The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-03-27
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The same writer declares thai
civilization studies to gloss over
the vices of the times. That is 9
charge of very great gravity if il
be true for it is only another form
of saying that what we regard in
the light of civilization is a stu.
pendous exemplification of. by
pocrisy to which Christi anity is q
willing and boastful party. Few
are quite prepared to admit SO
sweeping an assertion in fact, up
on due reflection, every one knows
better. Civilizationis. simly per-
fecting of the chain of develop
ment. 1t is a refining process
through which human nature
casts off the crude and imperfect
by successive experiments. Be-
cause whatever of evil and crudity
remaining becomes more glaring
by contrast as the work of re-
formation advances, it does not
follow that civilization is failure.
It argues the directly contrary
thing. Human nature is strait
fed. The gross and uniformed lies
below and the better qualities
higher up, in their exact order of
sequence. 1t follows then that as
society ascends the crude and
formlcss beneath will lie in deeper
shadow. There are also upheav-
ais by which the crude is protrud-
ed into higher positions, just as
the primitive rocks have been
forced upward and tilted over, and
are now seen ages upon ages out
of place. But what intelligent
geologist, finding masses of granite
everything the tertiary formation,
therefore concludes that the order
of creative progress has been re-
yersed, or that the processes by
which the earth is being fitted for
human habitation are defective?
The social progress of the race
is marked by phenomena very
similar to those which we know
have attended the development of
the globe as the habitation of
man. The traveller over the We
suyian slopes feasts his eyes upon
the fertile fields and thriving
vineyards, and carries away with
him a lovely picture of nature,
encouraged to put on its bridal
garments by human thrift. A
month hence he may return on his
path to find a blackened lava
stream, with ashes and pumice
stone where so little time ago were
all the evidences of culture and
thrift. Suppose this traveller ig-
norant of the ever active Plutoni-
an forces, and he may conclude
that the earth is gradually return
ing to its primeval condition of
barrenness and desolation. Such,
it appears is the case fairly stated
for him who contemplates civiliza-
ton with its attendant evils, and
pronounces it failure. There
may be difference of opinion as
to what constitutes civilization.
That is possible. If civilization
is simply the effort of mankind to
respond to the harmony of civil
ization as a whole; and if in max
ing this effort the crude and form
less is shaken off, then it is too
soon to pronounce civilization the
promoter of vice. But if civiliza-
ton is nothing more than the de-
velopment of the graces of intel
lect, and a translation. from the
sphere of unremitting labor to
that of elegant leisures, it may be
regarded a dead failure. There is
a sort of culture by some named
advanced civilization, in which the
religious and moral natures are
not considered at all. The soul
does not partake in that sort of
civilization. That civilization is
not the salt to save us as a race.
That civilization does encourage
vice by gliding it and adjoining it
with elegant drapery. But true civ
ilization makes the most of every
attribute of human nature, and
bears upon its banner the device
of perfect manhood. 1t takes up
no part of the work to carry il
forward at the expense of the rest.
1t is supposed by some that re-
formation is a work to be carried
on independently of all the com
binatioAs into which men enter to
forward their interests. This
must be a mistake. The world is
made up of good, bad and mega.
tive persons, who, being mingled,
maintain society as it exists in
some sort of equilibrium. 1t is a
sort of equilibrium, but no equil.
ibrium itself. But suppose for an
instant that all the good men were
to withdraw from the mass and sci
up for themselves as one party
and suppose that all the bad mer
were to do the same for them
selves. This would leave the neg
alive element at the mercy of the
stronger party. Would it be pos
sible to go on in such fashion
What would become of the process
OF modification by attraction,
The good would lose their infiu
ence because of their exclusive
ness. The bad would grow wors,
!, from the same cause. And thu
negative would become the allie
., of the bad because the bad woulC
! more closely fraternize with sucl
natures than goodness can. Thu
the entire force of civilization
would be expanded without gain
ing step of progress. If me-
who wish the world better bu
cannot wait, would but look at
as philosophers, they would Sc
that no class can withdraw froI
the mass without endangering tn
progress of all. Failing to vie1
matters in this light, men sc
about reforming politics and re
! ligion by doing the very thing
e forbidden by the inexorable law
r of nature. Men talk of gein
r outside of party to reform il
. and it has been tried times will
% out number only to fail in ever
q instance. It can never succeed
, for it is in opposition to Law
! The moment set of men set u
. as better than the average of maj
a kind they incur the charge I
q Phariseeism and create a pref
4 dice which offsets all their infll
K ence. They may expend million
p only to find that goodness is onl
N a leaven-poWerful when droppe
n into the lump of society, bl
worthless as a factor when kept /.
y leaven only.
,r No. Civilization is not a fai
= ure. 1t is the salt to save u
j But civilization is effected by Il
=, subtle processes of attrition sr
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