The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-03-16


Footprints on the sands of time.
-Longfellow.
Time spent in the acquisition of
a knowledge of history is interesting
and instructive. History portrays
scenes enacted on the stage Of hu-
man action; tells US Of virtuous,
noble and G odlike deeds; of the bear
ing of men at the height of human
fame, power and domi ion, or in the
dark slough of de pond, uod the
dreary face of soul trying adversely.
1T shows us the founding of cities,
The erection of temples, palaces add
pyramids, the beginning Of states,
cummonwealsbS aud empires,
he growth Of peoples anu
nations, pre- perity and III
crease of veal IA, laxury and effen
inacy couseq nent the;eon, and their
final dissolution and overthrow by
the gnaWing canker Of their own
pgsaue desires and moral turpitude.
Such studies give food for days and
years OF reflections, refec idns such
as all should cultivate. BY such
knowledge we compare, arrange
and classify. more fully compre-
hending ogrselvee, the reasonable
ness of our desires, our powers ana
capabilities, the fight we are qusli-
ii d to tSka and the perseveran e
requisite 10 insure success. No
one, by the contem plation OF a
single, isolated person, can truths
fully say he knows human nature.
Indeed it is only by being convers-
ant with the myriad incidents of
past and present history, with the
differences of temperament, passions
and hopes, the effects of climate
and circumst lance, that man becomes
proficient, or capable of judging cor
rectly Of character.
History is ever Of the past. That
of the future is never written, I'M
less it be uttered by the inspired
prophets of God. The past we may
say is forever gone, has little to do
with the present or future How
do we even now gauge our con-
dxct, how directseur actions, if n 1t
by the knowledge and experience
gained in years gone by? Fl ad our
fathers, whose miads, lives and sc-
tons, were like cur own, go ex-
perience to tell, 40 tale to writ. of
trials endured, dangers dared and
victories achievedf
Error, more or less, mingles with
nJ OF 10
writer ever so honest, ever so de.
sirous of advancing nothing but
truth, yet, in consequence CT differ
ing modes of thought and expires.
sion, be cannot always distingu h
right from wrong. He may err at
times, yet if of G 9oG intelt, tnetrue
aud good will generally overb&lance
the evil and readers will be bene-
fted thereby.
The knowledge Of human cbars c.
ter acquired by the purufai OF
history and experience, is asst the
only good resulting from eurh
studies. All persons are mere or
less interested in the wise develop
menJ of thought and the consequent
increase of intellectual power.
and wider spread Of information
and truth. AS in mirror.
we see the gradual dawn
ing OF mentai.developm snt, thesare
advancement of mind and note the
many curious phenomena reA ulsing
therefrom. See how from age to
age enlightenment increases, ad
vanees, retrogrades, or changes tie
theatre.Sf its action. Many times
has the strange anomoly Of national
and intellectual power
been enaeted-wherein strength has.
decreased and grandeur of concep-s
ton and character departed, until
by the admission Of younger blood,
more vigorous growth, nations have
become reHvenated, and in&elIec-s
tual and physical power have been
restored.
Many changes that have taken
place strike tie mirsd with awe,
while reason tells US all have Ian.
pened in regular sequence, in obedi
ence TO law, interchangeable in nature
and inherent ia our very being. Att
LINES there has been sterile bar
renness prevaihng-a dearth OF !
great and noble mep; whilst att
another epoch, 3 galaxy of
bright luminaries, filled with |
vigor and genus, have appeared. |
The corruscatious Of divine light |
pa ssating from or shining through |
hem have rrdisted over the world |
Truths uttered by such inspiration
fleet the mind with stronger fosee,
md We wonder Why some eras are
70 prolific of good, and others again
% barren. Why lot one generation
axe up tie labor where a preceding
me laid it down? WY is there
lot an equa's or an increasing. dis
ributlon OF light and Intelligence
made for the GU dance Of different
poems of the worlds history
5ut reason grounded upon experts
nee tells us reactions ensue-that
forced growth ana an activity in
xeets OF reprodu tive uppuiIdfng
Concurrent and c3alescing pow
rs weaken intellectual vigor, and
re followed by recuperative psri-
ds OF stagnation and inanition;
hat at the darkest tine is needs
1st such mast minds to stem the
de OF popular error, the hour call
lg forth the msn. Strength Is re-
uired TO cast OF the fetters Of