The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-02-04
WHAT WILL THE HARVEST
BE,
The Evolving Of a New Civilization for
the Nations.
VIII At Ba An Advance Or a Retrog<ade:
What Relation shall America Sustain
Vie - There 70 BE Carnival of
BI0e5s she'd In the Old World ana
what MiIl We DO About II?
~ c. H. REEVE, PLYMOUTH, IND


warp said friend to me lately In the
CONS Of conversation. The question brings
forward view of conditions worthy OF the
most serious consideration.
TIE nations OF Europe do not feel like go
ing TO war. None OF them see prospect for
gain in any war, while the end of war is en-
tiIely beyond the bounds of any calculation.
Modern tendency is toward arbitration; bat
that tendency will have its period of domi-
nancy and be followed by one of beiliger-
enty. The reas ons for and expediencies
governing alliances, are constantly chang
ing; and in case of war between any of the
Nations in Europe, the change Of conditions
would be ouch, that change of alliances
would be inevitable, and sgeneral war would
be likely to result. No Nation in Europe
will engage in war if it can avoid it.
But, there are forces in operation that can
not be controlled. What the result of their
action will be is beyond all possible divining
CT any probable guess.
The world has entered upon the beginning
Of new civilization, and its character and
progress can not be prophesied. Centuries
ago. the forces leading to civilization began
in the Orient and have spread to the 0cci.
dent. eliminating in the civilization OF to-
day. 1t has relied around the earth and
completed circle.
In the Western world, on part of thus
Continent il has brought civil and religious
Iibelty. On the Southern continent, former
carbsrism is succeeded by a condition of
chronic anarchy - religious superstiti0ns
combating all efforts to secure liberty.
In the East, the struggle for civilization is
ofg;pniDg anew, and when the wave shall
ave sgaln rolled around the earth, what
sind of civilization will exist in the place
oi Tint now exis ing? The brotherhood OF
nslir has been The basis of ethics in later
2sDfrations with rs. The equilibrium be-
wseD good aud evil has been maintained.
vice and immortality seem 90 have been
sjirs6 rather than lessened. as the wJE!d
Ias been brought into Close nelghb 1rh00C
by steam and electricity the moral seDsibil-
ues have Decome somewhat desd5ued 10
certain feSpec,k-pio bably result OF the
meeting sn0 cor liict OF ethical creeds and
moral practices as the different peoples come
10 know zach rtber. Great disasters AUD
sIeat crimes d. pot shock us--or only mo-
IL entarily. They follow each other rap
.dlT We have pot time TO contemplate them
anG they are passed with glance.
Trey create some pity which We evince by
gIviLg Practical relief In the one case. aud a
distrust OF all men entrusted with execution
or the law, and We call in Judge Lynch in
tEe other case. Are we retrograding? Has
Materialism obtained the escendency2 Have
The forces that brought us to our present.
civilized condition spent themselves and are
we falling into the shadows as did all pro.
gIessiye peoples before US, who reached their
zenith and passed away, leaving ruins which
1t has taken centuries to Tesurrect from the
covering heaped on them by uncivilized
successors2 1t looEs like it. On the extreme
Eastern limits Progress has begun working
with new material and is presenting some
phenomenal results.
The praying machines of Japan are
being neglected and hundreds
of her Buddhist Temples
tie government has appointed q commits
sion TO inquire into the Christian religion,
with view to the adoption OF it or so much
rs may be found to Do I'll improvement on
BnddhisIn What have we here as q phase
,f the new material? individuals and ns-
lions have suffered humiliation rather than
WELD one moment to demand that they
cbabEs their religious opinions. Nothing
hss so stirred men and women as an attack
on their beliefs and customs OF q religious
allure, and nothing has been so hard to over
come. But here, we have q people-the Vot-
aries Of faith for hundreds.of yearS--Tho
treat it as matter OF business. Isolated
from the world until within generation or
two, they come face to face with new re-
ljgions and new practices, and they set to
! work as matter of business not only for
the individual, but for the public policy
TO investigate, with p view to adopting the
new if it appears to be preferable to the old?
%haI KIND Of a mentality is il that gives the
first imI etus TO the new civilization?
4 ho irln cfrnNpIp nAtUpQn
despotism and liberty grows fercer IN Asia,
Africa, and Eastern Europe Slowly. put
surely, the spirit of Revolution moves on
Ear0. becoming sensible TO more and more
people daily. Among the lower classes,
| slowly hut surely do the numbers increase
! sho ksjn in knowledge, in cunning, IN cour
sAe ip desperation, in feelings o! inditler-
eucP to bacishnent, imprlsonment and
| death. Slowly but surely terrorism Is max
ire The reign aud the life Of mighty rulers
| Al ineir counseioTs more and mora rncer-
| tain; ST d the invisible hands that Kill grow
! uo1e numerous aud more sklllful every
| day.
! other unusual conditions Taze the men
| aliiv cf Japar, Chins. India, Fey Of, Turkey.
| AFcbapistan, PeTsis ond eastern Russia aod
| other social and political conditions of the
! people there governed and covering; aud
| with the civilization Of Western Europe on
4 0Tf0 flGR ana the moral lOICb6 ltJWAuS
| and from America on the other, starting &C
! tive operators through the mentality o.
! such a people as the japanese, what viii DC
| he moral and political philosophy that VIII
| rite as q wall on either hand? When the
| mentality as well as physical results Il swine
| from The millions in Central Africa, who are
Oeipg brought into the areDa--an unknown
! foroe-sbali become factor OF monstr0u'
| power, and the conflict OF Interests now be
| ginning, in the efforts OF the nations o
Western Europe to sppoction the dark con-
tinent among themselves what will De the
outerowth2 What ideas OF human rights vii
obtain? What beliefs as to hereafter
What doctrines SIS to mine and thine
While the West retrogrades and the East al
vsnces in civilization, in the centuries u
come, what will be the basis for ethics ant
the forms for government? How far are We
to be held responsible for any failure there
may be In any OF III
Having reached the highest level men car
| attain in seeking liberty and still have gov
eminent and order, we md ourselves NOV
ing toward Capitalization; restraint OF tn
Individual; curbing.the prerogatiyes oil tn
| subdivisions and lesser agencies in gov
eminent; society separating into the aristo
crat and the plebian, with public consro
rapidlv passing into the hands of the ar {
tocracy, and that the aristooracy OF wealth
not brains and morality.