Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-12

eular reipect OF It's being capable OF con-
aant and, perhaps, of endlefs progreaion.
The new born infant, that now lies in his
cradle, fupidly unconfcious, and totally
incapable OF the leait exertions for his own
preiegvation, or even of diitinguilhing the
hand that feeds him, may hereafter be
able TO turn the courie of the thunderbolt
aud 10 neafure the tfars of heaven; and,
on rhe probable fuppoition, that the hus
man mind will be capable of confant and
indefinite expapfon and progrelion, thro'
the iuccefive cages of immortal exlitence,
the period may come when this fame infant
may lock down on the sttainments of a
LOCKE or NEwToN, as we Go on the
ingenious triAes Of children.
Uucdncated man RITES but little above
the brute. His intellectual powers lie
dormant. The condition OF aneaNeated
man is never fully feen in civilized life,
nor even 10 a iayage fociety. Every ia
wage tribe has language, has government
and laws, and ali the individuals learn
fonlething from each other and from the
experience of their ancefors. II is evil
dent, therefore, that even iayages, when
they are connected together in iociety,
have fmall degree of education. 1t is
owing to the aid of education, that they
are able to eonfruet canoe and TO pals
therein over the farEace of the water and to
draw the {iih from his element. L is ow-
ing TO the aid OF education, that they
build .henfelves huts, and coptgutt their
bows and arrows, whereby they overcome
the BEATS of the foretts, which are fwltt-
er and fronger than thenf YES.
In the qv,ld bay OF the woods, who has
always lived alone or with he brutes,
from his earlief years to the age OF man
hood, there is feen the real condition OF
.uedurafld man. Several human creatures,
who had paned their lives in thefe wretch
ed circumstances, have been found in the
foreas of Europe. Ard, in every iuch
inaance, the distinguishing traces ofhuma-
nifty, unlefs merely in the exterior form
and aru6ture, were leagcely perceiYable.
Thoie untaught fons Of nature, in point OF
intelligence, could but barely claim iupe-
riority over the monkey, Their voice
immitared the ceilings of BEATS and they
manifeRed not Jingle idea, hey ond that
of fear and OF fatisfyirg the cravings OF
their apfetit.s.
From this deplorable condition of man
totally void of education, to the higheit
Gate Of refinement in human knowledge
and manners, there is diitance almoff in
conceivable; & it is probable thar the Latte,
approaches as near to the lowea order of
angelic intelligence as the farmer does to
brutal inRina. /" In all the Rages ofinan
from the one extreme fate TO the other,
he pafIes through an endleis variety of Fl.
tua1ions and circumstances, which are
conaantly giving a new appearance TO
his capacities, powers, mariners and pur-
fuits."
The lowef kind of education is that
which is received among the rudef orders
of favages who live together i'll fate OF
fociety. This education extends to the
mutual communication of ideas, partly by
language and partly by hgns, and 10 the
knowledge of few focal duties as alto to
the knowledge of the means OF felt prefer
walton and OF annoying their enemies.
As the avage fate approaches to civil
lization, the objects Of education are null
,iplied, and fill increaie from the fate of
fimple civilization to that of the highef
refinement. A iavage defpies every kind
of learning or knowledge that does not im-
mediately relate to his own preiergation
and fupport. In fate of fmple civil
cation, the courfe of education is princl-
pally directed to objects of utility and
convenience but in refined fate OF TO-
c;eeX ,tJ;,, ic often Gacrificed TO h0qv and