The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-11
Exhibition of Maein.

Magic bad its beginning in devil-wor-
ship. Sayages in all countries feas de-
mons and wicked sorcerers before they
think of a good God, many of them, in
deed, looking down with contempt upon
a supreme being who could he friendly
to them. just as boys sneer at a too in
dulgcnt school master. As Dean Swift
says, whereas our desires prompt TO
pray, the wild Indian is oftener put up
on his knees by his fears. Hence relig
ion in its primitive manifestations is
pure magic, and nothing but magic, con-
sisting, as we still find it in surviving
forms of primeval Shamanism, in exor-
cisims or propitations of evil spirits
So long as mems own actions and inn
pulses are the only law they know, they,
like children, attribute human feelings
and intentions to all substances, animate
and inanimate, and even to the natural
elements. There is no actual difference
between the logic of the child who beats
the floor because, when he fell on it, he
bumped his head and that of the savage
or ignorant Christian who maltreats and
browns the statute of a god or saint be-
cause his prayers have not been answer
ed. The human struggle for existence
is at first us severe as that of the lower
animals. and, before man can worry
himself as to his future destiny he must
concern himself about the present Be
fore he seeks to provide for his soul, he
must overcome the obstacles that lie in
the way of his body; and, his associative
powers being in their infancy, his man.
ner of accomplishing this is illogical
Priests among savages are magicians,
because their authority rests on imagin-
airy and dreaded power. They are sup
ynncoA tO annfp01 hn ole ant to sand
health and disease, and to give both life
and death, some savages saying that if
there were no wizards then would men
live forever. Thus, they are honored
as the holders of the keys to human
happiness and prosperity. Butler says
truly in Hudibras, -
.@DoubtIess the pleasure is as great
OF being cheated as TO cheat:
for, in proportion as there are men ready
to invent absurd reasonings, credulous
people show their willingness to accept
their absurdities. Primitive magicians
invest sticks and stones with supernat-
ural power, and their followers at once
place all their faith therein; they declare
that screams and noises as of Bedlam
let loose will influence and Danish the
demons, and the people celebrate reli-e
gious ceremonies which consist of yells
and dances, contortions and gesticula-
tions. In primitive magic there may
he a germ of the transcendental philoso-
ply of the mystics, who could only de-
scribe the infinite as Numerically OPP
posed TO the finite. If savages shrink
before shadows, then must shadows or
spirits cover before substances, their
fear increasing in proportion as these
are lifeless or soulless. Man lives in a
world of noise; hence the land of shad-
ows is, as New Zealanders believe and
European poets sing, silent one, and
at the beating of drums, the blowing of
whistles, the ringing of bells, and the
shouting of human voices the evil spir-
ats are bewilias si and vanquished.-
There is very beautiful and strange
South Sea. poem, reminding one of a
picture by Carpaceio, and which. ike
+Salisss poem of 1.-The Silent Land de-
scribes the invisible world as one of
utter stiffness. .