Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-03-14
INFLUENCE OF MECHANICS IN.
STITUTIONS.

Mechanics institutions, so far from diff
fusing among the people hurtful or dan.
gerous- influence, must be regarded by
every intelligent and unprejudced person
as the greatest auxilaries to virtue, and the
best and cheapest conservators of the pub.
lie peace. The history Of all nations, an
cient and modern, proves incontrovertibly,
that it is the want Of education, and the con.
sequent predominance of the animal pas.
sions, rather than its possession, which rem.
ders people truly and essentially "dan-
gerous." For, obviously, a CALLING sense
Of their degradation and their inability, in
such circumstances, to feel the force of rea-
son, or appreciate the value of instruction
gives tenfold power TO every infammatory
Grafton which the designing and unprinci-
pied may address, to them. X
In promoting the great object of human
ameloration, the influence of such schools
on the working classes is peculiarly felt, in
Withholding them from scenes Of disspa-
ton and vice, by furnishing rational and re-
fined employment for their leisure hours.
1t has been remarked by the excellent Ham
mord, that 'the idle mans BRAN is the
DEVILS workshop" This Is true. The
chambers of its imagery are seldom empty
or unoccupicd. Either the forms of love.
illness and excellence will be portrayed on
its walls, or its ever varying and deep sha.
ded pictures Of crime and decentralization.
Every man, let his occupation be VIVA, it
may, has, at some period or other, portions
ofspare time which he can call his own.
If these precious fragments of existence
-pre-emnenty the golden hours of hum.
bic lile-be lest in idleness and sloth, or,
worse, passed in the ale-house, amid the
bacchanalian shouts of madness and folly,
the inevitable result must be, the entire OBJ.
liberation of all sense Of decency and viz
tue, and the subsection Of the mind to the
lowest and most debasing passions. Man,
in such circumstances, endowed as he is
with intellectual powers capable of almost
unlimited perfection, becomes weak, i'm
beetle, and worthless-at once an object oil
piety and aversion. Seated, however, in
the lecture hall, and in the midst Of his
compeers, the operative is surrounded by
an atmosphere Of knowledge and purity
and shielded from all such seductive and de-
basing influences, while his mind is famil.
iarlzed with whatever in science and philos
ophy is fitted to exalt and dignity humanity
or of power sufficient to mitigate and as.
suage the ills of life.
All nature, too, becomes unveiled, and
wears a fresher and gayer aspect. He
cannot step abroad, and direct his attention
to the earth or the heavens, without being
charmed and delighted with meeting, in fre
quent and beautiful association, those OBJ
jects with whose existence and attributes
chemistry and natural philosophy had pre-
viousl y made him acquainted. Astronomy
with its refined distractions and sublime
magntudes, presents to his view the ''won
ders Of the heavens" and the vasiness OF
the material universe. And while his
thoughts roam from planet to planet, anc
from system to system, and his mind labor.
to grasp the mighty whole, he is made
painfully sensible at once Of his inability Il
comprehend even small part of what lies
before him, and of the insignifcance o
himself as well as ofthe globe on which hi
dwells. This painful sense Of littleness
however. quickly gives place to the sublim
est emotions, when he recollects that so ia
from being overlooked amid the immensi
ty Of creation, the very chairs of his heac
are numbered" lie feels himself sub
ioct of the same Universal King who calle'
into being the hosts ofheaven and the sand
of the sea shore, and with whom worlt
and an atom,-The mightest and the mean
est--are equally present and equally obscr
vable.
Nor is the influence Of anatomy an
physiology less saluiary or less beneficial
BY their agency tho mechanic is led to re
gard tho structure and functions ofthe hu
man body with fresh interest and deepe
gratitude and to appreciate the full fore
and propriety Of the Hebrew poet--"l ar
fearfully and wonderfully made" Throug
! the same agency he is enabled also to q
,, dept the best means for neutraizing tn
, tendency Of unhealthy occupations. TIL
value and importance Of air and exercise
in maintaining and promoting the heall
. and vigor Of the human constitution, tax
: full possession Of his mind, and influenc
his actions, while the pretcnsions and pr,
scriptions Of ignorant and prcsump'uo,