Improvement.
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"that nt upon her sovon hills" was to
t'tulc, unci the pride of Eastern magnifl
oeneo mul giTiitnos3 was to ho humbled.
The period of which we spunk dates
back to the fall of the Western Ro
man Empire, which occurred in 470, A. D.
At this time we find the city of Romulus
in the hands of the northern barbarians.
The barbarian conquest which at this time
terrilled all Europe, carrrled away in its
wake early civilization, and as the wave of
destruction rolled across the continent,
much that had heen accomplished for the
good of humanity was buried in oblivion,
only to be exhumed after long years of
toil and resenreh. What wonder then that
the Eastern World was, for si thousand
years, groveling in darkness and bar
barism. Many clouds of darkness have
brooded over the world since history be
gan, but this seems to he the one which
envelops till others, and. folding them be
neath her uncouth wings, Hunts on, leaving
the world almost in u state of helpless
ness. Such then was the beginning of the
" Dark Ages," n period of about a thou
Mind years, that carries us up to the time
of the discovery of our own continent.
About the beginning of the tenth century,
however, we see things wearing a dUVercnt
aspect; they bear n maiked change. For,
at that time the crusades were undertaken
to regain the Holy Land, the patrimony
of tin,' Saviour, from the hands of the infi
del Turks. Thenceforward, wc sue the
spark, ignited by Peter the Hermit, grow
ing into an unoxtiuguishablo Hame, which
causes nil Europe to emerge from that leth
argic state into which she had fallen.
Yes, this obscure person commenced a
work which engaged the ablest minds of
the Eastern world; and to-day his name
adorns the page of history as a benefactor
of mankind.
Wo might say that the ago of improve
ment dates wick to the tenth century, from
which time the world has been advancing
in the arts and sciences, and in civili.a.
tion. But let us now recross the 'ocean
and speak of that which concerns us more
directly. Columbus encountered many
diflloultios, and trusted himself upon the
bosom of the pathless ocean in order that
ho might 'accomplish that which he
thought to he his mission; and who is
able to calculate tho result? Little does
the individual know, and less does ho re
ali.e how much good can be accom
plished through his instrumentality. Tho
discoverer of the Western world never
knew the real granduer of his discovery,
yet the blessings upon muukind cannot be
estimated.
In 14i)2 our continent was discov
eied, but it was nearly three centuries
before any permanent settlement was
made. Soon, however, the tide of em
igration began to increase. The Alio
ghany Mountains wore crossed, and tho
wave rolled westward until 1848, when
gold was discovered in California. As
soon as this beoan.s known, men were
aroused in all quarters, swarming to the
land of gold with the eagerness of n Cy
rus, mid the rapidity of an Alexander,
hoping there to find the idol of their allec
lions.
From that time until now our popula-
tion has increased rapidly. To-day we
are the happy owners of n broad and
beautiful country, containing over forty
millions of souls.
Oomo, welciimu MioiihiuhIh, to our nlioru,
You loiig-upnrcuFcil In dietnnt IuiiiIh;
Our portala opu that you no mom
May leul tin) weight ol lion lunula.
Were I to recount the numerous inven
tions of the last four centuries, I fear that
I should grow tiresome. Permit mo to
say, however, that our doors are open to
foreigners. The institution of slavery,
with all its blighting influences, has been
abolished, and we are a free people, hold
ing, as it were, the chief place in the cat
alogue of nations. But the work is not
nil done yet We, as individuals, having
the welfare of the country ut heart, mid
having a voice in the government of that
country, should work carefully according
to the dictates of our belter judgment.