Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-05-22

4 NV &c. ANDN OiILl ali a.
! we'll rs those who are fond of Fashionable,
.mussments aud dissipa ton, but also such
as labOnr at manual iabour, or are much
/! engaged in trading. cannot study as neces-
| sary 20 acquire superior knowledge, or TO
rSta'n It when acquired hence, the pub
lie officers Of "a country, civil and military !;
| its legislators. clergy. lawyers. physici-
ans, college professors. teachers of youth,
| sc. mus be the common nation,l deposi-
! tories If literature and of knowledge. II
ever facti n, caprice or folly, should intro
| duce into thssr offices ani situations. a
| Iaaj orty of weak, lliterate, and glorant
men, Rspublicansn woul &c .se to be a
be sing, for the bnnders of ignorance a~e
not SIS dissstr1u, t. country, than the
want ofeqoal rights and liberty under DIES
potic governments.
How, it nay be dem lndcd, shall we dis
tngn'sh between presuTp;uous ignorance,
especi liy when disguised by degree Of
rtEneDcnt, on the one hand. and superior
inte.lc tn 4 Improvement on the other !;
AMI form iust rules of g-n-ral application,
always ready to ascertain the degree of
knowledge among mankind, and posses
SD by every person with whom we con-
verse
reply, the population of a country fall
into three gre t classes il is impossible
to c0nfouni them, one with another and
it rs elsy to tell t. what class any person
belongs, as the following remarks show
1. The iirst and most honorable class of
citizeas, called the Kepub lcan Legion of
Gentlemen, to coas st OF those that have
made such advances in inprovingt e un-
Outstanding and acquiring knowledg,, IS
is necessary to enable a pegso1 to express
himself accurately, besides uninpe chabi-
morals for thu st three years past. The
state of a persons understanding as well
as his Knowledge. become manfes as soon
rs he is put to write two or three sheets
OF p per, by the accuracy or inaccuracies
of the execution. The difference in point
of intellect between the perScn who can
express himself correctly, and the other
who cannot. is immense for accuracy of
expression, especially in writing, are the
combined fleets of thanking clearly. rea-
Soning justly, and Of arranging cur ideas
phi .losophically.
Bes' des, p ople who can express them
selves correctly, and they only. can dist,n-
guish between what is sail and what is
trus.' Informal On, however extensive,
if acquired without distinction, is useless
To him who discrminates it is light to
il uminate his way, but to others CO. uis
that obscure it. Without accuracy of *
preston, no discourse upon su Jet so
abstruse and uncommon as TO be IN any
respect Interesting, can be instructive or
Ineligible.
Th- progress of men in expressing
themselves accurately thinking clearly,
and in tracing cause and effect, wonderful
iy keep pace one with another. No per-
son who cannot express himself accurately,
can detect the use of words without i
IDEAS.
People who can express themselves &C
curately, and they only, can arrange their
thoughts methodic;yy--and without me-
thodlcal arrangement, subjects Can neither
be retained nor understood.
Confounding natural and moral causes
is foolish, bcwiidering and disgusting yet,
none when talking, for example, ab1u the
common subjects Of politics but those who
can express themselves accurately, can
avoid this confusion.
People who think so accurately as is ne
ces,ary to express themselves correctly,
and they only, can distinguish between
ingenious sophistry and conclusive proof.
Those whose minds are thus improved
and enlightened, and they only can, pri-
ori, discover the final consequence of any
course of measur s. natural, moral. poIiti-
cal or civil, by contemplating things in the
through a tedious and disastrous course Of
trials.
There is no person who cannot express
himself accurately in writing, that can
look at both sides of d proposition, uuesti-
on, or subject, in order TO judge of It's truth
or falsehood any other person, there
fore, must form his opinion from ex partc
evidence. To a correct conclusion il is
further necessary we should not only be
acquainted with the arguments on both
sides, but be able to recapitulate them.
A person who cannot express himself
&C ura,eiy, is neither aware nor can be
apprised of the different acceptations Of
words. How is such a man to think cor
recty +?
Il is memorable fact. tn the Saviour,
while on earth never allowed any to preach
the gospel, that could not express himself
accurately.
When man has arrived at that stage
ofinteilectu ii improve nent. which is ne
cessary to enable him TO think clearly,
reason justly. express himself accurately.
and arrange his thoughts methoGcally, lie
IS prepared to acquire more than scraps Of
information ; he is prepared to acquire
knowledge in general as.well as profession
al knowledge in particular to make dis
coyeries and improvements, and to think
as philosopher This ilustrious class
OF citizens must he the guardians of the
Republic, OF equal rights and Of liberty,
the supporters of the prosperity. hap
piness, dignity and rights of the nation.