Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-04-13

the counters with which the untaught loose the
game are the same as those with which the skill
full win it, saws, or should say some proverb of
the East or West. 1t is strictly true in this mat
ter. that time and chance happen to all men;"
hut all men do not know how to use them. The
thing IN he learned is " not in heaven, nor be-
yond the sea. but is nigh to u.s." The foundation
of the sciences is observation. The business of
philosophy is not to construct theories but to state
facts: not to deal with mysteries in mysterious
language. but to deal with plain matters in intel
lisible language. Science, instead OF being a
high and abstruse mystery, is clearer up OF the
the mysteries that lie in our daily path. We
have no doubt, that the casual observations OF
few practical and plain men, if they had been
properly end philosophically noted down in their
own minds, would have laid the foundation tor
much useful philosophy. The Judgment, for
instance which seafaring persons form OF the wea-
Their, which seems at once as sure and as mystic.
rious as instinct, is no doubt founded on actual
and careful observation. If the observer had
been in this respect Philosopher; if he had been
able fully to state the grounds OF his most uner-
ring predictions, he might have furnished Tar
more valuable aid in the science OF meteorology;
than is now given in dry tables OF temperature,
wind, rain and sunshine. And II the same oD-
servations were made on the land, 1t would not
be difficult to form a Farmers Manual OF lrav-
eller's Dictionary, which in many cases. would
be of great convenience and utility"
On the question of utility, Interviewer says
THAT emphatically is useful Which contributes
TO the happiness of the mind. And if this is true,
then ideas, reflections, thoughts are to be set
down on the scale of utility, and are to be set
L xt.k hone oh ractnpaI m
the leger, though not gathered into the granary,
nor deposited in the warehouse; though neither
manufactured, nor bought, nor sold, yet thoughts
what he thinks. AS man thinketh so is he,' -
and especially so is happy or miserable.
Sand vet there is, with many, kind of regu-
lar and set exclusion of the mind itself from the
estimate of human welfare, and an exclusion, by
the same rule of knowledge from the objects
that are worthy of distinct, protested and prac-
teal attention, among the mass Of mankind.-
knowledge indeed, is allowed to be useful, but
1t is useful as being auxiliary to some more val
liable, some visible acquisition. Thus the know
ledge of the lawyer, of the physician of the mer.
chant, is acknowledged to be useful; but useful
all the while, as a commodity in the Market
That is the only popular vein of it. And there is
NO uOuUl lut tiC NSiy "OiuSs "eIt 81 oeO"'oSe
good, always in popular use, relate to outward
possessions. And, of course, with this state of
mind. all efforts and combinations to obtain such
possessions, all banking associations, insurance
companies, copartnerships in trade. compacts Of
all sorts to Law a grasp on the g main chance"
are the most reasonable things in the world. No
thing is visionary here but what fails; not the
South Sea Company. till the bubble burst; not
he cotton or or wooden factory,tl the stock falls
fifty per cent. But Lyceum, a combination
among the people to obtain knowledge, and espe-
cially scientific knowledge, a knowledge Of such
things the air, and the light and the stars, an
ideal good, bubble at the outset, a thing that
cannot be put on the file of bonds and deeds,
nor served up in the feast nor made any thing OF
in any way,-why, says our wise man, the pro-
iect is chimerical! And forthwith he begins to
talk about Utopia, and Oceana, and Arcadia,
and sundry other things that have no real exist
ence."
The annexed extract is beautifully descriptive
''Take singly the phenomena of vegetation,-
what secret world of wonders is there in every
plant? 1t seems unfortunate that any man should
pass through one spring season, and understand
nothing of these most curious and beautiful pro-
cesses, that are going on all round MIN. Growth
vegetable growth, which to the ignorant is a bare
and naked fact, to the scientific eye is history,
whole history Of things, the most interesting to
every intelligent mind. Survey it through from
its foundation silently and misteriously wrought
in the dark and senseless earth, till it rises up to
the stately plant, or the towering forest tree; ex
anime its interior structure; trace the firm and
tough fibres that give it strength to resist the
storms amidst which 1t fourishes; observe the
ducts and channels carefully laid in it, to convey
streams from the rich fountains of life below
mark its numerous cells, those secret laboratories
of nature, and then consider the liquid sustenance
carried to its topmost bough and its outermost
leaf, with no forcing pump to raise it, and convey
ing each particle to the exact place and position
where it is needed, by process Of secretion that
seems like mystery, and mystery it is:-suryey
this exquisite workmanship, and who we ask.
would not know something of all this? Who
would not give little time to procure so great a
satisfaction? Who can be content tor pass through
the world in ignorance Of these works Of his Crea
tor"
Another extract is all we have room for.
"Nature, too, is as truly manifestation
from Heaven as the scriptures. ''Tis elder
Scripture writ by Gods own hand.' The know