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We have now contemplated one great exhibition of human 

 nature. We have seen it present one strong peculiar char- 

 acteristic, that of inaction, arising from the envelopement, or 

 intimate commingling of all its elements. Were those ele> 

 ments always to remain enveloped ? Was that nature ever to 

 remain inactive ? All existence is granted subject to one con- 

 dition, to the operation of one uniform law, the law of pro- 

 gression. The man must walk forth from the boy, the civil- 

 ized from the savage. Happily our race can claim no ex- 

 emption from this condition, or from the operation of this law. 

 To perform it, therefore, it was necessary that a movement 

 should be made, that a new era should open, a new spirit 

 predominate. It is here proper to advert to the manner and 

 direction in which that progression is accomplished. The 

 man advances by a successive separation and developement 

 of his powers, humanity by a successive separation and de- 

 velopement of her elements. We have seen in Asia all these 

 elements, industry, government, the arts, religion and philos- 

 ophy enveloped within each other, or intimately mingled to- 

 gether. It is the successive separation of each element from 

 all the others, and the full systematic developement of each, 



general applications, that constitutes the progressive princi- 

 ple of our race. 



This principle has ever been manifested in one direction 

 only. It is a fact rather curious, that one great movement 

 of the atmosphere, that all sustaining principle of life, has 

 ever been from east to west. In the same direction are the 

 mighty movements of that majestic ocean, " that has once 

 been the cradle of our globe, and may yet be its grave." 

 The mental and moral movements of man, the progressive 

 principle of humanity, have been in the same direction. 



In the opening of a new era, to be inauenced by a new 

 spirit, we are to view man under a different aspect. We are 

 to proceed from inertia to action ; from where man was noth- 

 ing to where he is every thing; from despotism to democra- 

 cy •, from union to separation ; from envelopement to devel- 

 opement ; from Asia to Greece. This new era required a 



