The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-10-12
THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF
CIVILIZATION,
With = Plan for It's lscrpctuity.
From the National NieMl


From the National View
Primitive society. or mankind in a
state Of nature. subsisted by the chase.
from the fact that their population was
small and the area Of the cnrth's surface
large. What il called civilized society
il the natural effect or ontgrowth of the
power Of fecundity in mankind, as we'll
m In the animal kingdom. This power
of generation IN mnn made agriculture
and the arts and sciences not only pos
sible, hut essential. These were evil
IDENTITY not designed from any quick
preconception, nor intended to improve
the race. but were the unavoidable re-
suits Of mn over-popnlatel hunting
ground In stating what society ought
To be. il il necessary to form some idea
Of what society has been; such, for in
stance, rs the aborigines of North
America. There is not that spectacle
Of human misery existing among the
Indian tribes on our frontier that pre-
sent themselves in the most populons
and civilized portion Of the Union: SO
that the state Of society which We call
civilization has actually promoted the
general happiness Of man is de batable
question. AZ poverty does not exist in
the natural state and by observation
We know that ii does exist in civiliza-
tion--we conclude. a priori, that man.
kind. M 4 whole, has not been mate
rally elevated by our hoasted civiliza-
ton. The life Of mn Indian il perpet-
ual holiday when contrasted with the
lahoring man Of America; and, on the
other hand. he appears abject when
compared with the rich. who roll in
affiuence and ease. Civilization. there
fore. has operated to make one part Of
society more afiiuent, and the other
more wretched than would have been
the lot Of either in the state II nature.
Reasoning then that civilization ele-
Yates the rich and degrades the poor,
and that in proportion millionaires in
crease, poverty and its handmade
crime--increase in like ratio; or. as one
has put it "One millionaire grinds a
thousand to heggarv." and the que stion
suggests itself: What advantage is CIV
ilization to the poorg Two self-evident
truths arise and claim pre-eminence in
the solution of this gu, stien:
|. That it is always possible to go
from the natural to the civilized state;
hut that il is never possible to 90 from
the civilized to the natural sta G, from
the fact that man in natural state.
suhsisting by hunting. requires ten
times the quantity Of land to range over
t. procure for himselfa livelihood than
would support him in civilized state
when the land is cultivated. Therefore.
when country becomes popnlons by
the aid Of labor in agriculture, the arts
and sciences. there is a necessity Of pre-
serving things in that state; because
without il there cannot be sustenance
for more. perhaps. than tenth of its
population. The thing. therefore, now
to I've done is to remedy the evils, and
preserve the benefits that may have
arisen to society, by passing from the
natural to that which We call the civil.
lied state.
:. The result of civilized society. as
well rs the order Of nature in physical
science, is that wealth takes precedence
and riches 20 to the surface. The oh
ject of all revolutions. whether religious
or political, has been to reverse this
order and eqnalixe society.
Viewing the matter from this stand
point. the first principle of civilization
should have been, and ought still to he,
that the condition Of every person horn
into the world, after u state of civiliza-
tion commences. ought not to lie worse
than II he had been born before that
period. But the facts show the condi.
tion Of millions. in every country, to he
far worse than il they had been born
before civilization began. or had been
horn among the Indians of North
America at the present time.
In the course Of this review | will
show how these circumstances have
happened. and endeasor to pave path
outward to nm ideal state of society.
Before proceeding to 10 so. must halt
long enough to disabuse the readers
mind Of any intention on my part of
suggesting communism as remedy for
our woes. where all things are held in
common, As WAS practiced among the
early Christians. ii the New Testament
can he credited among probable things.
and in communities at the present time.
but will endeavor to show that what
should lie done must now I've done by
legislation. Our happiness or misery
depends upon The direction Of legisla-
tion: and. as opinion must necessarily
precede legislation. though not he mis-
taken for il. il stands us in hand To-
form correct opinions rs to what consti.
tutes the sum of human happiness.
Taking it for granted. without Argu-
mant, that = representative form of
government, or republic. is prefera-
hle to hereditary or monarchical
form. it leaves clear field for
what am about to suggest. For. il
the monarchical form If government
was universally prevalent, nothing short
of political revolution would suffice t.
hr.ng rs even where We are. But hap,
PLY for ns, and future generations. this
much of our work has already been ~,
complished: and AS tn whether We ow,
anything to the foresight of our Rcso
lntionarv fathers in the establishment,
Of republic on the American cont
nent, will not stop here to argue: hu,
sure il il that at the time our fathers
threw of the British yoke they We .
not prepared, in financial condition
at least, to support ROYALTY in largely
surveyed but thinlv.settlel country like
ours was in ITO. So far rs religion,
revolution is concerned. we need Civ.
ourselves no uncasiness, for our civi
institutions were studiouslv framed in
dependent Of spiritual matters. thu.
leaving the mind Of each individual fres
to act.
The religious revolution that com
menced with the Reformation has not
yet ahatesl, and from the very nature o.
the subject can never abate. nor ever
Ire brought to final adjudication, fol
the want Of an authorized tribunal hav
ing jurisdiction. Ii is said that tn.
early pilgrims tn this country temlora
rilv assumed this authority when the,
took possession Of the lands claimed h,
the Indians. the Pnritans having II,
a. L. l. -