Oak Openings

Oak Openings
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 of
their accustomed walks in political or social life shall excite all their
wonder, and furnish themes for their discussions, for months; while the
prodigies that come from above are presented daily to their eyes, and
are received without surprise, as things of course. In a certain sense,
this may be well enough, inasmuch as all which comes directly from
the hands of the Creator may be said so far to exceed the power of
human comprehension, as to be beyond comment; but the truth would
show us that the cause of this neglect is rather a propensity to dwell on
such interests as those over which we have a fancied control, than on
those which confessedly transcend our understanding. Thus is it ever
with men. The wonders of creation meet them at every turn, without
awakening reflection, while their minds labor on subjects that are not
only ephemeral and illusory, but which never attain an elevation higher
than that the most sordid interests can bestow.
For ourselves, we firmly believe that the finger of Providence is
pointing the way to all races, and colors, and nations, along the path
that is to lead the east and the west alike to the great goal of human
wants. Demons infest that path, and numerous and unhappy are the
wanderings of millions who stray from its course; sometimes in
reluctance to proceed; sometimes in an indiscreet haste to move faster
than their fellows, and always in a forgetfulness of the great rules of
conduct that have been handed down from above. Nevertheless, the
main course 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, "as
the 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
permitted by Providence, in its control of human events. Such persons
take a one-sided view of things, and reduce all principles to the level of
their own understandings. If we could comprehend the relations which
the Deity bears to us, as well as we can comprehend the relations we
bear to him, there might be a little seeming reason in these doubts; but
when one of the parties in this mighty scheme of action is a profound
mystery to the other, it is worse than idle, it is profane, to attempt to
explain those things which our minds are not yet sufficiently cleared
from the dross of earth to understand. Look at Italy, at this very
moment. The darkness and depression from which that glorious
peninsula is about to emerge are the fruits of long-continued
dissensions and an iron despotism, which is at length broken by the
impulses left behind him by a ruthless conqueror, who, under the
appearance and the phrases of Liberty, contended only for himself. A
more concentrated egotism than that of Napoleon probably never
existed; yet has it left behind it seeds of personal rights that have
sprung up by the wayside, and which are likely to take root with a force
that will bid defiance to eradication. Thus is it ever, with the progress
of society. Good appears to arise out of evil, and the inscrutable ways
of Providence are vindicated by general results, rather than by instances
of particular care. We leave the application of these remarks to the
intelligence of such of our readers as may have patience to peruse the
work that will be found in the succeeding pages.
We have a few words of explanation to say, in connection with the
machinery of our tale. In the first place, we would remark, that the
spelling of "burr-oak," as given in this book, is less our own than an
office spelling. We think it should be "bur-oak," and this for the simple
reason, that the name is derived from the fact that the acorn borne 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 those who can
fancy such a resemblance between this and the covering of our acorn,

are at liberty to use the two final consonants. Having commenced
stereotyping with this supernumerary, for the sake of uniformity that
mode of spelling, wrong as we think it, has been continued through-out
the book.
There is nothing imaginary in the fertility of the West. Personal
observation has satisfied us that it much surpasses anything that exists
in the Atlantic States, unless in exceptions, through the agency of great
care and