The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-09

acquires taste for science, The early
members of our race were ignorant of
the motion Of the heavenly bodies, An
eclipse of the sun would Cause great
alarm. They had not read the history
OF the formation of our earth as record
ed In the strata of the earth itself. They
did not possess sufficient knowledge Of
scientific principles to harness the forces
Of nature to perform the heavy work
necessary for the comfort, convenience
and support of man. The facts of ma
ture have been gained one by one and
our modern modes of applying steam
and electricity are the result of the com
oined effort OF all these ages. Owing to
the bad nature that prevails in a portion
OF the human race 1t has always been
found needful TO devise some means for
the protection OF society. And in &C.
cordance as people have progressed in
devising the best means for general gov
ernment they have progressed in ali the
useful arts and sciences. Mankind had
flourished on the earth about !, 200 years
before they became sufficiently numer-
GUS or possessed intelligence sufficient TO
establish national government. The
first governments which have left any
record of their national proceedings
were located near the Mediterranean Sea,
The fertility OF the soil and the proxim-
lty OF the neighboring nations were ia
vorable TO mental culture. The Egypt
lans IN the ,lley of the Nile were cele-
brated for their learning and public edi.
fees. The Chaldeans in the Eupbrates
valley were also celebrated for their
learning, though the most learned of
those days would be considered Ignorant
to-day. They did not possess the intel
lectual light that is shed abroad among
us at the present day. AS has been al
ready stated they were unacquainted
with the grand laws of nature but they
we're earnest inquirers after truth. And
as they gained it gem by gem they we're
accounted learned because they were &C
qulrlng facts with which the rest of the
world were unacqualnted. The Pbua-
nlclans at the East end of the Mediter-
ranean Sea were a commercial and col
onizing people. They scattered over the
world the knowledge gained by the
Egyptians. The people of India were
quite prominent nation, but they te-
came too much interested in the gold
and other precious productions of the
country to make any progress in eivili-
zatlon, Farther up the Euphrates valley
or in the Tigro- -Euphrates basin the As
syrian nation arose. This as well as the
later Babylonian kingdom devoted con.
siderable attention to learning but more
to pride. Meanwhile the more intelli-
gent and vigorous people were emigrat-
ing to Europe and settling In the south
ern peninsulas. The people were max
ing such rapid strides in progress that
their Asiatic neighbors be; anne Jealous
OF their learning, grandeur and power.
The most powerful nation of Asia was
Persia. nation which originated near
the Persian Gulf. They were soldiers
and nothing more but they were able to
overcome the p,Ide of the oriental mon.
archies. But when they came to attack
the cultured Greeks they were unable to
stand the torrents of Greek fire. Hence
forth the progress of civilization is not
TO be found in Asia or Africa but in Eu-
rope. Greek philosophers collected all
the learning of the world and in assinl-
ulating the knowledge gained from all
other nations they acquired momentum
which carried them far out into the
great realms of truth. They became fa-
miliar with many philosophical princi-
pies. The scholar of to-day NAV gain
enthusiasm and valuable instruction by
the perusal of the researches of the
Geek philosophers.
Rome as the last ancient nation of
Europe, like Persia the last nation of
Asia, produced nation of soldiers.
They adopted the civilization of the
Greeks and scattered it over the world.
While the Romans cultivated letters as
a secondary object pride, ambition and
avarice held the controlling interest in
the administration of Roman affairs.
Roman virtue was a stern virtue. The
privileged classes of Rome subsisted on
the fruit of conquest till they became
too corrupt for self sustenance, much
more to make any advancement in the
high departments of spiritual progress.
Among the vandals of the north were a
sturdy and vigorous people who were to
supplant the declining glory of the Ro-
mans. The scholars of the several ma
tions had amassed considerable truth.
But the gems of truth are no more ap-
preciated by the barbarians at first than
they were by the mass of proud and vain
Romans. Hence the world relapsed into
barbarism or the night of the Dark Ages
while the knowledge and civilization of
the ancients was becoming assimulated
by the barbarians. The Dark ages con-
tInued for about six centuries after the
downfall of the Roman Empire. The
first signs of reviving civilization were
the building of cities and the establish
ment of universities.
The Crusades were among the most
powerful influences TO produce a revival
Of civilization. Vast crowds of the most
intelligent people were thus brought in
contact with the various nations of the
earth and they were thus enabled to
select the most valuable experience of
all the world. An impulse was given to
commerce by the necessity for proyis-
ions while on their journey as well as
the desirable manufactures which they
saw abroad. A desire for knowledge
was awakened by the information gain
ed in their journeys.
Learning and commerce are two OF
the most important elements of ciyiliza-
tiOn and when they were once revived
the world started on career of progress
which has continued ever since. Among
the ancient nations we must look for the
seed of our present civilization. Since
the founding of the modern nations on
the ruins of the old Roman Empire pro-
gress has been continual and rapid. The
facts of ancient history are valuable tC
all the world. Among the events Of
modern history the most important to
us as Americans are the art of printing
the discovery of America, the Revolu-
ton and Civil War and the application
of steam and electricity to practical pur
poses. The art Of printing places knowl
edge within the reach of all. The dis
covery Of America opened to The world
a new continent. The Revolutionary Wal
gave us free nation. The Civil Wal
gave us powerful nation. Steam has
few days. Electricity transmits OuI
thoughts to the uttermost parts of the
earth with the speed of lightning. IL
deciding the importance of any hlstor-
ical event always consider its bearing
upon your own present condition fol
veal or woe. You will notice the sue
cesses of personal ambition, like that ol
Napoleon, have usually been shortlivec
and any enterprise has, in the end, sue
ceeded in proportion to the purity Of it,
motive. The just cause has in the end
succeeded though it may have under
gone centuries of obscurity.-IG Geo. NJ
Cole in Belfast Journal. -'s-1