The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-15
Address on knowledge,
Delivered before The
YAZOO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION,
By DR.. J. w. BARNETT,
March 0R 1RA0

4AAOO LlDhAhI AOSOClAl lOIN,
By DR.. J. w. BARNETT,
March %, 1842.
knowledge is said to be accumulative and
progressive. 1t may in this respect, be COM
pared to river, which originating from nu-
merous sources and contributed to by various
rivulets, at length flows along maiestically
through many lands, diffusing fertility on
either side and bearing on its surface vessels
freghted with the product Of remote and
different chimes. But the course of know
ledge as measured by the history of the HUI
man mind, is also at times not unlike certain
rivers, which flowing rapidly for space, are
lost in sands or disappearin swamps, to show
themselves again after an interval. Nearly
all the sciences have been shrouded for
long series ofages after they had been brought
TO a certain degree of advancement. Astro-
Monty, reduced to a system and placed in
many respects on a true basis by the Grecian
School, made little progress after the age Of
Ptolemy, or we should rather say, it was in
great measure lost to the world until the
time of Copernicus, period of more than
seventeen hundred years. Natural History
and especially of animals, was systematically
arranged by Aristotle in a manner which
subsequent writers down to the present day
have not as regards several of it's essential
features, been able 10 improves; and yet how
long the period of complete observation Of
scientific method and accurate description
from his day to that of Linn@us, for with
this latter in modern times regular classified
ton begins.
The commencement of mans existence il
in the feebleness of infancy; he passes thro
the light-hearted and thoughtless period o
childhood and youth with powers gradual!
expanding; acquires in manhood the devel
opement Of his energies, ripening into tn
fulness of maturity; and, in his natural ca
reer, sinks into the decrepitude of age; whel
the forces of nature expended, he fulfls tn
law Of his destiny-the mandate of his Cres
DISCRIMINATING his being in this world b
the dissolution of his mortal frame.
In this progress of individual being, W
are presented with the prototype Of all hi
man relations. The social condition of oil
race in it's beginning was powerless and d.
pendent. 1t has no memorial, for II was II
capable Of perpetuating its events or oPin
ons-all are buried in the profound obscur
It opens in a period of fable and superstitio
for ignorance rashlv undertaking to expla
every thing, is wild and unregulated in
.coniectures, which it substitutes tor facts
The ungoverned savage is gradually moul
ed into civilized man; the rude polity OF ba
bariar tribes is slowly shaped into the COZ
plicated machinery Of refined and cutivat
communities, and it is in the revolution
distant ages alone, that we can expect tn
4he perfect civilization of man-the exalt
ton Of his intellectual and moral faculties
the ascendency of his reason over his bru
passions and organic instincts-will be fina
consummated. For, although we are accu
toned to account the present as highly CT
ilized state, it is impossible calmly and imPi
italy to regard it, and not be struck with
numerous features of barb; ric character al
feudal origin still stamped on the custom
opinions, and governmental institutions
the age. While the nobIer and more exaltt
faculties are made subservient to the inferi
and abaseingi while violence is the subsl