The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-24

old man is seen trying to raise kite to the
seems. Notice the joy of the experimenter
as the magnetic fluid follows the wet line
and a spark is seen. In that spark was
involved the possibilities that permitted a
Morse and Field. Thousands of miles
of wire deep on old oceans bed or thread
ing the country in all directions, bringing
the whole world into the same neighbour
hood, annihilating space and time, prove
that the kite flying philosopher politician
was not a dresming theorist. A kite was
but little thing, the telegraph has been
one of the grandest triumps of modern
science, doing more to aid men in the CIV
| iization of the world than any other dis
covery, unless it be that of steam. Frank
lin, Morse and Field have won a fame that
no deeds of arms can givs-will live in
grateful memory as long as the lightning's
flash is seen.
1t is in the worlds material progress
that the hopes of its future are involved.
Despite giant monopolies, it is to railroads,
telegraphs and common schools that we
must look to usher in the reign Of ''peace
on earth, good will to men," In that
ally. No home is now too humble to have
its books and newspapers, and still they
! pour from the press in constantly increas-
ing swarm. 1t is impossible to estimate
the influence of the daily press in mould
ing general society. 1t has scattered the
works of Shakespeare and Scott, of Mil
ton and Byron-has scattered the Bible in
a thousand languages broadcast over the
world, breaking down superstition and
falsehood whenever it has gone. True it
has put into circulation much Of evil, yet
it is from the clash of opposing opinions
that truth is evolved. There is nothing so
evil that it may not be made the means of
good, nothing so good as to be unmixed
with evil. 1t will not do to denounce abso-
lutely the fiction of the day. Christ set
the example of teaching by parallels, and
the world has improved the example. In
view of the universal modern influence of
the press it seems strange that for so many
centuries the world had gone on without
any one hitting upon the idea of cutting
the letters and printing from them. Read
ing our daily paper it is strange to think
of world without the p.ess, yet is mod
ern idea.
Israel marched from Egypt to Caanan,
triumphed, sinned and fell; Rome grew
from the mud huts of Romulus to the cap
ital of the world, passed its meridian
splendor and became the prey Of Goths and
Vandals Or semi-pagan popes; Alexander
marched from the Adriatic to the Ganges;
Confucius taught his system to which half
tho population of the world still bows;
Christianity won it's early triumphs, sank
into corrupt superstition and was again
slowly rising when an humble man cut the
letters of his name, and like an inspiration
seized the idea of printing from them.
Little idea had Guttenburg as he cut his
letters, of Faust as he arranged his press,
what power they were putting in motion
for the good of the world. The press was
little thing-see what God has wrought.
Gutenberg. Calico, Franklin, Stephen
son-in their history we see the worlds
real benefactors, the triumphs of its little
things.
| Moses in his basket or rescued by prin-
cess has affected the worlds history for
three thousand years. Israel proud and
wealthy, or scattered and trodden down,
alike trace their origin to half-savage
shepherd wandering with his flocks from
Mesopotamia to Caanan and their organi.
cation to a banned infant cast forth to per-
ish ON the Nile.
Rome, proud and arrogant, the mistress
of the world reveling in wealth and luxury
with Europe tributary or sinking beneath
| its luxury and drunkenness a barbarian
prey; the home first of stern old Jove and
then of Peter and Mary, has never forgot
ten it's wolf-nursed founder, rearing few
huts upon the Tiber and filling them with
jewellers as savage as himself. In that vii
lage was the germ that permitted the Colo
scum, the arch of Titus, or the church of
St. Peters;-the germ in which iron hand
ed all-conquering Rome was involved.
| Athens, the home of democratic aristoc-
racy and literary culture, with her busy
streets, thronged with the wise and great
of the eastern world, never amid the praise
lavished upon her Socrates, Aristotle or
Demosthenes forgot the hardy pioneers
who first reared their huts upon the Acrop-
| oils.
AS cities have risen from small begin
nings, so have nations and religious sys-
TENS. In all the past the politics and relig-
ions Of the aoorld hare been like Chang and
Eng inseparable t,oins. A corruption has
crept into the Church, the State too has
become corrupt-as the religious world
has lost its simplicity, and its teachers
have become priests of lust or avarce, the
State has declined. 1t is as impossible to
separate the history of the Roman republic
from the worship of Saturn or Juno;
Greece from that of Jove and Venus; or
Israel from that of Jehovah, as to write
the history of New England and leave out
the Quakers. From the stern old worship
of early Rome to the free and easy orgies
of Bacchus was transition by slow de-
grees. yet it marked the equally gradual
decline of the State from the heroic days
of the elder Brutus to the decentralization
of Commodus.
The same is true of Christianity. 1t
came from a small origin, and it has WELD
ed mighty influence, yet it has itself been
moulded by surrounding circumstances
almost as much as some of the older faiths
No faith ever has influenced the world as
widely as that taught by the Nazarene.
yet none ever sprang from smaller begin
ming The world has had two cradles that
will not soon cease to influence its destiny.
One was rush basket on the Nile, the
other manager in an obscure Judean town.
The impulse given the world by the infant
of the basket is still felt, while the history
of the Pharoahs serve only as subjects of
antiquarian research; millions now adhere