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She tim’gia (L'oUcoian.
ATHENS. GA.
Saturday Morning, April 13, 1872.
Published by the Literary Societies of the University.
EDITORIAL CORPS.
C. J. SWIFT.
Trim Editor from the two Societies.
Phi K’tftp'i Society. Dei \nntheninn Society.
R. A. ANGIRR, IT. W. BARROW,
M. 0. DAVIS. J. S. POWELL.
Executive Committee.
II C GLENN. | F. P. GRAY.
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.I©©“ Contributions solicited from the Alumni
of the College, the students at the institutions
of learning throughout, this State and other
States; and from the friends of the University
generally.
The Age of Progress.
The Nineteenth Century will
doubtless be looked upon by suc
ceeding generations, with a more
intense interest than that which
characterized even the Fourteenth
Century in the intellectual history of
Europe. The present age is already
marked by the many developments
in the scientific and philosophical
departments. Indeed, it is emphat
ically an Age of Progress.
While the fourteenth century
century claims the Revival of Let
ters, and the great Protestant Refor
mation, it has been within the nine
teenth that, the mighty incubus of
ignorance and superstition was dis
pelled by the irresistible tide of an
enlightened sentiment. A moment’s
reflection will teach us of the innu
merable trophies won by indefatiga
ble efforts of missionaries—their un
tiring perseverance has caused rude
nations to denounce idolatry, and
numerous churches now mark the
spots where once misshapen idols
stood. The essence of true religion
has been poured out upon their al
tars, and from the shades of deep
planted superstition brought forth
the beaming splendors of meridian
day.
It has been within the nineteenth
century that the idea of railroad
communication was fully matured,
THE GEORGIA COLLEGIAN.
and extensively realized—formerly,
produce was conveyed from place to
place on road-wagons drawn by
horse-power ; but now this method
is greatly facilitated, and we see
huge locomotives flying across our
valleys, and rumbling through our
mountain passes, conveying thou
sands of pounds with almost electric
speed.
'Phe progress of this age is also
remarkably characterized by innu
merable agricultural and manufactu
ring improvements, as well as by
the wonderful advantage of annihi
lating time and distance l y means of
the electro-magnetic telegraph.—
While it may be remarked that the
ancients excelled us in learning and
the arts, we consider the many enu
merated, and unenumerated inven
tions and discoveries of the nine
teenth century, and assail this re*
mark, as a mere hallucination of the
fancy. Though we can furnish no
rival for a Homer, no metaphysician
equal to Aristotle, nor philosopher
equal to Archimedes, we can boast
of the fact that, civilization is now
more universal, and has made more
rapid strides towards the goal of per
fection—that our system of educa
tion tends to throw open the doors
of the grand repository of intelli
gence. and diffuse its choicest fruits
throughout all classes and condi
tions. The ideal sublimities, lofty
conceptions and utopian dreams cf
the ancients have been supplanted
by the fond realities of the nine
teenth century. Eminent in the
practicability of the age, elevated
above many vulgar superstitions, the
sun of intellectual glory has hurst
upon us, and we are being lured on
to new and laudable aims.
The Feast of Purim.
The 24th of March, according to
the Calendar of the Israelites, was
the Feast of Purim. This festival
first received the sanction and force
of a custom through the instrumen
tality of Mordecai, at the instance of
Esther, under the auspices of the
reign of the Persian King Ahasne
rus, and was intended to keep fresh
in the mind the escape of the Jews
from the cruelty and rapacity of
Haman. The observance of this
day receives the name of Purim from
the fact that lots were daily cast for
twelve months, under the imme
diate surveillance of Haman, to as
certain, from omens, auguries and
other divinations, what day would
he most propitious for the total exter
mination of the Jews throughout
the length and breadth of the realms
of Persia. The word is derived
from the Hebrew, its composition
signifying drawing or casting lots.
Hie charming Rook of Esther, in
which is related the compulsory ab
dication of Q,ueen Vashti, the invest
ing of Esther with regal dignities
and royal prerogatives, the subtlety
and chicanery and perfidy of Ha
man, the frustration of his wicked
and diabolical schemes by the supe
rior strategy and invention of Mor
decai, the compelling Haman to
mount the scaffold of his own con
struction, is one of the most thrill it g
and intensely interesting hooks of
tho Old Testament. It will amply
repay frequent perusal, assiduous and
sedulous study, as illustrating the
precarious favor and position of the
diplomat and courtier. As showing
the incertitude of all temporal affairs,
the fickleness of fortune, that retri
butive justice, “ tho’ slow of foot,”
will sooner or later overtake the
guilty in their career of wickedness
and licentiousness, the haughty and
self contained Haman points a moral
so obvious that it lias passed into a
trueism. The abiding faith and in
trepidity of Mordecai, and the saint
ly spirit of Esther, which breathes a
fervent piety, “ even when all seems
dark and sad below,” in the accom
plishment of the object and end they
were prosecuting—although there
was arrayed against them the crafti
ness and sagacity of their implaca
ble enemy—lends to the story of
their wrongs, dangers and tribula
tions, a secret and indefinable charm.
In Mordecai’s adopting the most ju
dicious and salutary measures; the
salvation of tho chosen race, ’m ; dst
hair-breadth ’scapes, when hunted
down by a ferocious and relentless
enemy—the finger of destiny, that
“shapes our ends, rough hew them
as we may,” is apparent. All that
is done in commemoration of this
day, is the offering up of prayer and
the incense of praise that rises from
the Synagogue and the reading of
the hook of Esther to the assembled
worshippers. The occasion is not
one of boisterous merry making, hut
of profound heart-feeling.
HSF* The following, which is a
happy instance of the multrnn, in
pnrvo. emanated from the able and
fluent pen of Processor B. L. Gilder
sleeve, of the University of Virginia.
We commend it to our readers :
“ Women may he safely regarded
as Indicatives ; and it is hut rarely
that they may he called Subjectives.
They are by cnmuvn consent of
mankind Imperatives ; and as Ope
ratives, we have the highest regard
for them. They may be further
held as Supines (!) or as verba
nouns, and in point of expense, In
finitives. Again, they are often ac
tives, and their characterat the same
time frequently requires them to be
Passive, and some have professed to
sum up their whole e aracter in re
garding them to he Middle.”
“The Land of Desolation.”
BY ISAAC I. 11A YES, M. I)
From all authentic reports, the
first land that was discovered on the
continent of America, is now the
least understood by the adventure
some traveller. It is said that the
ancient Northmen occupied the
country bordering on the Arctic re
gion from the tenth to the fifteenth
centuries, and whose restless love of
adventure led them even so far from
their native homes as our own
shores, at least five hundred years
before the renowned voyage of Col
umbus.
The range of the Greenland coast
was more than a thousand miles,
terminating a good way beyond the
outpost of civilization on the glohe,
in the midst of the much dreaded
“ ice-pack” of Melville Bay. Some
speculative writer has advocated *a
theory that the North Pole when
discovered, will he found to contain
an opening leading to an interior
world—or in other words, our world
is a globe within a glohe. We will
not ridicule the absurdity of this
fanciful surmise, for it might contain
some hidden incentive to lead men
on to discover the real nature of the
Arctic regions immediately around
the Pole. Several expeditions have
started upon this errand, hut they
have been as fata' to the parties en
gaged in them, as they have been
futile to solve the mystery. Sir
John Franklin commanded an expe
dition sent out hv the English Gov
ernment, hut this enterprise resulted
in the total destruction of their fleet
and loss of the life of their brave
commander. Dr. Kane accompa
nied a fleet which started but to dis
cover the fate of Franklin and his
men : and while they failed in the
accomplishment af the primary ob
ject, he has given to the world very
interesting accounts of the voyage.
McClintoek, encouraged and aided
by Mrs. Franklin—whose strong
love for her husband made her ever
hopeful—has perhaps beyond doubt
settled the true fate fate of Sir John
Franklin. Capt. Hall, an Ameri
can, is out now, and proposes to dis
cover the North Pole by a route on