240 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



As an advanced science implies an advanced art the progress of the 

 two being ever conditioned upon each other so the great advances 

 of the sciences and arts imply a corresponding development of human 

 intelligence. The principle of action and reaction prevails in the 

 world of mind as in the world of matter, and while the human intel- 

 lect, by cogent applications of its powers, has established multitudi- 

 nous differentiations in things once inextricably intermingled, a cor- 

 responding differentiation and specialization of its own powers has 

 inevitably resulted. But specialization of functions being the direct 

 evidence of its greater perfection, it is incontrovertible that the mul- 

 tiplication of specializations of knowledge by human inquiry has re- 

 sulted in improvements of the powers of the human mind. The strain 

 now put on human power to keep pace with the advances already 

 made is an assurance that there will be in the future no lack of oc- 

 casion for continued mental development. Air departments of hu- 

 man enterprise have in truth been already so marvelously developed 

 as to defy the complete grasp of any but specialists of more than ordi- 

 nary capacity. Croakers may find fault and stigmatize the advance 

 of the age as mainly material. Never did carping criticism have 

 poorer ground for its averments. The material advance is fully 

 matched by the moral advance. Proofs of it are so multiplied as 

 scarcely to deserve enumeration. Liberty to think boldly and to give 

 free utterance to honest convictions is fast becoming a sacred principle 

 of society. Liberty of person, and equal justice irrespective of rank 

 and wealth are now almost everywhere recognized as divinest prin- 

 cij^les of government. The sick and the unfortunate, instead of being 

 left to die without aid or to pine through a miserable existence, are 

 now everywhere provided for at the expense of those whom fortune 

 has subjected to less severe trials. Sumptuary laws are now not only 

 known to be useless but their principle is condemned. Private war 

 has almost ceased to be waged ; and the duty of revenge, once sanc- 

 tioned by religion, has given place to the duty of forbearance and 

 forgiveness. The well-being of one's neighbor is now universally felt- 

 to be the good fortune of one's self. Vast accumulations of wealth, 

 instead of being squandered in the purchase of places and useless 

 decorations for elevating one's self above his fellows, are now em- 

 ployed in educational, industrial, and eleemosynary foundations. 



Nor is this true of individuals only. Governments, both monarch- 

 ical and republican, instead of employing their resources in war and 

 destruction, are now rivals in the most beneficent achievements for 

 prolonging and ennobling human life. Slavery has been abolished 

 in nearly every civilized country, and all forms of privileged oppres- 

 sion are rapidly meeting with the same condemnation. In truth, such 

 has been the progress of morals and the general assimilation of the 

 principles of equity, that the most important functions of life and 

 society are now accomplished without the intervention of government, 



