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14 ■- ‘ ‘~ L ATHENS, SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1848. The Spirit of the Age. The most careless observer of the past, or the pres ent. would probably be at no loss to answer the ques tion —What is the distinguishing feature of the age we live in 1 He would unhesitatingly reply, “ Pro gress.” This answer would be true —viewed in al most every aspect of society. To trace out the evi dences of this “ progress,” in all its exemplifications, would undoubtedly be a pleasant and perhaps a prof itable task. The limits of an Editorial article, however, absolutely forbid such an attempt. Our purpose is a far less ambitious one, and contemplates simply a glance at some features of the times, which indicate the advancement already claimed jis their grand characteristic. The revolutions which are now taking place in the “ Old World,” are among the more striking illustra tions of the spirit of the age. The present year, not yet half completed, has witnessed wonderful events in Europe—the land of aristocracies and sovereign ties. There thrones have trembled and fallen! —the sceptre has been smitten from the grasp of Kings and Potentates—-the people have made rapid and headlong strides —however thoughtless and ill advis ed they may prove to have been —towards that lib ty which is exhibiting, in our own land, its benifi cent spirit, and its happy effects. The question naturally arises here, is it proper to call that pro gress, which may, and probably will, prove only the spasmodic action of an unquiet and excitable popu lace, that may speedily bo convulsed again, and thrown back into its former condition —or into one equally, if not more, undesirable 1 To this we an swer, that whatever may bo the immediate conse quences of the late revolt in France, and the fate of the Young Republic her people have created, the Spirit of Progress is none the less evident in the thrilling events of February, 1848. They are the fruits of a consciousness, oppressing the people of France, that the liberties they possessed were too narrow and too restricted for the genius of the Nine teenth Century. That the volatile and impulsive spirit of the French people has betrayed them into great faults in the outworking of their conceptions of.a larger liberty, is not evidence that the Spirit of Progress was wanting in their revolutionary move ments. We are apprehensive that the French peo ple are not yet prepared for the great task they have undertaken. We can scarcely suppose that they contemplated the full extent to which their move ments would lead. They rushed forward with a blind zeal and a reckless spirit; and it is not strange that they accomplished results as astonishing to themselves as to the world at large. We are pursu ing this subject too far however —our purpose in al luding to it at all being simply to exhibit one phase of the great principle of Progress which is at work in human society. The French Revolution of 1848 is an offspring of this Spirit; and even if it should result—as many wise and thoughtful statesmen pre dict —in an absolute hindrance to the developement of true Liberty in France, the fact will only prove that the principle is fettered and retarded by the ig norance and passions of those whom it seeks alone to benefit. The “ Chartist movement” in England is another exhibition of the spirit of the age—distorted, it is true, by the ignorance and recklessness of the mass es concerned in it —but, nevertheless, it is the up heaving of the oppressed and weary spirit—attempt ing to throw off burdens that, although long sustain ed, have grown at length intolerable. We do not sympathize with the Chartist demonstrations, or with mobocracy in any shape ; but we respect, not withstanding, the demands of the millions of Great Britain for active and efficient redress of their wrongs and grievances. We rejoice in the failure of the rash attempts of Mr. Fe argus O’Connor and his compeers, to overthrow the fabric of the British Government; but we desire, still, that the reforms in the administration of that government, so loudly called for by its subjects, shall be granted; and it is because we believe that they will be conceded by the rulers, that we rejoice when we see the Chartist demonstrations end in vapour ! The Spirit of Pro gress, in the fast anchored isle, needs not the aid of an infatuated, iguorant mob to assist in its develop ments. A liberal Constitution, the model of our § ® unr abie S3 il a. ir saa ta ¥ own, will foster and carry it forward. But we will turn from these manifestations of the progressive spirit te contemplate others not less interesting. The recent and continual developments in Science, and their application to practical purposes, are among the best evidences of the progress of the age. What a trophy of genius is the Electric Telegraph!—and, j in this single instance, how distinct and interesting i are the steps by which it has reached its present excellence. Thirty years ago a German Philosopher : discovered —we had almost said by accident; but we will recall the thought, and say by Providence — the wonderful fact which lies at the basis of the sci ence of Electro-Magnetism, and of course of the pres ent system of telegraphing. A few years afterwards, Mr. Wheatstone, an English gentleman, applied the principle in a very ingenious manner to the com munication of intelligence between remote points, and thus invented the Electro-Telegraph. Subse quently Professor Morse contrived a far more in genious and efficient method of telegraphic writing which has now become so common that New York and New Orleans are almost contiguous! And now, to crown this splendid monument of scientific skill, the telegraph of Mr. Bain, (imperfectly described in our last number,) is pronounced by competent judges the nc plus ultra of telegraphic instruments until they shall be made either to utter articulate sounds, or write a language intelligible to the com mon eye. Who has not felt emotions of wonder and delight while gazing on the extended wires of the telegraph, and thinking that upon that narrow path Thought was hurrying along to convey its voiceless message to the eye of the remote but watchful observer! — Who has not exclaimed, as they have seen the rapid vibrations of the instrument in the hands of the oper ator, and thought that every pulsation spoke intelli gibly to human hearts: —Surely this is the voice of God! There are those w ho affect to believe that everything that now is, has been before in the history of our race —that our achievements in the social, political and intellectual spheres are but the repetition of the attainments of the ancients. We cannot yield our belief to this supposition —willing, as we are, to ac knowledge that many curious arts existed in past ages, of which only traces remain at this day. That science was then as far developed as it is now, is, however, a position which appears to us untena ble on any ground. Did the noble steam-ship, in ages gone by, ever cross the Atlantic in ten days 1 Did ancient cities, a thousand miles apart, inter change their mutual greetings in as few moments as it would take for their representatives to shake hands 1 Steam and Electricity are the twin giants which, under the guidance of intellect, shall yet re model the whole form and character of human soci ety. The wide diffusion of knowledge, consequent upon the cheapening of books and periodicals, by the in vention of machinery in all the processes of their production, is another grand development of this spirit of the age. The education of the massess— the elevation of the low’er orders to the scale of in telligent, thinking beings—the development of high and pure tastes among those who till the soil and wield the axe —these are all phases of the controlling genius of the age. Let us thank God that we live in an age of Progress ; and let us cherish those prin ciples and opinions which will prove the true conser vatives of our happiness, and prevent those.catastro phes which befal the ignorant and the head-strong, who blindly obey the impulses to action and pro | gress which they cannot resist. The Story of the Acatlians. The popularity of Mr. Longfellow’s beautiful Poem, entitled “ Evangeline , a Tale of Acadie,” which has passed through several editions in a few months, is due, in great part, to the touching beauty and interest of the story on which it is founded; a story almost without parallel in modern history. A ; graphic narrative of the events attending the exile of that primitive people, will bo found in our columns this week, frofn the pen of Dr. Stevens, the histo riographer of Georgia. It will abundantly repay pe rusal. Our Present Number, Is sent to friends and acquaintances in different i sections, to afford them an opportunity of examining the paper, and to ail such we propose to continue sending it, as to subscribers, except in cases where this or the previous number may be returned by the Postmaster. Notices to Correspondents. J. A. T. Please accept our thanks for the MSS. sent. \ou poem shall appear, and we shall be happy to receive the papers you speak of as in your posses sion. L. L. Leg-ends should be about a foot long. Do you understand us 1 “* Leila Cameron” has our best thanks for her po etic favors. ©ur (Sosstp Column. . In the letter of our New York Correspondent , pub- j lislied this week, you will find, dear reader, asingu- j lar coincidence of sentiment and language with the ! letter of our London Correspondent in our first num ber. Written, as these letters were, in totally differ- j ent parts of the world, and professing to be exponents , of the public feeling in those widely-separated quar ters —the similarity is a pleasing indication of sym pathy between the people of the United States and Great Britain, on the subject that has so recently agitated the latter Our friend and corres pondent, Charles Lanman, Esq., has recently pub lished in the National Intelligencer a very graphic and interesting letter from the Gold Region of this State, conveying much practical and amusing infor mation. Another “ Indian Legend ” from the pen of this young and popular writer will appear in our next number On entering our office this mor ning we found the following communication which we are assured is genuine. It is signed a “ Native Juvenile,” and, to “ encourage youthful talent,” as the phrase goes, we cheerfully publish it. Indeed, we have seen worse conundrums than this from our little correspondent . Try again, Willie ! “ Mr. Ed itor : Why is a county in Georgia like the month of May 1 Answer: Because it is Meriwether, (merry weather.)” In this connection, we beg leave, dear reader, to offer you another. Why is Louis Phil lippe more advanced now in the alphabet of sover eignty than he was before his abdication 1 Dost give it up 1 Well, “ Bekase,” as Snowball says, “Bekase —then he was A king, and now he is X king!”.... The London Punch thinks it was ve- I r? improper to attach such a name to the Chartist Petition —that “six-million” docuflient reduced to less than two by simple arithmetic! —as “No Cheese,” and suggests that “No Bread” would have been more appropriate The excellent story by Hood, in our Electic of Wit, has reminded us of an amusing incident that occurred at Springs, a few summers ago. Among the belles of the season, Miss E. F. was preeminent. She was the admired of all beholders, not less for her vivacity and wit than* for her beauty. Like most of her sex, who are more than commonly gifted, she was lbnd of a practical joke, even if it cost something to achieve it. Among her most ardent admirers was a youth, a student from a neighboring college, with more wealth than wit. He was exceedingly self-conceited, and among other false assumptions, was the idea that he had touched the heart of Ellen F. She perhaps encouraged somewhat this opinion of our Collegian, who was in the seventh heaven of delight, at the idea of his con quest. At a favorable moment he proposed to her; and she replied, with much blushing, that her father would not consent to her being married for at least two years, a confession which she made with such ev ident chagrin, that the ardent lover urged her to fly with him at once, and pleaded, that once married, her father would “ forgive and forget.” The maiden hung her head, and finally, if silence gives consent, censented to leave with him that night, for a neigh boring town, where the marriage was to be consum mated. Before they separated, it was arranged that the fair E. should be accompanied by her maid ser vant, and that the carriage should start from a point j near to their Hotel. Every thing went satisfactori |ly to our hero. He was punctual to his time, and | after waiting impatiently a few minutes, two female ! figures approached the vehicle, the steps of which were already down. At this moment, a light was seen and voices heard on the piazza of the Hotel, and eagerly seizing the trembling form of his beloved, whom he recognized by her white dress, notwith j standing the shawl and veil which enveloped her —he ■ placed her in the carriage, and beckoning the maid to follow, sprung in himself. The carriage drove on at a rapid rate, accelerated by the sound of a voice, crying out, “ Halloa driver, stop ! stop! I say !” Our hero pressed the shrinking maiden closely to his side, 1 and having put aside the envious veil, pressed her lips with eagerness, lie spoke not, however, except to murmur, “My angel; Oh what happiness to call thee mine ! ’ At length, he addressed a question to his silent companion, whose head had sunken on his shoulder. Receiving no reply, he fancied that she slept, and in the sober certainty of his waking bliss, he resolved to let her sleep on, thinking how much it ’ would benefit her so to do. Ihe distance to A. was only eighteen miles, and ere the sun had risen, the carriage stopped at one of the hotels in that town. Judge, gentle reader, of the mingled astonishment, rage and shame which were depicted in the face of our hero, as he discovered, when he assisted his lovely companion from the car riage, that he had run away with Ellen F’smaidser vant ! whose face was irradiated with a broad stare of merriment, that was reflected back from the counte nance of the soi disant attendant, and the grinnin< r face of the ostler, who, fortunately, was the only one at that early hour, to greet the travellers. Our hero fled incontinently from the spot and from the town, and resolved never again to elope with a lady in the dark! .... Dear reader, why is this last item of ‘‘ Our Gossip” a capital one I Because it finishes the column! ©ur iJoofe s3= Publishers and Authors who may wish to have I their books noticed in the Southern Literary Gazette , will please send copies for the Editor, to Messrs i Burgess, Stringer & Cos., New York, who will send a parcel to him every week by express. Historical and Secret Memoirs of the Em press Josephine; (Marie Rose Tascher de la Pagerie,) first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. By M’lle M. A. le Norman and. Translated from the French byJACOB M.Howard, Esq. In2vols. 12mo. pp. 352,330. Philadelphia: Carey & 4 Hart, 1848 It has long been a wish of all who have a just ap preciation of those peculiarly womanly traits, which marked the character of Josephine, to learn more of her eventful life, and of the dispositions with which this admirable woman bore the reverses and sor rows which formed so large a part of her destiny. In these two volumes we have full information on these points, and, therefore, they must be read by every one with the deepest interest. Josephine’s early life in Martinique, in France, and as the wife of Beauharnais, is detailed with more minuteness than in any other memoir of her given to the public ; and in the story of her first attachment, and the res olution with which she conquered it, when such a struggle become necessary—of all she endured when the victim of her husband’s false suspicions, and of his constant unkindness and neglect—of their separ ation, and her return to her island home —their reunion, brought about by the conviction, he could no longer withstand, of her truth and worth —and then, when she was just beginning to realize the happiness she merited, of her imprisonment, and the murder of her husband. In all this we find as much to admire and love, as in her after career, which is familiar to all. Under all circumstances, Josephine was faithful to the impulses of a true woman’s heart ; and her very faults were often owing to the fact, that she was guided too much by her affections, in stead of the cooler, and generally more reasonable dictates of the head. We admire in her the wife, mother, and friend; and we cannot deal harshly with faults which are pleaded for by so many vir tues. Most of her subsequent life is given us in her own language, from MSS. purporting to have been pre pared by her for the use of her children. They are made plain to the general reader by copious notes, even more replete with interest than the narrative itself. We cannot enlarge upon all the admirable qualities which distinguished this amiable and un fortunate woman; but a perusal of this memoir would induce even the most prejudiced to do homage to her virtues and to mourn for her sad fate. I he book is dedicated in the mosft laudatory man ner to the Emperor Alexander, who is certainly re garded by M’lle Normand with more admiration than we feel willing to bestow upon him ; but much of this is explained, wffien we remember that he was the friend of Josephine, who reverenced her living, and wept over her lifeless remains, exclaiming, “ She is no more—that woman whom France sumamed the Good—that Angel of Goodness is no more!” Os the manner in which the translator has fulfilled his duty we cannot speak very highly. There may be great accuracy, but there certainly is a literal stiffness in the style, which is most disagreeable. The exaggeration and peculiar idioms of the French language, which strike us as absurd and in bad taste, are preserved throughout the book ; and their abruptness and want of jelegance, diminish much of the pleasure these handsome volumes would other wise iuspire. Tales and Stories from History, by Agnes Strickland. 1 vol. 12m0., with illustrations, pp. 370. Philadelphia : Lea & Blanchard. This is an elegant little volume, and one which ev ery youth should read. It presents, in a pleasant •'and attractive guise, many valuable and important lessons in History; and is calculated to create a taste for instructive reading. Every tale is made a vehicle for imparting some moral instruction; and the amiable and distinguished author will have the thanks of intelligent parents for this contribution to their facilities for the proper training of their chil dren. The History of Ten Years— lß3o-’4O ; or France under Louis Phillippe. By Louis Blanc ; Trans lated by W. K. Kelly. 2 vols. 12mo. pp. 1250. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard. We are indebted to the publishers for a copy of this very interesting work, and regret that our lim its will not allow us to do more than give it a passing notice. The recent startling overthrow of the French monarchy has invested the life and charac ter of the dethroned King with a deep interest, and any production calculated to develope the causes of the late Revolution, cannot fail to attract the atten tion of the enquiring observer. From the cursory examination which we have been able to give the volumes before us, we are disposed to value them highly as a philosophical as well as historical view of the period they embrace—a period so pregnant with great and thrilling consequences to the French people.