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OAK OPENINGS
By James Fennimore Cooper
PREFACE.
It ought to be matter of surprise how men live in the midst of marvels,without taking heed of their existence. The slightest derangement oftheir accustomed walks in political or social life shall excite alltheir wonder, and furnish themes for their discussions, for months;while the prodigies that come from above are presented daily to theireyes, and are received without surprise, as things of course. In acertain sense, this may be well enough, inasmuch as all which comesdirectly from the hands of the Creator may be said so far to exceed thepower of human comprehension, as to be beyond comment; but the truthwould show us that the cause of this neglect is rather a propensity todwell on such interests as those over which we have a fancied control,than on those which confessedly transcend our understanding. Thus is itever with men. The wonders of creation meet them at every turn, withoutawakening reflection, while their minds labor on subjects that are notonly ephemeral and illusory, but which never attain an elevation higherthan that the most sordid interests can bestow.
For ourselves, we firmly believe that the finger of Providence ispointing the way to all races, and colors, and nations, along the paththat is to lead the east and the west alike to the great goal ofhuman wants. Demons infest that path, and numerous and unhappy arethe wanderings of millions who stray from its course; sometimes inreluctance to proceed; sometimes in an indiscreet haste to move fasterthan their fellows, and always in a forgetfulness of the great rules ofconduct that have been handed down from above. Nevertheless, the maincourse is onward; and the day, in the sense of time, is not distant,when the whole earth is to be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, "asthe waters cover the sea."
One of the great stumbling-blocks with a large class of well-meaning,but narrow-judging moralists, are the seeming wrongs that are permittedby Providence, in its control of human events. Such persons take aone-sided view of things, and reduce all principles to the level oftheir own understandings. If we could comprehend the relations which theDeity bears to us, as well as we can comprehend the relations we bearto him, there might be a little seeming reason in these doubts; but whenone of the parties in this mighty scheme of action is a profound mysteryto the other, it is worse than idle, it is profane, to attempt toexplain those things which our minds are not yet sufficiently clearedfrom the dross of earth to understand. Look at Italy, at this verymoment. The darkness and depression from which that glorious peninsulais about to emerge are the fruits of long-continued dissensions and aniron despotism, which is at length broken by the impulses left behindhim by a ruthless conqueror, who, under the appearance and the phrasesof Liberty, contended only for himself. A more concentrated egotism thanthat of Napoleon probably never existed; yet has it left behind it seedsof personal rights that have sprung up by the wayside, and which arelikely to take root with a force that will bid defiance to eradication.Thus is it ever, with the progress of society. Good appears to ariseout of evil, and the inscrutable ways of Providence are vindicated bygeneral results, rather than by instances of particular care. We leavethe application of these remarks to the intelligence of such of ourreaders as may have patience to peruse the work that will be found inthe succeeding pages.
We have a few words of explanation to say, in connection with themachinery of our tale. In the first place, we would remark, that thespelling of "burr-oak," as given in this book, is less our own thanan office spelling. We think it should be "bur-oak," and this for thesimple reason, that the name is derived from the fact that the acornborne by this tree is partially covered with a bur. Old Sam Johnson,however, says that "burr" means the lobe, or lap of the ear; and thosewho can fancy such a resemblance between this and the covering of ouracorn, are at liberty to use the two final consonants. Having commencedstereotyping with this supernumerary, for the sake of uniformity thatmode of spelling, wrong as we think it, has been continued through-outthe book.
There is nothing imaginary in the fertility of the West. Personalobservation has satisfied us that it much surpasses anything that existsin the Atlantic States, unless in exceptions, through the agency ofgreat care and high manuring, or in instances of peculiar natural soil.In these times, men almost fly. We have passed over a thousand miles ofterritory within the last few days, and have brought the pictures at thetwo extremes of this journey in close proximity in our mind's eye. Timemay lessen that wonderful fertility, and bring the whole country moreon a level; but there it now is, a glorious gift from God, which itis devoutly to be wished may be accepted with due gratitude and witha constant recollection of his unwavering rules of right and wrong, bythose who have been selected to enjoy it.
June, 1848.
THE OAK OPENINGS.
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