The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-27

v,sl parts are better than s the @nag ia the WORLD
don't believe il, though he seld IL. What would
ks not have been, had he possessed only half The
learning VI the world Ot "ha, would the power Of
his "nsi,vaI paris" have stepped short ia human
greatness, ia human eloquenee II he had been pos
scssed Of the purchase OF the lever OF learning The
self caade may boast love TO admire him ris-
ing by the lone power Of his genius but despse
his self-suAiciency, when he boasts against 'the
books" Nj once in an age does IL happen that one
self made man stamps the age with his genius But
ut last, how any man be said 10 be sefmode
Those who claim 10 be sef-made are so made by
the books, II not by tho schoo-master. Tell me the
knowledge that any one Of you all has which
was not derived directly or remotely, fIom
the books NoDe,-there is none ia law
none IN medicine, none in agriculture none
in mechanic arts not traceable TO the books -
And, my friends, II you would only yourselves 20 to
the books, they would inform you much better than
you are instructed, by tradition or secondhand
inormers. Look for yourselves, learn for yourselves
Ito the books! To the Books and be selfmade
yourselves If you will. But the schoolm aser must
teach you hoio 10 read and Wrte. Remember that the
books sealed TO those who cannot II ad and yrte
will not descant upon the'pauperism and the crime
which "a little learning would diminish. No.
there is a much interesting class than that of
inmates Of poor house,, and Of als to be discussed
mean OF the best classes of men Gods earth
class with whom the gods" are said TO take part in
their struggles through fe--that class of good men,
who notw outstanding they never taught are 50
endowed by nature with noble instincts as 10 perform
their whole duty worthy of themselves, worthy
OF the State, aud worthy Of their eternal desti-
ny. Men whom ignorance does not debase whom
II does not eDervate or make TO despair; men who
work in the world against all odds Of ign,rance
and win a crown Of earthly honor and Of eternal
glory. l know who they are--l know every
VI them in my old district Ivy name. | would
have word with them. They are the good hnd
boas xfrt.
they cannot read and write, make their marks, ia
the world. May God bless them IL know an aged
small in sature--his head is svered over with
the white frost ofyearswith lively joyous face and
a twnkng blue eye that needs glass for lis keen
vision-an honest heart and hand as hard as axe
helse and plough handle would have i--who does
mot know letter in the boob" and who yet is rich
in the stores Of practical wisdom and of real wealth
Some one near Gnilford in Accomack guess who
mean. | would have a word with that good old
friend Of mine. | speak to his noble example,
speak to him because | love him. and he belongs to a
class by whom wish TO be heard-I speak to him Tor
his class. Listen to me, good old see you
smile and swear you are not old. Well that is exact
ly like you, but AN serious. You great in my
eye. You cannot read and write--you will have 10
get some one to read what write to you and all like
you-but you have, without learning achieved
que4t in life. You began a neglected, pennyless,
trlendess boy-you have worked, honestly worked, at
hard labor until your hand il hard your heart ia
soft and tender "Scorn cannot point her slow-moy-
ing finger" at you. There is no blot on your name.
You have dug The earth for your bread and lived lite
rally by The sweat of your brow. You have lived
honestly you have paid your debts with the cash
down. you owe no man any thing but good will
your industry has been int ring; a thousand and
thousand sturdy blows you have struck with free.
mans right good wiI for the GLORIOUS privilege of
being independent" Evey way BY which you have
won "geer' is just fled by honor. You have OPP
pre- SGD no man, you have been just to every man,
and have never robbed the poor, the widow or he
orphan You are a happy old mGa-ihere IS jalty in
your very eye, and temperate HABITS have made you
heahhfuly buoyant and cheerful God has given
you children and grandchildren, and your sons and
daughters are like thick forest around you The
kind, hosp'tabe partner Of your bosom and of your
journey through life still ahides with you on earth;
and you have laid up pitnyi plenty and have peace
win 1t Tor your good old age. This is mastery,
this Is a se-msde man Now, tell me, good and
great old man, what would you not have been had you
held In your grasp the lever of knowledge All
You know what is to have hand-spike at log
rolling or house-ra lsing. You know whata "prr-
chase OF power is. knowledge, learning, is all that
and more. How many blind Iicks il would have saved
you How many thousands and tens of thousands
more than you have now in your old "blue chest %
You would have had could you have seen by "earn-
ing's light" the dark ways of nature DoyOu know
that learning made your are-hsve your plough-hsn-
dle-thai II applies in the proper way that very
han6-spke-y,ur x-chnin--that it prepares the
very best manure-that it can beat you all hollow
IN applying II TO the soil-that ii knows more
than you do all about the soil Of every field YOU
plough, and can tell you Of every plant which grows
on II, and the food il craves-did you know that
learning saves labor sells your grain, fixes the
price, and carries i, away for you All you
shake your head, and say" Well, | would not
give my poor weak experience for all your book
learningr' Do you say thatI Well IL that be so,
IL you know something which the books don't teach,
am the more urgent still-yeu must uTie IL doirn
for the rest OF the world-for your own posterity-
1,t II, record IT, you bound 10 do for the sake
OF poor fellow who is to come after you in your
way OF life, and who hasn't your experience But
you can't ~riie Pity pity You know melting,
then, which you can't communicate to more than the
few who hear the sound Of your voice. Learning
would enable you TO do that much at least Sup
pose you 60 and get some else TO write il down
Tor you, your experience IN euirat'ng corn, poiaiot
You told me tobacco was a valuable medicine for
horses once Write il, say and have IL printed and
bind II, and what then does IL become but book learn
ing Book learning 10 be dispensed by somebody
else, lerhaps, In the present or coming generation
and 1what is poor, despised "book learning at
last but somebody's discovery somebody's trptrenc,
OF natures laws or natures truths Don't desp
It, my friend; but go to that old, long used, well
worn leaihern bag, or stocking lcgn purse in that
same old blue chest, and take from IL hrelre lust
hceire Of those hard dollars for which you have
worked So honestly and hard, for each and every
child and grand child you have put II in his sstchc
and send him TO school. In six months he can learn
TO write any thing you desire TO rccord-he can at
least learn TO tell whether the Deputy Sheriff hss
cheated him when he pays his taxes-he will not
have need to tell his neghbor Of every transaction Il
his life because he can't read his own business "a.
pcrs-he can go TO the Clerks Office and sec whether
deed Is on rcord without laying a knave of law.
yer-he can settle his own accounts without appeal
ing to a dot Of justice Of the peace-he can read
the newspapers and publ state papers, without go
ing to demagogue of ~-potcian for information
about his country's aHsirs--he read the word u
God for himself without going to preacher or con
sccncekecper Of any sort to read his title clear to
mansions in the skicsr
There Is nothing which Indicates 80 well the order,
the elegance, the strength, the wealth the morals
md mar n