Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-06-17
Pyramids and Printing"

The essay prepared and read by
]. M. Graham on the occasion of the
commencement exercises, on the
evening of June 18th. 1t will well
repay perusal by every reader:
Standing upon the banks of the Nile, about one
hundred miles from its mouth, are the pyramids -
everlasting monuments Of primitive race. Grand,
gloomy and SILENT they the representative Of an
age which all succeeding ages have WED IN extolling
the age in which architecture Hourshed and the arts
were fast approaching their highest development.
0ratory tuning her silvery instruments for a
future Cicero, while philosophy fast gathering 10
itself the materials for the systems Of Thates and
Pythagoras. Alone upon the borders Of mighty
desert, they stand the type of far gone centuries and
We ponder in struck silence upon their tu-
blime dimensions, wonder in thoughts to other
shores and hear in fancy the mellow lays of Homer
listen to the martial tread Of Spara's thousands
In their massive structures find expression of
the genius of the age.
Situated upon the Rhine in Southern Germany is
the city Metz, the birth place of Gutenberg, the
inventor of printing Five centuries have rolled tn ir
tide OF years along, but whether in the midst Of
luton or In the time of peaceful prosperity this at,
has steadily advanced in perfection till day ID fills
the world with its productions. Thus is the of
Gutenberg perpetuated With Cheops he is buried
in q monument of his own construction. Not It's
true where time and research breaks the seals that
hide him from the eye of man to be eXhumed mum
my, but soul Of inspiration, breathing from every
page incentive TO nobler action and to higher
effect. Thus do contrast the ancient and modern
ages. Striking these contrasts, they are but
typical of the still wider differences of the physical,
mental and moral characters of man he existed at
their widely separate PERIODS Painting and sculpture
followed in all their beauty. Harmony and music
in nature gave rise to music and poetry in art, all
urged by Il consuming zeal, and fitted by careful
study But great as may have been their skill in
arts their appreciation Of the grand and beautiful
confined itself to the world Of matter around them.
To initiate the sublimity and beauty Of external
ture became the ultimatum of their wishes These
ideas found expression in the building of the pyra.
mids. To leave lasting monument to the future
has seemed the aim of nearly every nation, and i'm
bued with this idea they constructed those large
piles Of rock and mortar. They were to withstand
the shock Of ages. Time aud tide, and storm to
pass them. Revolutions to pass from
century to century. Nations were to come and go
like waves upon the sea Shore and yet the product of
their genius to remain unmoved. Well have
they fulfilled their useful purpose. But how would it
have redOunded to their glory how much lasting
the triumph had their commentators been the re-
suit of thought. Gigantic ideas left to future a
legacy of usefulness. What then is the genius of
modern time? Wherein does its arts consist, In
utility, in arts, and sciences practical and useful to
man, both as physical existence and immortal beiag
Physics chemistry and astronomy the sciences of the
material Ethics logic and religion, the sciences of
the llhuaterlhl Nhcn man tOrsoOk the study OF the
sensible world and began to investigate the laws that
control the mind new field was opened to his view.
Then began progress in another direction. EduCa-
ton, freedom Of thought government for the many,
were the fruits OF this research, VIII lie religion lost
the multiplicity OF its forms and united to worship
but one true and living God. And view the
representative ages Of the past and the present. The
one great in arts and beautiful effects but the victim
OF superstition, passion and oppression The other
lacking perhapU, in the arts of grace and beauty,
machless in its knowledge of man and his attributes
The one has survived for ages the other shall live
till the end of time. The pyramids and gigantic arch
itecture shall Crumbe to dust. Time shall efface them
from existence. But the art Of printing shall be
perpetuated The glory of ancient time shall fade and
be unknown to the future save through the instru-
mentality Of the arts of today, while the browning
thought and action Of the present shall be handed
through the gcS of time to be enshrned in the arts
of pcrpetuty