Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-08-28

tendent of GAINESVILLE City Schools.
Each century from that which
gives US the first authentic records
of words and deeds, offers some
prominent features of mems charae-
ters, as the pride of the age. Nc
student has failed to discover the
age of fable, of valOr, of iron,
of poetry, of letters, of brass, of
bronze ages where tyrants wrought
the destinies of nations, and again
when the people moulded the gov.
eminent; ages when error, political
and social ruled, and when right, alb
stract, scientific and general prevail.
ed ages when commerce, agrieul-
ture, craftsmanship, and conquest
were the prime movers of men and
ages when social, religious and polit-
ical reforms made up the sum total
for which and to which every ener-
gy was directly bent.
Never has been seen an age from
the beginning of time, however, so
replete with all the motives which
actuate men, each marking period
separate from the impress of others,
as this, when the most stupendous
engineering projects are pushed to
completion almost before the mass
of men fully comprehends this mag
nitude, when scientific truth tax es
grand studies beyond the needs of
the people, but of such a character
as Immediately to anticipate and
create needs, when religious fervor
is stretching its influence over mag
nificent distances of former barbar-
ism, when learning reac es or may
reach every intelligent creature,
when time and space are SO thor
oughly overcome that they form no
serious obstacle to desired results,
and when grand triumphs in poesy,
in legend, and in oratory are alone
wanting TO make the period one of
profound thought, grand achieve
ment and impershable name. 1t is
found on inspection, however, that
the deficiencies here mentioned, are
only imaginary, since the poetry and
the oratory of this age of letters, are
simply crystilized into grand deeds,
by the masses who were formerly
passive listeners, but who have be-
come instinct with the sublime
thoughts which once dwelt alone
with the gifted.
Grand achievements in all direc-
tons in which men have aspirations,
now mark the age with movements
which are so far in advance Of the
deeds of the past, both in scope and
in character, that the nineteenth cen.
fury will remain prominent in mems
history, simply as an epoch, if not as
part of great cycle, in which occurs
an extraordinary awakening of men
to activities fraught with the divine
afflatus which may mark the admin
alton OF so grand scheme as the
civilization of the whole brotherhood
of men.
1t is desirable to inquire into some
of the causes of the present momen-
tum of truth, in order to see more
clearly, why prominent featur es of
former ages are not characteristics OF
this, and why they nearly lose iden-
tity in the overshadowing import
ance attached to other and appar-
emily new human development.
Why are boys trained in chemistry
instead of in oratory, physiology and
pagan philosophy? Why are men
struggling for mastery over the ele-
ments, instead of striving for the
control of men2 Why are they ex-
ploring the arcana of land and water
instead of pursuing metaphysics 1t
is that the reign OF truth has receiv-
ed q new impulse, through reaction
from long periods of superstition, land
the implse is utilized at first this
time, by the noble schemes for in
Simultaneous communication between
men in different localities. Without
feeling necessity for reform, by
reason of previous error, no reform
can be wide spread or permanent ;
and without superior means for dis.
seminating truth, Graduating is quite
impossible. The means for commu-
picating intelligence have been so
wrought into use, that. now, news of
importance to any body, Is estimat-
ed just as important to everybody,
and he who reads may know the des
tails of business, of pleasure, of re-
ligion. scientific or political events
which occur thousand miles away,
so soon as the resident of the place
in which the events transpire. Adj
ding to the facility in communica-
ting intelligence, the habits of the
universal traveller, now found wher>
ever anything of interest attracts,
and we see every body possessed OF
some information relating to foreign
parts, gathered by means of the tru-
ly fearful methods brought into play
within half century.
These verify lightning like COM
munications dispel the air of superb
or wisdom which surrounded those,
who, by prodigious industry, by sea
and by land, Aeneas like, travelled
| small parts of the world over, to re-
turn with erroneous notions of the
resources and capabilities of the Sec
tiors visited. Cosmopolitanism and
newspapers with the numerous prl-
vate and public libraries open to all,
have deprived the orator and the
poet of the exclusive use of facts and
fancies which they formerly had for
purposes OF inspiration, illustration
and stimulus to their grand efforts.
Now if gentleman desires a speech,
lecture or sermon, deliver ed hun,
dred miles away, the persons OF
speakers being no longer curiosities,
he purchases his local daily paper
and quietly sits down to digest the
facts uninfuenced by the personal
magnetism of the speaker, and unbi-
ased by the prevalent sentiments OF
the auditors.
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