New-York daily tribune., 1844-02-08

Mormon, derive the same immunity! The factls con
ceded and iii averred that each equally entitled
10 II, in government whose very Constitution
the principle of q full and indiscrimina;e religious
| toleration
'sHe who thinks it hard that he shall not be al
lowed to combat, through the medium of the school
Libraries, beliefs, the sin and Of which are as
clear to him as is the light Of Heaven, will bear in
mind that the library least leaves him and his reli-
gious beliefs in as good condition as it found him.
If Ii will propagate his tenets it will leave them
unattached If he is not allowed to use other mems
money purchase books 10 assault their religious
faiths, he Is not estopped from expendng his
he sees fit, IN his private, or in his Sunday-school
lbrary-nor IS he debarred from placing these books
IN the hands OF all who willing to receive tham
his power OF morally persuading his fellow men is
lett unlmpared nor will ne, II he has any coniid-
ence IN the recuperatiye energies of rut-if he be-
iieves his God will ultimately give victory to truth
ask more. In asking, or condescending TO accept
the support OF an earthly government, he admits the
weakness OF his cause the feebleness of his faith
He leans on another than that which every pa ge
OF the Bible declares all-suihcient. In what age Of
the world has any church entered into meretricious
connexon with temporal governments and escaped
unsullied from the contact? ANY approximation to
snch connexon, even in the minutest particular
any exclusive right or immunity given to one reli-
gious sect another in the school library or else
where, is not only anti-religous, but anrepublican.
As men, we have the right to adopt religious creeds,
and to attempt to influence others TO adopt them:
but as Americans. as legislators officials dispens-
ing privileges or immunities among American citi-
Zens we have no right to know one religion from
another. The prosecuted and wandering lsraee
comes here. and he finds no bar in our nanraza-
tion laws. The members of the Roman, Greek, or
English church equally become citizens. Those
adopting every hue Of religious faith-every phase
of heresy, take their place equally under the banner
of the Republlc-and no ecclesiastical power can
snatch even "the least Of these from underits glo-
rious folds Not an hour of confinement, not the
amerccment Of a farthing, not the deprivation of
right or liberty weighing in the estimation oa hair
can any such power impose on any American cltl-
zen, without his own full and entire acquiescence.
This is eloquence as well as truth and genuine
republican toleratlon.
The same general principles are applied to the
selection Of Political Works, and with great JUS
tice and sound discrimination. " PHILOSOPHERS of
History rather than History ITSELF are preferred,
and in our judgment rightly, in this region oflit-
erature We regret that the pressing demands
upon our columns preclude us from giving the
views of the author on this head. The subject of
Fictitious Works. Novels, Romances, &c. is ably
discussed; and while the great mass of works
included in this department are condemned as ut
terIv unsuitable to the District Library, judi-
cious and discriminating selection is commended.
Poetry is poetically and eloquently treated
&c To even the utilitarian, if an intellectual one
if he counts the time and efforts OF the mind, as he
would those pertaining the body, poetry has two
matchess recommendations. She produces stronger
impressions than prose- and she does IT IN fewer
words In her more impassioned flights, all other
| species of composition, even oratory Itself, sinks
cold and poweress, compared with the thoughts
|, and images which are thrown ott, as ltwere, molten
and burning from the soul OF the poet In cem-
preston, in Intellectual density-in the power OF
expressing volumes in sentences-scntences IN
words-poetry is to prose what carbon IN the dla-
mond cartssn in the coal. How often do we find
this exempliGed amidst the sombre austenly OF
Yomg-thc cold glitter of Pope--on every page OF
the Hmyrad-minded" Shakespeare And how sud-
denly, and with what little apparent effort does po-
etry penetrate TO the very fountain heads OF the
emotions! Like him who touches the electric con
ductor we feel the shock instantaneous, invisible,
and entirely beyond the power OF any inviting or re
sistng volition. 1t runs like iever-chill over the
shivering nerves-gushes into uncomfortable tears
in the eye-nashes up in the dulles soul INTO sudden
and irrepressibe ycarnng for the great and lofty and
| again and gnin sthe same effect produced by arepe
rusal passage-and yet, live buck and at
tempt to anayZe critically the secret of ts power
we find but few simple words which every school
boy uses, grouped too, apparently, with as little artl-
| flee or design as that same school-bovs prattle.-
| They are like the enchanted towers III the "vale OF
ST. John, which when approached more nearly, re-
vert 10 shapeless masses OF unwrought granite.
Read the +" Mason of Goethe. The words are sim
pie and few. Yet Saurln ever pointing to the open
grave is not half so eloquent. Who ever rose from
| the perusal of Wordsworth's &c Tintern Abbey, or
! Bryant's "Thanatopsis without feeling that he
had drunk in the moral of all human philosophy
Miton's {" Comus,' Gray's Elegy written IN
country churchyard,' the same authors wild and
impassioned " Bard''-Bum's "Cotters Saturday
.l>.ts IL. NrfaiI
as innumerable detached passages which might be
cited from all the higher poets, furnish examples,
varying In intensity, OF the same mystic power.
Z" The introduction OF poetry into the school libra
ries, should be placed under similar regulations with
the introduction oi fiction. 1t should form but
subordinate department. and be selected with the
same scrupuous care. | am happy to say, however,
this cautioni less necessary relation to American
poetry. Fortunately few of our American poets Tor
our other writers, have stopped TO cater depravi-
1y-to use the language and call up the associations
of Cvprans Ii is not necessary 10 inquire for &c
Dursdted editions Of Bryant, Haileck, Dana, Sgour
nev. Percival Willis, Gould, ETC.
But we have no space to follow this admirable
Renort farther at this time We could wish to see
it in the hands of all who rightly appreciate the
influence capable OF being exerted upon the intel
1ectual and moral condition of our people by the
eleven thousand Libraries, dlffused over every Sec
t;on Of our State, and brought within the reach
Of every man, woman and child within 1t, and who
desire that this immense lever shall be rightly d.
rected. We are happy to learn that this docu-
ment will be distributed, in connection with the
Annual Report of the State superintendent ana
Of the several County Superintendents, to each
Town and County Superintendent III the State,
and that in this way, it will reach those upon
whom the general supervision of our vast system
of elementary education directly depends. We