Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11
CIVILIZATION.
THE RECENT ESSAYS BEFORE THE EDU-
cATIoNAL INSTITUTE.
Teify;on. Labor, Government and Law.
Education-ss: avs of Messrs. DwineD'
Johnson. Cheney and Campbell.

On the evening Of the Ssh instant, at the
Metropolitan Theater in this city, con-
fereuce was held before the Sacramento
educational Institute on The Four Pillars OF
Civilization. The subjects treated were
dReligion," by Rev. L. E. Dwinell. D. D.
"Goyernment and Law by Senator Grove
L. johnson Labor" by Senator w. A.
Cheney; Education" by State Superin.
tendent of Public instruction, +. M. Camp.
bell. Herewith the essays are given in full
from original MS, and from photographic
reports made especially for the RECORD
UNION by Winfield j. Davis:
The Relation OF Religion to Civilization.
by Rev. |. E. Dwinell, D. d.
Let as look at this subject, first, histor.
ically. The religion of India is interviewer
with the civilization of India. The same
was true with ancient Greece, Rome, Persia,
Egypt, the Norseland, Palestine. This is
saying little, for many other things were in
terwoven with the civilizations of those lands.
A far more important thought is the fact
that the religion of those countries underlaid
the civilizations and largely determined them.
The religion was the fundamental energy,
laying its hand on the whole civil system as
it grew, and carrying it along with it.
When the prehistoric Arysn wave swept
over India from the northwest, submerging
the original inhabitants, it took its religion
with it, the germs of the ancient Vedic or
Brahminic faith, which, as it developed, in.
terpenetrated the whole subsequent civil sys.
TEN, and was strati6ed in it in the form OF
he nf frap ION,
The entize civilization was tinged with that
religious color, stepped in that spirit, and held
in that training power. ike LAGOON in the
folds Of the serpent. In Greece the belief In
sensual and passionate gods near at hand and
moved by human impulses, with jealousie-
quarrels, local habitats and limited offices,
not only indicated a sensual. petty, inhar.
monious civilization, but led to it. The gods
and the State growing up together, the gods
were dominating civil factor and it was
impossible for Greece, though rising to grand
individual achievements in art, poetry, ora
tory and war, to be otherwise than weak in
organization and empire. Rome was of the
same stock as Greece, and had many of the
same gods originally; but the two peoples
grew up apart, and the Roman gods were OF
very different character, dignifed, harmo.
nious, fostering civic virtue and nationality.
The strong grip which Jupiter, Mars, Vesta
had on the ancient Roman faith-Jupiter as
the Just supreme ruler, Mars as the god of
battle and the tutilary divinity of the state.
and Vesta as the goddess of the home and do
nestle virtue-was one If the determining
elements of the state leading TO Roman
unity, organization, law, conquest. Without
this Rome could not have become the mis-
tress Of the world. When the Roman faith
waned, became broad, cosmopolitan, and
in oil WI ha 1y0
ship Of Jupiter, Mars and Vesta gave place
to the iadiferentism of the Pantheon, the
fiber of the state weakened all through. The
ancient gods bowed from their thrones and
fell down, but, like Samson, they dragged
the pillars of the republic down with them,
and Rome was in ruins. Egypt had a darker.
more brooding, mysterious theology; and
it bore fruit in civilization which
has left monuments that have come
down to US. Some of these, like the
temples, were Enthusiastically devoted to reli.
gion. Others, as the pyramids, obelisks and
sphinx, may have had other objects in part.
Yet evidently religion clouded and weighted
everything Egyptian.
There is no doubt, also, about the influence
Of the ancient Hebrew faith on the Hebrew
commonwealth. In fact, the civil system
grew around the faith as naturally as the rind
of an orange around the pulp. And the re-
markable quality Of the fiber of the Hebrew
character at the present day-shown by the
fact that the nine millions scattered over
three continents are filling more than one
great empire with alarm by their winning the
frat civil prizes ; the toughness and elasticity
of their business and artistic ability-the sur
wing form Of their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., after
all the dark centuries Of dispersion, the strain
of nobility put in the Hebrews by their reli
gion, strain that will inevitably die out il
their religion dies, unless it is replaced by 6
better.
During the middle ages the Church was
not only supreme in religion-the Papa
Church Il but it was most Influential
civil force. The Reformation no more ush
ered in new religious movement than new
political one. Wherever Che new faitf
spread, there was the throbbing, the stirring
OF a new life in civilization. Luther was the
father Of the English Revolution, Paradise
Lost the +" Principal" of Newton, Watts
steam engine, the reform bill and the French
republic.
In like manner the religion of the Pilgrim;
has penetrated and powerfully shaped the
government and culture and prosperity Of the
United States. Their compact in the cabin
of the Mayhower was the first draft of the
Declaration of Independence, the EmaEcipa-
ton Proclamation andthe Battle Hymn OF
the Republic" Religious faith was the seed
principle, the inspiring genius of America.
This, Selling or creating other causes and
conditions, and working with them has been 8
master power in shaping our culture, art
literature, refinement, social order and ele
gance, the reign Of law and the bloom of the
humanities in word, that brilliant entity
which we call our civilization. If you doub
this, imagine where our civilization woulC
have been il the first settlers, with the sam'
savage America before them, the same oppor
tunities and circumstances, except such a
sprang out of their religion. had been in be
lief thoroughly Mohammedan, or Buddhist, o.
Confucian, or Fetch, or Medieval? Witt
another religion inspiring them the result
would have been radically Indifferent. Dis
place the light that shone from Plymouth
Rock, aud you make impossible the radianct
that beams from FaReuil Hall, Yale, Coop
er's Institute, The Smithsonian, the cylinde
press, the flashing lines Of commerce
great, brave, inquiring, free people, and mgr
lads of happy homes, from the Atlantic to thu
Pacific.
Another historical fact is worth noticing
Wherever the modern missionary has pene
trated heather land with his new religion
no sooner has the religion gained a standing
than the corresponding civilization has begun
to dawn. The Sandwich Islands, Madsgas
car, Polynesia, accept the new faith, anC
forth with the old savage customs disappear
commerce, the arts, refinement begin; tn
whole aspect of social, civil life is changed
So much is historical fact. The recort
shows that religion in all ages and lands ha
been q leading principle in shaping not onl.
the public thought but the structural textur
and opgoings of society. 1t is not the onl,
cause doing this. 1t works with other causes
and It creates new causes and works will
them. Il is a primary cause, a Fundamental
cause; wide-reGching, all.pervadiug, silent
cesssless cause cause of causes-tinginl
whatever it touches with is own hue, an,
stamping its superscription on the civi
system.
But we are principally Interested in thi
subject as it affects ourselves. Let Us, then
in the second place, see what special hiddel
forces there are in the religion of this land
which make it 50 influential in our civil
growth and refinement. We have seen tn
fact.of its power where are the hidines o
its power! What is there in its very geniu
and spirit which makes it o master-force il
our civilization By the religion Of the land
/ mean the prevailing religion, the historical
religion, of various organizations and bearin,
special names, but such as are Of substantial
agreement and unity. There are in thi
definite things, definite lines of influence
hidipgs of power, through which we can Sc
how nightly it must have affected the civi
system, and how inAuentialiy it now work
in it aud molds it-holding up our ciyiliza
ton and giving it aggressive power an,
splendor.
There are religions in the land that hay