The Republican journal., 1888-07-26
NUMBER 30.
History.

most progress in civilization. History. proper
y studied, raises to us the curtain revealing
the grand panorama of the past in which we see
| all the great revolutions of human thought as
well As the habits of thought of those people
who have made no progress rather retro
graded. If we consider United States history
| as embracing all that is needful to be known
to give Us a just conception of the develop
| mcnts Of human society, we are building air
castles and have no sure foundaton for al
| though grand achievements have been made by
the American people, their advancement is but
small compared with the amount of progress
that had been made before the discovery of
America. Think you that America was peo.
Piled by barbarans: Whence came our ances-
tors: and what was their history before they
crossed the Atlantic? How long had they been
a civilized people when they came to these
shores, ard what We're the great events which
led to their civilization: Has man always
lived on the earth: Such questions as these
should he asked by every man and answered
for himself Individually without regard to the
! Opinions of another. Every man should gather
all the information he can and form his con-
! illusions according to his own Judgment.
| our earth was not suitable for the abode of
man till about 5000 years ago. Nature is con-
>tantly undergoing changes, sometimes grad
ua'ly aid imperceptibly, sometimes by terrible
| convuiSlons such as the earthquake, volcano. or
such as the precipitation of cur earth into the
sun. Probably every atom of the elements of
our earth has during the ages of the past gone
| through as many vicissitudes the dewdrop
| sparkling in the summer SUM- The dewdrop is
eyaporated by the heat of the sun and as IL
Watery vapor it rise, to form the clouds and
when condensed it descend> again as rain to
nour>h the growing plant or to swell the
mighty ocean. Man came into this world en-
dowed with faculties capable of wonderful
achievements. 1t requires little OF no effort
| for a person TO acquire facilities equal to his
associates. If he is brought up among English
| speaking people he uncon,ciouSlv learns to
! speak English. If brought up among French
he as readily learns to speak French If
Drought ny among people of Il scientific turn
OF minl he readily 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 recorded in the strata of the
| earth itself. They did not possess sufficient
knowledge of mechanical principles to harness
| the forces OF nature to perform the heavy
| work Necessary for the comfort, convenience
and support of man. The facts of nature have
been gained one by one and our modern modes
of applying steam and electricity are the result
| of tIn J,l.,, .
to the bad nature that prevails in 4 portion of
the human race. it has always been found need
| fnl to devise some means for the protection of
society. And il accordance as people have
| progressed in devising the best means for ger
eral government, they have progressed in all
the useful arts and sciences. Mankind had
| liouri>hed ON the earth about 1000 wears before
| they became sufficiently numerous or possessed
| intelligence sufficient to establish Il national
government. The first governments which
| have left any record of their national proceed
ing> We're located near the Mediterranean Sea.
| The tcrtilit! of the soil and the proximity of
the ncighboring nations were favorable TO men.
tai culture. The Egyptians in the valley of the
| MI" We're celebrated for their learning and
| public cdlre>. The Chaldean> in the E,l.
| riratc> valley We're also celebrated for their
| learning though the most learned of those tlay.
would be considered ignorant to-day They
| did not possess the intellectual light that is
| she'd abroad anon" lis at the present day. \,
has been already state,it they We're unacquainted
| with the grand laws of nature but they were
earnest inGuirers after truth And As they
gained it gem by gem they We're accounted
| learned because they were acquiring facts with
| which the rest of the world were unacquant-
r''. The Phnnirians at the east end Of the
| Mediterranean SEA We're Il commercial and
coloniHing people. They scattered over the
| world the knowledge gained by the Egyptians
| The people of India We're quite a prominent
nation hut they became too much Interested in
the goii and other precious productions of the
country to make amy progress in civilization.
Farther up the Euphratts valley or in the
| iI|ro-Euphrate, basin, the A>Syran nation
arose. This we'll a> the later Babyionian
kingdom devotc, considerable attention 10
learning hut more 10 pride. Meanwhile the
more intelligent and vigorous people were
thil@ratlng to Europe and Settlin. in the south
rrn lenin>ula>. The people were making such
rapid strides III progress that their A,ati.
nei.hborS became jealous of their grandeur.
learning and power. The most powerful
nation Of Asia was Persia. il nation which
originated near the head Of the Persian Gull
They were soldiers and nothing more but were
able to overcome the pride of tn, oriental
lnoharrhe>. But when they come TO attack
the u'tured Greeks, they were unable to stand
the torrents Of Greek fire. IIcnceforth the
progress of civilization i, not to be found in
Asia or Africa, Int in Europe. Greek philo>u.
pliers collected alt the learning of the world
and IN as>nuating tn, knowledge gained from
alI other nations, they acquired a momentum
which carried them far out into the great realm.
! Of truth. They became familiar with many
Philosophical principles. The scholar of to.
day may gain enthusiasm and valuable in>trur.
ton from the peru>al of the researches of tle
creek philosophers.
Rome rs the last ancient nation of Europe
like Persia the last nation of Asia produced =
nation of soldiers. They adopted the civiIila-
tion of the Greeks and scattered if over IN.
world. While the Romans cultivated letters
a> Il secondary object. pride. ambition and
Nafitc held the controlling influence in the
administration of Roman affairs. Roman vir-
tue was stern virtue. The privileged classes
| of Rome subssted on the fruit of conquest
TIL they became too corrupt for self sustenance
murh more to make any advancement I'm the
hi@h departments of spiritual progress. Among
Tue Nan'iaiS of the north were Il sturdy and
vigorous people who We're to supplant the de-
truth. But the gems of truth are no more
| appreciated by the harbariars at first than they
Were by the mass of proud and vain Romans.
| Hence the world rclap>ed into barbariSm or
| the night Of the Dark Ages. while the knowl-
| edge and civilization of the ancients was be-
| coming assimulated by the barbarianS. The
| Dark Ages continued for about six centuries
| after the downfall of the Roman Empire.
| The first signs of a reviving civilization were
| the building of cities and the establishment Of
| Universities.
| The CrtlSades We're among the most power
| full influences to produce a revival of civiliZa-
| ton. Vast crowds of the most intelligent
| people We're thus brought in contact with the
| various pations of the earth and they were
| thus enabled to select the most valuable expert
| ence of all the world. An impulse was given
| to commerce by the necessity for provisions
| while on their journey As well as the desirable
| manufactures which they saw abroad. 4
desire for knowledge was awakened by the in.
formation gained in their journeys.
Learning and commerce are two of the most
important elements of civilization and when
they We're once revived, the world started on
a career of progress which has continued ever
since. Anon. the ancient nations we must