Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-07-31
From the Genesee Farmer.
EDUCATION OF PARTNERSHIP. $.
Useful knowledge.

Mr.. Tucker-A lad in district school,
in writing, a few days since, on the uses
and usefulness of different branches of
knowledge. remarked, that the use of q
thing is "a using it, This definition
aided the juvenile author greatly, and
might possibly aid some learned men and
profound philosophers, in forming clear
and correct ideas of the term useful
KNOWLEDGE which is much otener re-
peated than understood. 1t may be seri-
ously questioned. /whether, with many,
the attention devoted, and The value attach
ed, to subjects of learning, are not nearly
in proportion to their uselessness. La a
college course, for example, embracing
the preparatory studies, and occupying in
the whole, from six to eight or ten years,
much the greatest portion of the time Is
devoted to the dead languages, and the
distractions of mathematics, and furnish
ing to many of their pupils, very mea-
gre smattering ever of these. How far a
knowledge of the Latin and Greek Ian
guages, or of the terms used by the Greek
and Romans to express their ideas about
their heather gods, wars, bacchanalian
feasts, and many other subjects as little
connected with the pursuits or duties Of
American citizens, may properly be Con-
sidered useful knowledge, is the question
and whether the three or five years, devot.
ed to these languages in college course
might not produce greater amount Of
knowledge, more really useful, if employ.
upon some other subjects. The rights
and duties of republican citizens, secured
and implied by our constitution and laws
the reciprocal interests, and the relation:
existing between different classes of citi
zens, between the employer and employed
master and apprentice, farmer, mechanic
and merchant, men and women, husband
and wife, parent and child; also between
the different members, or states, of ou
republic, embracing all the Fundamental
principles of political economy; the phys.
| ical sciences, embracing the Fundamental
lsws of chemical and other branches @
$ natural philosophy, animal and vegetable
physiology, especially of he human sys
, tenn, also geology, mineralogy, and bota
;. ny, with particular application of tn
it whole to agriculture and the mechani
e arts; and above all the relations existin
i between the creature and his Creator, an
: the duties arising from these relations, s
d clearly, fully, and beautifully develope
d in the volume of inspiration and fror
d natural religion; familiar. practical ac
d quaintance with these and other subject
v arising from them and directly connecte
Q with republican institutions, and the pul
IS suits of republican citizens. would seer
J. more deserving the little of useful know
>. edge, than an acquaintance with mersl
5. the terms used by those who lived tw
l. thousand years ago, or with the abstra,
) principles of mathematics, with scarcel
Ii an idea of their application to any pursu
of of business, to morals or religion.
sr If these views of the subject are CO
" rect, and they probably will not be que
te toned by many, | ask if farmers, especia
IN " the more enlightened portion of then
or do not possess at present, greater amour
ID of useful knowledge, than the gradual,
lie of our colleges2 Does not every enligI
er tened farmer, found in our legislator,
Id have greater infuencesthan the mere lite
Il airy man2 Is not his opinion more sa
i'll Ito be trusted2