Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-03-07

to have seen in Il late and leading periodical Of
Great Britain, an article in which the writer
congratulatcs the age upon having thrown Off
the shackles decomposition; md says (in tone
of triumph) that no one now thinks Of writing
like Junius, (as il it was an easy matter, but
beneath him, 10 write like Junius,) except he
adds, some junior sophisler in the country cor
responding with the editor OF some village news
paper. The whole tribe of present writer's
seem by their silence to receive this descrip-
ton rs eulogy--as a tribute Of praise properly
paid to their merit: while in truth il is the char
acter.-Ac Of a barbarous age, or Of one decIi-
ming to barbarism; is the very dccription ap.
! piled to mark the decline and last glimmering
Of letters in Greece and Rome J
The object Of education (sad MIR. R.) is two
| fold, knowledge aad ability; both are imPor-
Itant, but ability by far the most So Knowl
edge is far important as it is subsidiary TO the
acquiring Of ab!iily;and no further; except as
a source Of mental pleasure TO the.indiyidua.-
Ii is ability tina, makes itself TO be Thy socio
ty; it is ability that wieds the sccptrc over the
human heart and the hpman intellect. Now ii
is a greater mistake to suppose thatknowIodgo
imparts ability Of course. 1t does indeed i'm
part ability ola certain kind; for BY exercising
the attgntion and the memory it improve5 the
capacity for acquiring; but the capacity to &c,
quirc is not ability to originate and produce
No ability can only be given by the appropri.
ate studies, accompanied with the appropriate
exercises directed BY certain rude, and con
ductiug inlaIliby 10 certain result
In all the celebrated schools Of Athens, this
was the plan Of education; and therc4he ingen.
uous youth blessed with faculties Of promise
never failed to anaia the eminence aspircd to,
unless his perseverance failed. Hence the
mighty effects Of those schools hence that i'm
mense tide Of great men which they poured
forth on all the departments OF science and let.
tcrs and especially OF letters; and hencc, too,
the astonishing perfection Of their works a
celebrated writer, filled with establishment at
the spendor as well as the number Of the works
produced by the scholars Of these schools, as
Icrbes the event TO the hand of a wonder-work-
ing Providence, lnterposcd in honor Of human
nature, to show to what perfection the species
.mighsasccnd. But there was nothing of mira
Gle in it; the means we're adequate tothe end
Ii is no wonder at all that such schools gave 10
Athens her Thucyddes in history; her Plato in
ethics; herSophocics to her drama, and her De
mos.henes to her forum and her popular as
semJIies; and gave 10 her besides, that host Of
rivals tolhese and almost their equals. 1t was
tho natural and necessary effect offs such a sys-
tenn ofcducation; and especially with people
who held, as the Athenans did, all other hui
man considerations as cheap in comparison
with the glory of letters and the arts.
1t is true, this their high and brilliant career
of literary glory was but of short duration; for
soon as it had attained It's meridian blaze it
was suddenly arrested, for thclyrant came and
laid the proud freedom Of Athens in the dust,
and the Athenjans were people with whom the
love Of glory coudnot survive the loss OF free
dom. For freedom was the breast at which
that love was fed; freedom was the clcmcnt in
which it lived and had its beIngi freedom gave
to it the fields where its most splendid trlumphs
we're achieved. The genius OF Athens now
dropped; Cel from It's lofty lights down 10 tame
Imeiocrity-to ephemera works born but to
anguish and to die; and so remained doring
the long rule Of that ruthless despoiism-thc
Macedonian; and until the Roman came to pat
| it down, and to merge Greece in the Roman
/ Empire. Athens now was partially restored
again TO freedom Her schools which had been
CLOSED, or which had existed only in form, re-
yiycd with something Of their former elect
They again gave forth some works worthy oil
her former fame, though of less tronscendent
merit; and they now gave to Rome Inc roman
eioQuonco and literature.
Gra,ia capita serum VictOrem ccPH, ct arifS
RtHU dgreSH Sa'i0:
and. if we are wise to profit by their example
may yet give to US an equal eloquence and lit
Ierature.
| mention these things (said Mr. RO to sho"
what encouragement we have to this eEterprL5'
what well grounded hope OF success W.
,Ihayc only TO tread the path that led the Alhe
MAN to his glory, and TO open that path to TN
youth of our country. All the animatlng lniiu
fences of freedom exist here in still greater lore
than they existed there; for while tits not les
4 absolute here il is better regulated, better com
! bined with order and security Nellher IS wv
Gift of genius wanting here; the CLEANS Oh I'M
nyncions ore are seen to break out mere AM
There all over the surface OF our society; III
animus acer ct sublmis is daily displayed D.
our countrymen in all the forms OF daring an
enterprise the Eagle, their emblem, is not NOR
daring in his fights And if the love oil lam
! which was the ruling passion Of the Greek !
not now SO strong with us, it is because the wan
, of the means, the want Of plain and sure dIfec
tions for its pursuit, begets despair Of It's al
, tainmcnt. The Crock had these means ma
, these plain and sure directions; and 1t was IN
&, certainty Of success by perseverance, anu =
: their guide that kinded and sustained ms pas
sion and made it his ruling passion ms Pa,
i sion is now burning in the young UoSolNS :
q thousands orour youth: but it is, as have sal