Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-23
SOMETHING NEW.

The thing that hath been, 1t is that which
shall be; and that which is done is that which
shall be done: and there is no new thing under
the sun.-Ecclesiastes, 1:9.
Not that the world has taken no for
ward steps in thousands of years; not
that it has learned nothing from the ex-
perience and example of generations gone
before; not that history has been record
ed in vain; not that the new light from
Nazareth is no more brilliant than that
which shone from the more ancient affairs;
not that the refining and enrolling in
fluence of Christ's teaching has been I'M
availing for the accomplishment of its
purpose; not that more thorough study
of old sciences and the discovery and de-
velopment of new ones has brought no
practical results; not that the Invention
of the printing press and the universal
diffusion of knowledge have failed to
exalt mankind; not that the material in
terests of human society have received
no impulses from the steam engine, the
electric telegraph, the cotton gin, the
loom and the reaper and mower;
not that we understand no
better the value of life and how
to live than those who dwelt in the
mental darkness of ages long past. The
affirmative of these implied propositions
is true, and there is nothing in the words
of the great preacher and king of Israel
to gainsay this truth.
The obvious meaning is, that human
nature is the same yesterday, to-day and
forever" that in all countries, all climes
and all ages the springs of human action
impel mankind to similar acts and direct
the course of their lives into one common
CHANNEL that the same alienation of
good and evil impulses governs people
now that governed them in the days of
the prophets, and must govern them till
one of natures organic laws is changed;
that life's pathway has led, and will al
ways lead, through the same labyrinth of
vicissitudes; that temptations, and trials,
and sorrows, are our common lot, as like
wise are ever recurring joys, contentment
and peace; that now, as of old, good
spirits and bad contend within us for the
mastery; that now, as of old, the highest
and noblest traits are exemplified in some
individual lives, while in others evil in
fluences dominate and control. There
fore, until the mold in which our COM
mon nature is cast has been modelled
anew things that have been will be, and
that which is now done will be done.
Rejecting too liberal construction of
the proverb, it may be remarked that 1t
is within our power to bring about many
new things under the sun. In fact we
are doing this almost every day. We may
60 on delving after the occult laws of
nature and science and may bring more
of them to the light, and turn them to
our moral and material advantage; we
may 60 on cultivating our mental facul-
ties, attaining broad and more compre-
hensive developments we may yet learn
valuable lesson in sociology; we may yet
bring the whole world up to the plane of
our advancement Africa and Asia may
yet be netted with railroads, thickly dot
ted with churches, school-houses and
modern cities live in our fashion and
worship at our shrines. This Will be
something new. Let the best energy of
our civilization devote itself to the task.