EDITORIAL MISCELLANIA.

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consequence when popular principles prevail? What indeed is the character and Thurlow Weed, who is now in France, what are the principles of those who will be says, "there is less than no hope for the in- thrown up, in these revolutions, and become dependence of Hungary." This may be the leaders and guides of the people? Are very correct but it is certainly a little beyond they men, who will give us a second edition the comprehension of most readers. That of Robespierre and Marat? Or are they such there is no hope, many believe and deplore. as will give their power to the beast, and Millions of hearts are feeling an intense ex- while they give political liberty, shall fetter citement on that question, and their hearts, and bind the immortal mind, and hinder its palpitating at each arrival of news, throb upward risings? There is so much doubt with intense emotion. If these millions do about these matters that the good whose not see the liberties of Hungary and other hearts have become interested in the adnations of Europe secured, they will at least Vancement and elevation of man, may well transmit their desires and aspirations to as rejoice with trembling, as enterprises are many more, who will follow in the track of crowned with success which have an influtheir predecessors. But we are forced to the ence on the great future of political history. conviction, that liberal views must in the Whether there will be an entire wreck of nature of things, constantly increase and be social institutions, the good as well as the more and more developed in the future.- evil being overthrown, and a new construc The influence of the many, whose cause is tion of society on the principles of the sojust, must extend. The despots of Europe cialists and the Red Republicans, is a matter are now in the condition of the man, who of doubt. If so, great as the evils now exhas grasped the neck of a deadly serpent.-isting may be, it is doubtful whether the His whole strength is required in the onset good of man will be promoted by the to hold fast his fearful foe, and as his powers cannot always hold out when exerted to their utmost extent, he imagines that the writhing of his enemy is constantly becoming more violent, and that he is sliding through his grasp that the deadly fangs are already within a few inches of his face and that the fatal blow will soon be struck. His exertions, and his terror both reduce his strength, until his powers fail, and his enemy gains an easy conquest. Such reader we believe to be the condition of the crowned heads of Europe at this time. mighty influences at work are too strong already to be stemmed,only with all the force which can be brought to bear against them. While the force of the onward wave is every moment becoming greater, made stronger by its own effort, and increased by an outside pressure, it must by and by force its way through all obstacles, and the destruction of opposing influences will be the more sure and complete. But the questions come to the heart of every good man, what will be

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change.

Every man of enlarged and lenightened views, must be convinced that there is yet wanting much, that is necessary to the permanent good and lasting happiness of the masses. And until learning shall be gener ally diffused, and the principles of a liberal, a Bible Christianity shall be understood and appreciated by the millions, it may be questioned whether any change of government will secure the blessings of liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to the people.

America is now receiving the thousands of Europe, many of whom are imbued with a spirit, which if universal, would subvert in a day all the institutions of our country which make us the wise and happy people we are at the present. It is most likely that those who are left behind are of the same element, and if so, then if there are republics to be formed, they will doubtless be of a different character from that of ours and wanting in those elements which ennoble the American people.

It is very fashionable, these days, to make injury, at least apparently, and in a moment, Editorial excursions, and a connection with ran through the cars, and resumed his stathe Corps Editorial has compelled me, how-tion. But I presume he will not renew his ever unwillingly, to make the experiment, adventure. and give to the readers of the Miscellany a short history of my adventures, escapes, and whatever else may be thought worthy of being named.

In due season, I arrived at Pontiac, and found it much changed, as well as the road leading thereto. After having attended to the business which brought me to this place and finding a wagon in which was seated a man of a social aspect, who was to pass up through Rochester, I had a strong desire to see the place where reside many of the former worthy patrons of the Miscellany, in days when its testimony was less strong against spirits and spirituous influences. But in taking a seat with my new friend, I had entirely overlooked the fact that he had imbibed pretty largely, and that he had a very fine team, which it was his great pride to display to the best advantage. was so absorbed in his triumphs, that he doubtless imagined himself the veritable Pegasus, and supposed he was wheeling amid the clouds, and that the tremendous shower of mud was the twinklings of light from stars unseen until this triumphant cir

He soon

Let it be remembered, then, that, on the 11th of March, 1852, after much deliberation and many careful inquiries, I came to the conviction that it might be very consistent with the duty I owe to a large circle of respectable readers, to make a tour, and mark whatever of interest I might discover. Under this conviction, I started, not carpet-bag in hand, for that very needful appendage was utterly forgotten, and remained quietly at home, during the eventful pilgrimage. I, however, found my way to the Pontiac Depot, expecting to have some experience of those pleasures which have been said and sung about this famous road. To my very agreeable surprise, I found the cars moving on beautifully and pleasantly; in this respect, I had a contrast of anything I had expected. In fact, worthy reader, the Pon-cuit amid upper worlds, had brought him at tiac Railroad is nobly redeemed. And the luckless wight, who once moved over the road at the expense of everything that could be broken, now may, if he will, pass the whole length of the way, with a pleasure contrasting strongly with his state of mind, when pressed down and shaken together, in his former trips.

Although the trip was one of pleasure to me, it was not without an incident, which came near being of a very painful character. Our very pleasant baggage-man (for they have such a one now on the Pontiac Railroad) was standing at the side-door of the baggage-car, protruding his person a little too far, when he came in contact with an old car remaining stationary near the track, when he was rolled between the cars, to the end of them, and fell to the ground. It is very doubtful if he could have passed between the cars, if they had been at rest. But it was wonderful, he received no permanent

once within the sphere of their light, which, at his mighty speed, was soon passed, and other glories burst forth to fill their places.

Suffice it, that a few moments decided me that I was very far out of the sphere in which Heaven designed I should move. And I soon prevailed upon Pegasus to suffer me to return to earth, and again to the worldly pursuits to which I had been accustomed.My friend of the fiery steeds, urged me to farther companionship, but as I was by this time literally covered with earth, I was hardly in a state to listen to his exhortations to a higher life. I, therefore, bade him adieu.

I now plodded my way amid the mud, in a more sober way, cheered with the gleesome song of birds, which were more welcome from the fact that it was the first greeting after an absence of months. The glad chirp of the red-breast, and the peculiar notes of the blue-bird and the sparrow, and others of my feathered friends, found a

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Ter labors of the most renowned Histo-learning-as they exist under different teachphers of the world are, by the combin-ers. In some, everything is shallow and *wer of steam and printing, brought to superficial, and there is much that ministers every man's door. By their produc- to vice and crime; they are hot-beds of inwe live in the past as though we had iquity, where youth is corrupted; while born in the early ages of the world, and others are schools of virtue, sources of life the fatal prerogative of the Wandering and light to all the intellectual and moral wise doom pronounced, was perpetu- powers-all depending on the controlling eli He should come again, whom he spirit or presiding genius of the place, whose rled and cursed. Launching our shallop throne and scepter, Busby like, will often be de stream of time, we sail down either supreme. or slow, entering the bays and harying every coast, ascending to the every river, navigating every ocean, taking ourselves familiar with every * and clime, and condition, until we the latitude and longitude of our own it in the voyage of life. In some pers we are better able to judge of past of cotcmporary events. We look at and incidents with their origin and salts before us, and from them get **ts for the present time, and fore shad- Various are the methods we may pursue, Pag of the future. He who has matricu- and many are the collateral helps that may is this school, and prosecuted his cu-be employed, as with caution we read and of study diligently, will be well reflect. There is no more royal road to aol for graduation with honor, and for this knowledge than there was to Geometry. No short-hand methods-no labor-saving acaling the history of the past a school, processes by which we can be benefitted ve in our mind the remembrance of The first step to bo taken is to prepare or differences among these seminaries of thoroughly master an already prepared skele

The Past will be to us a source of knowledge and of virtue, or of vice, according as we give ourselves to one or another class of themes, and to one or another set of guides, and according to the measure of wisdom and judgment we ourselves shall exercise in scanning with a philosophical eye, what we see and hear. Wisdom and virtue are not the necessary results of study-we may be guilty of dropping leaky buckets into wellfilled wells, and drawing nothing up.

ton or outline of the world's history, either respects more important is it that we make ethnographically or chronologically arranged, ourselves acquainted with the authors whose to be filled up at leisure as we have time and works we read-their character, the times in facts at command. Assuming the importance which they lived, the circumstances under of certain events, and receiving on trust the which they wrote, their means of information, eras of their occurrence, we locate them up- and thus to settle the degree of credit to be on the chart, and then reckoning backward given to their testimony, and the weight of from the point we occupy, or forward from regard to be attached to their opinions and the beginning of time, we have the chart inferences. Special qualifications are requidotted with landmarks by which the monot- site to be a good historian-any man can ony is broken, and with which, by the power chronicle events, can write what the ancients of association, we give definiteness to our call annals-but to write history, in its propidea of the time when other events have er acceptation, requires talents of a high ortranspired. Any abridgement of universal der. A celebrated historian of our own history will afford the material for this chart, country, (Prescott,) reviewing the work of though it be but a dry detail of facts and another, (W. Irving,) tells us: dates. It thus has its uses, Lord Bacon to the contrary, notwithstanding, who tells us, that "as for the corruptions and moths of history, which are epitomes, the use of them deserveth to be banished." At this early stage of the study of the past, the reader is not prepared for the more useful works of the philosophic historian-simple facts are first needed to inform him what has been and when. In connection with the synchronical arrangement of facts, should be pursued the topography of their occurrence. This will give definiteness and permanency to our knowledge of the world, for we shall thus have determined what has taken place, and when and where. It is this last point that gives to Gibbon, in his masterly, and yet in some respects, justly censurable, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, much of his power to charm and fix the attention. He tells us he never thought of studying the history of a people until he had mastered all that could be learned of its geographical position, and every one is impressed with the accuracy and minuteness of detail in the local descriptions, that characterize his works.

"Almost as many qualifications are demanded for a perfect historian as Cicero stipulates for a perfect orator. He must be circumstances, and ready to declare it at all strictly impartial, a lover of truth under all hazards; he must be deeply conversant with whatever may bring into relief the character of the people he is depicting, not merely with their laws, constitution, general resources, and all the other more visible parts of the machinery of government, but with the nicer moral and social relations, the informing spirit which gives life to the whole, but escapes the eye of a vulgar observer. If he has to do with other ages and nations, he must transport himself into them, expatriating himself, as it were, from his own, in order to get the very form and pressure of the times he is delineating. He must be conscientious in his attentions to geography and chronology, an inaccuracy in which has been fatal to more than one good philosophical history,and mixed up with all these drier details, he must display the various powers of the novelist or dramatist, throwing his charac ters into lights and shades, disposing his scenes so as to awaken and maintain an un

the

With the original sources of historic know-flagging interest, and diffusing over ledge the general reader cannot be expected to be familiar, though he should be acquainted with their relative worth, that he know what dependence to put upon their testimony. But besides this, and in some

whole, that finished style, without which his work will only become a magazine of materials for the more elegant edifices of subsequent writers.”

may

But though it is true that a perfect histo