destiny of civilized man, we know what must ultimately be that of half civilized and barbarous nations. The facilities of intercourse assure us of the final elevation of the whole family of man. The romance of distance is at an end. A man that has traveled ten thousand miles is no longer a curiosity. The charm is broken. Mankind are hastening, some for commercial purposes, and others impelled by humanity and Christian faith, to the remotest regions of the earth. The empire of the Great Khan has revealed its mysteries. Timbuctoo is no longer an Eldorado, but a poor emporium for salt, ivory and gums. The Niger now, like all sensible rivers, runs into the ocean. The earth with its inhabitants, is well known. Many of the most fertile and beautiful portions of the earth, once densely populated, are now desolate; barbarism has taken the place of ancient civilization. But science, and literature, art, commerce and Christianity, on visiting those slumbering nations will breathe into them a nobler life. They will carry with them elements of progress and permanency never before known. Peace instead of war will follow as a matter of principle as well as of policy, with industry and skill in its train; and the consequence will be an abundance of the material of living, of enjoyment, and of mental culture, for all classes, for the lowest as well as the highest. The few shall no longer enslave the many; but the earth shall be for man according to the original grant of the Creator. The natural fertility of Asia and Africa, and their inexhaustible resources for agricultural improvement, are awaiting the new life which Christianity and a higher civilization will impart to those benighted regions. How soon our expectations will be realized, we do not pretend to foresee. The divine plan may, for aught we can say, require many VOL. VI. 61 He generations for its fulfillment. That the plan is far from being completed is evident. In this day many interpreters of the prophets are very sanguine and very impatient. They declare that they can not see any provision for time beyond a few years. But we find no such revelation in the word of God-no time specified when the earth shall be destroyed, or the present order of things changed. But we do find the Bible full of promises of an unknown future of universal righteousness; and every step of progress toward this result is a pledge that the earth shall again yield her increase-that every portion of it shall be subdued to the use of man. The Great Ruler of the world will take time to complete this plan. He finishes all that He begins. would not commission man to subdue the earth and withdraw the commission as soon as man had learned the true science of cultivation. Nor would He send his servants to proclaim salvation to all nations, and recall them from the work as soon as they were commencing it in earnest. The clear tendency of things is towards a millenial state. There is progress. This progress has been growing more and more rapid for three centuries. It is a general progress,— embracing every thing that can ele vate and bless mankind. We are just coming into possession of knowledge that will make this progress sure and permanent. And God will not stay its onward course till man's mission of labor is accomplished, and the race redeemed. A day of peace is promised; and shall it not be as long as the days of war have been? A day of light, also; and shall it not be as bright as the night has been dark? Knowl edge is to fill the earth; and will it not flow wherever there is ignorance to be enlightened? Sin has abounded; and grace shall much more abound. The sword is to be chang ed to a ploughshare-when and where? Not in the past, not in the present, but in the future. When that time shall come the whole earth will be subdued. The lion and the lamb will lie down to gether? Beautiful emblem! But of what? In what scene of earth's drama has the archetype been seen? We have not come to it yet. The first act is not completed;-the last may be far distant, but at length the curtain will be raised-and the glorious panorama of a world, free, equal and fraternal, doing all their duty, and having all they want, shall be revealed. MARTIAL MEN AND MARTIAL BOOKS.* A WARLIKE as well as a lewd and effeminate age is known by its literature. We can not doubt that the reign of Charles II. was infamous for the licentiousness of the court and the people, when the books of that period so clearly evince the fact; when history recorded, without a blush, the debauchery and vile intrigues of the King and his ministers, and biography celebrated the exploits of the most depraved characters; when low satires and amatory songs became the popular poetry; when the drama exhibited, without a moral, shameful scenes of vice, and the performers were applauded in proportion to their skill in representing the basest passions; when the adventures of a Rochester and a Buckingham were themes of romance; when the elegant arts partook of the general corruption, music lent its voluptuous swell" to the lascivious dances of lords and ladies, and painting was employed in the production of obscene pictures and in displaying the beauty of the king's mistresses; and though Milton lived in this degenerate age, among the writers of the day, "his muse appeared like the chaste lady of the Masque-lofty, spotless and serene." The age of chivalry was fruitful not only in deeds of valor and courtesy-in the adventures of roving knights, rapacious barons, Washington and his Generals, by J. T. Headley. Baker & Scribner, New York. and the exploits of the crusaders, but in descriptions of battles and tournaments, tales of Arthur and Charlemagne, rules of chivalry, the martial legends of the monks, and the metrical fictions of the Trouveurs. The heroic periods of our own country are marked by corresponding illuminations along the path of her literature. The war of the revolution, undertaken for the estab lishment of colonial rights, waged for independence, and won through valor and patriotism, closed amidst the general rejoicing of an emanci pated people. The writers of that day, sympathizing with the soldier, proclaimed their sentiments in pamphlets, sermons, orations, narratives, memoirs, histories, which furnished materials to subsequent writers for an endless succession of martial books. In the war of 1812, prosecuted for the defense of "free trade and sailors' rights," when our navy won victories on sea and lake, and our chivalry renown behind logs and cotton bags, and our invincible columns marched up to Canada and then marched back again, the Browns, the Jacksons, the Woods, the Wools, the Scotts, the Ripleys, the Pikes, the Perrys, the Hulls, the Macdonoughs, the Decaturs, lived in countless volumes of heroic story, to mark the time of their achieve. ments by the warlike tone of our literature. The "Peninsular campaign," or the conquest of some live Indians, of the Seminole tribe, sectarian bounds, bent at the shrine of the Virgin Mary. The embattled heights of Cerro Gordo could not resist the shock of our arms. Jalapa, Perote, Puebla, Contreras, Churubusco, Chapultepec, were speedily surrendered, and our triumphant soldiery have "reveled in the halls of the Montezumas.” True, this war has cost us a hundred and fifty millions of dollarsmore than thirty thousand human lives have been sacrificed-causing, throughout our land, a wail like that of Egypt for her first-born children -the manners, morals, sensibilities and principles of rulers and people have been corrupted, and the nation is condemned in the judgment of heaven for lust of conquest and military ambition. But our regulars and volunteers have proved the native valor of the Anglo-Saxon race by American troops, fighting side by side with the blood-hounds of Cuba, winning laurels with these illustrious " dogs of war" in the swamps of Florida, produced books on the military art, and the best methods of training blood-hounds; diaries, and letters of officers, biographies of distinguished generals, lives of Indian chiefs, &c.; indicating the taste of the people, and their progress in letters, as well as in arms. We now come to the last and most renowned campaign, which crowns its authors with more glory than the killing of Tecumseh, or the trapping of Oceola. This republic, cramped within the narrow limits of nine hundred thousand square miles, determined to stretch herself a little, particularly her southern limb, for the enlargement of the "area of freedom." This movement arousing a jealous neigh--that one of this stock is a match bor to the protection of her territorial rights, led to a serious misunderstanding between the two nations and to a declaration of war. Our troops are ordered to cross the Nueces-Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma become famous battle fields. Soon our cannon are pointed across the Rio Grande-Matamoras, Camargo, Monterey and Saltillo yield to our arms-the ensanguined field of Buena Vista tells of unparalleled feats of bravery. The renowned Scott, "the hero of Lundy's Lane," vied with the invincible Taylor, "the hero of Okiechobee," in martial exploits. Vera Cruz was captured, the strong for tress of San Juan de Ulloa could not withstand our bomb shells. Our commander in chief, pausing in mid career of conquest, like a true knight of the temple, foremost in religious zeal as well as in valor, reverently entered a Popish cathedral, and in his inimitable style, gracefully receiving between the extremities of his thumb and fore finger a burning taper, in the plenitude of that charity which spurns for five Mexicans behind intrenchments-Mexico has been taught the striking lesson that if we want any of her land we will have it-if she owes us any thing she shall pay in provinces, as well as in the blood of her citizens. Presidential candidates have been provided for the next twenty years-and a trophy of the conquest, the cork leg of Santa Anna, has been set up in our national museum. But the conquest of Mexico is not the only achievement of these days of glory-bookmakers, catching the spirit that is abroad, have multiplied their productions and supplied, in profusion, books for the times. "Grim visaged" warriors in gilded frames frown upon us in print shops, parlors and public places. The periodical press records the most remarkable incidents in the lives of American generals; and a merchant's clerk, or printer's journeyman, turned out of employment for dishonesty and debauchery, and obliged to go as far towards the seat of war as Texas, figures in half a column of newspaper, as the gal lant Capt. A. or Lieut. B. of the regiment. A list of" popular books for sale" runs something in this way-Napoleon and his Marshals-Life and Campaigns of Napoleon-Washington and the Generals of the Revolution, (Cary & Hart); Washington and his Generals, by Headly-Washington and his Generals, by Lippard-Taylor and his Generals-Polk and his Generals-Life of Santa AnnaLife of Ringgold-Life of Gen. Putnam-Life of Marion-Life of Jack son-Incidents of the RevolutionBook of the Army-Book of the Navy-The War of Independence -Knights of Malta-Life of Zacha ry Taylor-Indian Wars, including the discussion of the question, who killed Tecumseh? The pains taken by authors of books of this description, to celebrate war and warriors, is the effect of that false opinion of military greatness which has so long enthralled the human mind. If warriors have generally held the first place in the esteem of the world, it is not surprising that history, poetry and fiction have combined to glorify and enshrine the man who has commanded an army, or taken a city. We intend, however, in some of the following remarks, to question the claim of military heroes to such peculiar honor, and to show what place they should oc cupy among those who have acted a conspicuous part in human affairs. "It is hard, to be sure," says John Foster, "very hard, that what has been bedizened by the most magnificent epithets of every language, what has procured for so many men the idolatry of the world, what has crowned them with royal, imperial, and according to the usual slang on the subject, immortal honors, what has obtained their apotheosis in history and poetry, it is hard and vexatious that this same adored maker of emperors and demi-gods should be reducible in literal truth of description to the occupation of slaying men, and should therefore hold its honors at the mercy of the first gleam of sober sense that shall break upon mankind." In the first place, we hold that military leaders, even the greatest of them, are not so preeminently great as their eulogists seem to suppose. Their intellectual endow. ments are not of the highest order. We do not mean that rare warlike talents are never combined with first rate powers of mind, but, that from the nature of the case, the highest abilities can never be devel oped either on the field of battle, or in arranging the complicated machinery of human slaughter. It is affirmed by Marshal Saxe, that "the most indispensable quali fication of a great commander is valor, without which all others must prove nugatory." This language may mean that a general must be bold in the execution of his plans, fearless and self-possessed in the midst of danger, ready to face death at the cannon's mouth if it is neces sary to complete "a turning manœuvre," or to restore order to his wavering troops. Although valor, in this sense, is something more than brutal courage, which hurries men to destruction without reflection, or regard to consequences; it can scarce. ly claim admiration as a remarkable endowment, since the comprehension of a few facts, and firmness of purpose, will enable a general to lead his columns into action in gallant style, and to ride for a whole day in front of his line on a “milkwhite charger," while bullets are whizzing about his ears, and cannon balls falling around him every mo ment. It often exists in perfection in those who show little capacity for knowledge, or talent for intel lectual pursuits, There have been great conquerors who seemed inca. pable of understanding the simplest principles of science, or of the conduct of public affairs. Dull on all subjects but those of the camp and the battle-field-their scope of thought scarcely reached beyond the range of their cannon. Nor is valor an uncommon quality. Under different names, it belongs to masses of men. It is a characteristic of whole nations. A coward, in the ranks of an army, with the eyes of his comrades upon him, is a curiosity, and when in such circumstances, one soldier will turn from a line of presented bayonets, a hundred soldiers will rush upon it. If valor is the crowning excellence of a general, his "indispensable qualification," he can not claim the homage of the world for his intellectual greatness, though he is as valiant as was Alexander, or Publius Horatius, the one-eyed hero, who saved Rome on one occasion by withstanding a whole army. The application of "grand tactics," is considered to be an exhibition of great powers. Of the elementary part of this art, including the principles of "right about face," and "forward march," and the formation and evolutions of companies, battalions and divisions, it is not necessary to speak. To form an army in the order of battle, and to bring it into action, are more complicated parts of the same business. The best positions for offense and defense are to be chosen; masses of troops are to be arranged according to the relative strength of the opposing forces; different modes of attack or protection are to be em ployed, as the nature of the field and the exigency of the occasion may demand; feints are to be made, surprises defeated; and the whole force of infantry, artillery and cavalry, brought to bear upon the enemy with the greatest effect. These operations, conducted in the best manner, require skill, sagacity, penetration, judgment-"a quick eye, a ready conception, a prompt execution." Writers speak of the transcendent display of genius in scenes of war of "prophetic vision," "sublime conceptions," "profound philosophy," exhibited in disposi tions and manoeuvres: but when they come to particularize, the climax ends in terms of less lofty import;-such as, "sound understanding with some genius," "prompt and vigorous resources;"-" to accomplish all the purposes of war the judgment must be clear, the mind collected, the heart firm, the eye incapable of being diverted;" "all offensive and defensive opera. tions in the field require mobility, solidity, impulsion, and the greatest possible amount of fire." But, whether an army is drawn up in simple or complex form, in "parallel order," or "parallel order with a crotchet," whether the enemy's array is pierced, or turned, or the attack made in column, or in line; on one, or on both wings,-however great the "mobility, solidity, impulsion and amount of fire," there is no exhibition of those powers and qualities which we shall presently speak of as belonging to the highest order of intellectual greatness. The greatest display of what is called military genius lies in the conception and execution of an extensive campaign, like some "master stroke" of Frederic or Napoleon. To form a plan of this kind, which,. embracing half a continent, is to be carried out in the face of gigantic obstacles of nature and art; to direct the march of large masses of troops, with all their material, by different routes to a prescribed position, so as to concentrate the sev eral divisions of a grand army, with such exactness that they shall arrive at the hour appointed for striking a decisive blow; to anticipate the designs of an enemy, and to forestall his movements so as to meet him at a vital point with a superior force,requires the action of no ordinary mind. It demands uncommon capacity, invention of expedients, comprehension of details, knowledge of physical science, clear discernment |