The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-23

OF beatitude to-day than at any period OF
time, and if we were not educated by such
practical teachers as DIR. Hammond. who
enfOrces the great truth that we are only on
the threshold of yet more surprising discov'
cries, we might be excused for yielding tc
the most dangerous anticipations. But IT Is
this more consoling fact that encourages the
practical hope that every new event IN
natural science, every rare evolution IN
physical development, every better condi
ton of the human race, are only so many
| assurances that future civilization Will place
| the world in what may justly be called q
genuine preparation for the Scriptural mil
lennium. How wonderful that this expecta
ton was advocated by most of the Christian
scholars, Catholic and Protestant, stimulated
by the holy writings by the Revelations
and by various passages in the life of Moses
| the Law-giver.
But nothing has given us such cheerful
and common-sense aspect to the rapid i'm
provement of the condition of humanity as
modern science. Ii has robbed bigotry OF
its greed for blood; it has chastened and
cowed the tyrant, great and small; 1T has
disseminated and improved education; il
has explored and saved barbarous nations;
it has elevated labor; it has paved the way
| for q real religion; it has slmplifed law; ii
has abolished slavery, and although 1t has
/ made wealth an opposer, in many cases, il
has even taught wealth that there are limits
/ to its license. There is tremendous ser
mon taught by these remarkable and rapid
| transformations. that war has been forced to
smoderate its ferocities, that great tyrannies
are at last being cured BY peaceful remedies,
and that what has been called Radicalism
snd Communism are forced to abandon the
torch and the dagger, to cease assassination
and secrecy, and to adopt the resistless
alternative of peace and discussion. 1t is
this marvellous result that may be called
the most cheering and substantial outlook
to-day.
Many new agencies have appeared on the
stage of the world since the application of
the railroad the telegraph and the improved
printing press. The first of these is that
mind has begun to wreStle with money.
The power of capital is still supreme: but
we daily realize that the very plentifulness
of money and the growth of vulgarity in
those who win the most of il have produced
a constant rivalry to make knowledge uni
versal among men, and therefore to bring
into contempt all who trust TO money in
spite of its degrading consequences. The
race between the two infiuences-brains and
gold-has begun all over the world, and as
the first grows wiser and more conservative
every hour, and the second more re-
morseleSs and enviOus, the sequel can
neither be long delayed or reasonably
doubtful. Educational freedom will un-
doubtedly win the command of the future.
Among the agencies 10 produce this re-
suit are the writers for the million, aud they
are the true missionaries of the age. First
among these are the French. The French
Republic is the real soldier of European CIV
ilization. and the seeds planted by Victor
Hugo, Laboulaye Edmond About, Louis
Blanc Emile GirardIn, Offenbach the lead
ers in the democracy in that one country,
l.. g 1,rs..,
labor, science. satire of false society, humor,
and song, placing all the races of man under
tribute. After the French come the En-
glish with Macaulay, Dickens, Thackeray,
Green, Justin Mccarthy, Thoma- Hughes,
Austin May. George Eliot, Ouida. Miss
Braddon. Henry Labouchere, Edmund
Yates, Mrs Henry Wood, and even DiSraeli;
after then the Russians. Germans, Spanish,
Italians and Swiss, each. in his sphere and
in his own way, advocating great truths, and
for that reason. compelled to pay tribute to
the great philosophy that the people must
rule at last, that the feudal day
is over, and that with the
tyrants, whether monarch or money,
must also die the savagery of the Commune
and the secrecy OF the Carbonari. Since the
genesis of man. never have these ideas been
so widely spoken, sung, written, or uttered;
never has genius so glorified human pro-
gress; never has peace been so entwined
with human culture; never has the reyOlu-
ton of right been powerful or so per
suasive.
The last type OF this sort OF Democracy Is
the book of William Black, the Scotch nov
elist, born in Glasgow IN 1S41, called Sun
rise, in which. with all the felicity OF his
beautiful style in his other ictions of the
Strange Adventures of Phaeton.'' "A
Princess of Thule" "kilmeny," "Madcap
Violet" Three Feathers" he takes up the
delicate theme of Communism, and shows
that, in this new age, revolution against
caste and capital is sure to conyulse
and control Europe, because il is welded
to peace and good sense. Read as Mr.. Black
is BY millions of English and Americans,
his new work will produce great profit to
him and benefit to a great cause. Karl
Blind, the Hungarian agitator, is his hero,
and the plan of the book is to show that all
revolutions. to make permanent their work,
must RELY on the influence of reason. The
evils of civilization are plain and many. The
poor and suffering and oppressed are uni
versal, and so is human sympathy. if it is
not alarmed into silence by cruelty and
secrecy. There is no room in this work for
assassination and conspiracy. The truth
alone is resiStIesS- because it stands always.
Around this fine gospel Mr.. Black weayes a
fiction as enchanting as any he has ever con-
ceived. He arouSes the best intelligence of
the English, ana shows now even great
wrong can be cured, human suffering re-
moved and human liberty aided by reason
and good sense. No book of recent date is
calculated 10 do more good. You buy il for
fifteen cents in the Franklin Library, pub
lished by the Harpers.
Such agencies as these will lift Ireland to
the high plane of lasting liberty. Parnell
is the apostle of peace. Let him be moder-
ate and calm, avoid all violence or threat,
and RELY on the fearful record of his country S
wrongs Let him confront the insolence of
wealth Sand the hatred of the aristocracy
with calm patience and unruffled logic, and
/ time will surely vindicate his cause. Will
lam Black will do more in Europe by show
| ing the excuses of the rich and the agonies
of the poor than all the bluster of mObs or
the bayonets of the monarchs; and Parnell
will live to see England do justice TO Ire
] land if he follows the wise counsel of the
Scotch philosopher. In the United States
the argument is still stronger. Here AFRO
CANT wealth will have a short shrift and a
more complete and more thorough re-
reform. The magician of the time is mind
/ against money.
The Scotchman, William Black. will edu-
cate our working people in the United States
in many ways. His first example is that they
must educate themselves in full knowledge
of the weakness OF capital and their OWL
strength. They have only to practice on
this suggestion TO resume the power thai
belongs TO them. Their oppressors are ricl
and arrogant, but they have many friend:
who are also rich and humane. The cause