28 



But I cannot expect you to bear with me while I 

 press these illustrations further. Will any man, never- 

 theless, pretend that, so far as stated, they do not fur- 

 nish ample proof of the superiority of our own times, 

 over all that have preceded it. Take a few facts in 

 comparison. 



1. With respect to government and laws — 



The principles of our social compact, our constitu- 

 tion, and our laws are well defined, reduced to plain, 

 unambiguous rules, and administered and checked in 

 such manner, as to give a law and a remedy to every 

 man, whether high or low. Public morals regulate the 

 decision of the judge, and force him, even if a bad man, 

 from his dependence, to decide the law correctly. A 

 jury, of which the citizen cannot be deprived, stands 

 between the judge and the accused, as well as the civil 

 suitor. An appeal court, regulates the errors of infe- 

 rior tribunals, and even the generalities of the law, 

 are corrected by a court of chancery. 



2. With respect to philosophy, science and the me- 

 chanic arts. 



View the rapid strides of discoveries in these, and 

 their application to the means of feeding and clothing 

 men. A philosopher ascertains that sulpher, nitre, and 

 charcoal, form a combustible substance — our ances- 

 tors applied it to murder each other; we to the arts, 

 Gunpowder blasts rocks, cuts through mountains, and 

 excavates tunnels for the use of rail roads, and to sup- 

 ply cities with building materials. Other instances- — 

 one ascertains that steam is expansive, that thrown in^ 

 to a tube in a particular way, it will move a piston rod, 

 and produce action. On this a Fulton applies the 

 principle to machinery, and a Watt builds a steam en- 



