Miscellany

In modern ime, thfi emneipation of ;he lal)oring clsse, througli tlie influenc of religión and ihe exiension cF ! formation. has, by maus of the pre, opened ihe mearis of elevatmn !o the grpat body of the people. Ind vidual ambition, the desire of beitfring tlieir condition, have thus heen let in tö ad et the progresa rif freedom. The jb ulition f pöpulnr di-conient decomes most powerful in tli later ppriods o!' society, hecause it is ilien that ilie accumulated wealih of ages has rendered l! e lower orders mo-t jiowpiful. The pr-'gressot opu'ence ind the increiie of indus-ry thus bccnme favoralile to the cau of libeiy becanse the.y augrnent t! e nflupnee f those clases by wliose exeriion it must be rnniriiniried. The s;ri:'e of factinn is . eU wilh the most severiiy in thoe periods when t!;e inceasing prea-tire l'r.m below straihs the bnnds by which it Ins heen compressed, and d mger (.r exnmple has not tanghl the greni necpsgity f p afiual relnxation. [f ihpy aresl.iwlv m;d caufjously unbent, ; t h ReCnrmitixn ; 'f suddeniy removed, fither by the fervor of innovafon or the lury "f revolt, il is Revulution. The operation of ese causes mny distinctly be pfreeived in ihe fram "f soateiy n eyery free countrv in modern limns. Universaüy the eilief spring of prosperity u lo be found in the lmver classps; it is ihe ascfinding spirit and incréising nnergv rif the poor. when ke[t wiiliin die b by the authority of gavernment and the iniluence of the aristocrucy, whichboth Inyatha fiunda- lion of national wealih, and secnres lh progrfss of national glory. Ask the professionnl man what occasions the aifficully so genernlly experienced in stntggling tliMngh the world, or even maintaining his ground agiinst his numorous cinnpeiitors; lie will immediately answer that it is ihe presan ra frorn below nrfaich occasions all hisdifficulty; his cqualshe enn withstnnd; his superiors overeóme: it is the elTwts of his itifenors that are cliicfly formidable. Those, in gpncral, who rit to eminpnee in every profes-non, aie the sons of the midiiling or lower order..-; men h"in pover! y has iiiurpd t- hnidslup, or necossity compelle:1 lo exertion, and who have acquired in the ear!y scliool of íiiñicilty, h:ibits more vnluable tlmn al! the g T s which forture has bestowed apon tlieir superiors. Sa universal is ihe inflience f this principie, so important its píF-ets unon the progrps and prospects ofsocie'y ,that t mny be considereJ ns the grand distinotion between aucent o: d modern limes; all others sink into insignificance in comparison. Tle bilance of power in r ('ree country is iotaJly ahered in conspquencf of the prodigious addition thu made to tne power and importance of the lower orders; a fpiing of aoüvity and vigor is provided in the humille stations of lii'p, which proes a rapid renedy fiw almost every ntrtional disnsie'' except those arising fiom thelr own licentiuusness; a power developed in the dmociMtic party in the eomm nwea'th which renders new bulwarki necessary tomainiain the equilibtium of society. Without so:tie advantiges to counteract the superior energy anJ. m re indutrious hnbits of their inleriors, the higher r.inksin n prospprous, opulen', and advancing slute must in general fall a previo their ambition. Tlie indolence ol wealth, the selfihness of luxury, the pride of birth, will prove but feeble antagniists to thppres-uro of poveriy, the self-deninl, of necesity, the ambition of talent. The successive elevatii n oí the more fortúnate or able of tha lower order.-; to the higher ranks of society is no sufficient antidote to tho danger, for it is I i'nre that enorgy survives íhe npcessity jkhteh gave t birth; and nowhere does iheenervnting influente of wenltli appenr more strongly than in thfi mmedinte d9CPndanls of :hoso who hai raised themselves l)v their exeriions. The incpfsant rlevelopement of vigor n the lower orclers, indred, if kppt within the bounus, .'Hid ditccted in ts by the influente o(" religión and ihe habits of viriue, will ahvays bring a suíRcipnt nortion of talpnt and in'fustry to uphold the fortunes of lite StntP, but not t') main'ain tlie asoendcncy of one class within ts boom; nnr) in t!io Irifs with domestic ombition, the arstocracy will find but n fee'ilo support in tlie ilescendants nf thnse whom recent wealih has enriched, or rece it services ennobled. Tlie onTvnting effect of wenltli upon tiíilioriül chnrncier, nd ts tendenc}' to fixiinguisb tiie love of freedom, so justly and so feelingly complainpd of by ibc wriiers of antquity, has" not hitheiio been so stronly experiencod in m dern limes from tbe influpnco of 1 lie sama cause. Corruption U'iifrrnly fnllows in ihe trnin of opulence; if thos who havp raised themselves by their exet;ons wihstind the coniagion. it rarply fails to affect their descen'iants. But theontinual rise of citizens from iho inferior ranks of society fir a time strongly counteracts thp influence of tbis prinriple. flow feeb'eor ii:eff'ec!n;il sopver ihe higher r.mks may beeomp, n sufficipnt infusión of energy is long provided in the successive elnvation of classes whom ne-e-sity h-is comppiled to cxpriion. It is by precludn! their elevation, or in : 'nsequenc' o f corrupt ion etenriing to their ranks, that an ngfi of opulencH sinks in-rcovcr.ilily