this American people are
making progress in the scale and grade
Of civilix liion how happens it that the
number of persons growing up and over
to barbaric tendencies seems like
wise to increase? In treating Of human
life and character, is it not yon most
rational view to decide that the beneficial
lives at the expense Of the proiIless. aud
that as the good increases, the vicious
and uninteres,ing will correrpondingly
diminish But we are told. and with
much tru,l, too. that man does seem or
dained 10 carry some oil the defects OF
his original savsgery with him t" The end
lie may enter upon new life. may adopt
honest. heavenly resolutions. may OBJ
serve strictly these better and purrr
guides of action. and yet through his
whole career and every exvtrience. sig"s
of his old and former faulty condition
may be traced. We open Fngland's
book of history. with her boasted civil
cation. only to -ee her most prominent in
pauperism. so far az We are informed. as
superficial appearances extend We 60
on to the continent. TO the homes of heroes
and ma.ters in civilization only to re-
cognizc ;mprovi,ence that characteristic
of TIE rule and unit .ughi-as the feature
of both time and place. And here in
this very country to-day in this mod
world of our own, where education. like
perennial vitality. seems to pervade the
rarion. there is more hel elplessness. more
worthles-ness. more aimless and oi jet
less men and womelr than is consistent
with a sound aud hcalthful stale of ia
tional civ liza,inn. And why is this :
Just because civilization i. imperfect in
itself. and more especially because it is
imperfect from want Of it's univrrsality
And why. again. does not this civiliz'ug
wave, a. it moves onward with all it's
mental refining anI moral invigoraIing
power. sweep with it millions who now
swell bit the number of the mass of
m mankind Solely from want of prov
idence in the individuals themseives-I
Thi. cid mark of their primitive condi-
ton teaches them to svail themselves OF
the FRO .iienc- of others. aud to profit
and RELY for support upon the labor OF
such as endeav,r to secure themseiv iv-s
q inst emergencies. They believe thar
these very emergencies make great IN II.
as If the reverse was not the case. and
that great ne, for great emergencies are
found, by Col, in his leading them
throngh course of discipline. and thus
EN- -nrnily fitting and preparing EN- for
tI-ir work. And says a modern thinker.
IL mean it in M irrev rent sense when
say that there has been series of Chri-ts.
whose appearance has denoted The de
parture of old di-pensations and he in
of new. Some men have
arisen who have torn down temples. and
demolished idols. and swept away sys
tens and knocked off ictters, aud intro.
duced their age into freer better aud
larger lfr-aud it will always be go
while time shall last Teach them the |
other and inferior element in human ia.
ture, the story of undevrlop-d resources
the fact that every age d.mands its
peculiar food-ihat it is rot satr, or gen |
erous. or manly to sit quietly down, fold
the arms aud conpsSrdly cay v hat is
thrrr left Tor me TO dol" When all once
learn thar wherever true civilization. exists
men will arise sufficient for the demands |
Of their age. and that the region of
thought is boundless and exhaustle-s.
and that same is true of the world Of
matter and of men Then will there be !
less waiting for more favorable periods
aud fewer companions-to sit with the
fool on his journey to wait on the bank
till the river flows by Then will the |
great impedment to the entire scheme Of
civilization be removed. and then " i'll all
tribes and races move on to a Perfection
in national culture and refinement.
TuE Pittshuru Mil of last Saturday !