The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-24


iall she was draped in the mantle Of her
Overwhelming glories and stupendous
works Of art.
Assyria and Babylon come next, once
the emporiums OF art, science and militia
~ proves. They have vanished as
leaf blown on the autumn galel Next
from the land Of Shinar or Mesopotamia,
"come travelling in the greatness Of their
strength Gods chosen people! What an
attractive period! What heroes! What
poets, statesmen and warriors Their
Moses and Joshua, David and Saul.
What could we not write Of them? In
later times followed their gigantic strug.
Ole with the ReGthen. The sword Of the
Lord and Gideon was their battle cry.
Great things and small were so inexuica-
bly blended that the greatest causes
seem effected by the smallest objects.
Then follow the Phqnicians, the invent
ors Of the alphabet. How vain TO speak
Of the faded splendor Of Tyre and Sidon,
ephemeral Us haze before the morning
.uu. Then come the Hindoos, who, III adj
dilion TO their fne literature and inter-
mingling Of poetry and crude theology,
ORIGINATED the doctrine Of Transnigration,
in which We see small patches Of light
drifting through dark cloud OF super.
stition.
Time would fail 10 speak Of the Persian
Empire under her Xerxes and Darius;
and how her heroes aourished, fought
and reisued az demi-gods, and how eyety
variety OF incident, plot aud counter
plot, deep intrigue and profound
craftsmanship have been blazoned by poet
and historian.
Greece, "liviug Greece" no more rises
before us clothed in the garnered beau.
ties Of her poets, painters and philoso::
phers. The divine works OF her gifted
chilren, the wonder Of every age and
cline remain immortal. Clothed in the
glory Of her Homer and her Perlcles,
though dead, she yet speaketh. What
silyery reflections mirror her respondent
works OF genius and art even though the
mouldering finger Of time has swept so
many Of them into q rayless oblivion.
Rome, "scion Of chiefs and monarchs,
where art thUup how should We part the
sonber clouds Of the past? with rosy fn'
gers and tread lightly as we approach
this proud citadel OF old. Her ancient
story is now but "school-boys
tale" "the wonder Of an hour" Once
what 3 troubled dream it was on the
Landscape Of the past Her Ce3ars, her
Cicero, her Cato and Virgil How they
emblaEoned the literary firmament and
wrapped her fame 10 starry folds, bright
and enduring as the MONDAY sun.
Then comes the Empire OF Charlie
mague; The hero, warrior and towering
genius-the day star OF the middle cen
turies. Who does not know Of the Feu-
Dial system? And OF the growth OF the
papal power2 or Of the rise oil chiyalry,
that charming and romantic age in which
the knight, decked in glittering armor
under his snowy plume, radiant with
courage, tilted his lance with his gallant
foemen.
From the close OF the 9th 10 the close
Of the 18th century, lew interesting
events occur. II was the period OF the
Dark ages. After this the FIVE Saxon
Emperors exalted Germany 10 be the
ruling power in Europe. France, whose
true beginning dates back TO the 10th
century, appears upon the scene. Fair
France, land Of chiyalry, romance and
song, what auctuatipg fortunes, what
strange vicissitudes have checkered thy
career.
To-day a powerful nation, baSking in
the sunshine Of prosperity, tomorrow q
puppet in the hands Of 4 rabble, thrown
like football as the sport Of an hour.
England, most prosperous isle oil the
ocean, what memorable features 10 every
historic locality strike the eye. She may
not boast the charming landscape Of Italy
and the artistic fame Of her Reynolds
may not, like that OF Raphael and Angelo,
be bathed in the atmosphere Of distance,
yet it is imperishable! II an older coun.
Try produced the Father Of History"
may she not in her Shakespeare be said
to have produced the Father Of the
Drama? Can we wonder then that from
such an illustrious mother should spring
such a child Of destiny as our own
America.
America, 20 young 10 years, Unfolding
such genius OF civilization, refinement and
prosperity. Our eye does not rest with
escteric enthusiasm on our own native
land, the brightest jewel in the diadem Of
nations, Whose career 10 glorious, SO
proud and so free, will soon be history,
even "a a bridges arch Of stone is round.
ed in the stream.
While the dust quietly gathers on
grand old countries what solid regimen
Of thought, what instructive sympathy
touches a chord in every heart, as the
present period so potent with events
seems towering like Damocletian
sword over the nations Of the earth.
We see that Russia, unknown to fame
until the time OF Peter the Great, wishes
10 assume the star Of empire and grasp
from other nations the Eastern part Of
the European Continent. The Ottoman
Empire seems tottering to its basel For
more than Eve centuries Turkey has bat.
tied with every nation west of the
Euxine. Who then can comprehend the
significance Of events now transpiring in
Europe, on the battlefield and at the
Council board. Nations seem bounding |
on with the exHltation Of triumph. The
exhIleration OF contest inspires 10 more
elaborate ideas Of selfish aggraudlze.
ment. Truly the employment OF this
latter day seems to be murder
the slaughter OF our fellow men by |
the.:whoiesale. Civilization seems 10 be
the anilnus TO annihilation. Have the
wheels Of Justiee stopped2 Will no
retribution descendH VIII not united
world ruSh with irrepressible impulse 70
check this hydra,headed monster OF ag.
gression2 Russias treatment OF Poland
will never be forgotten or forgiven. viii
not the shades OF K osciusko and Sobieski
arise and tell Us that the "eyil men do
live after themP There IL a divine sym.
pA,hy, and Providence beiriends the ag.
grieved, and though to our gaze the pres
cot may be inhArmonious, and good and
evil may appear 70 exist aide by side in
chaotic portions, yet the future
does not require the keen analysis Of
cynical peSSimist 10 discern day Of re-
tribution. Does not the clear current Of
the mountain stream AoW II last to the |