The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-08-21

with anguish-now elevating them with
hope, and now leaving them the victims
of desrair-now begetting feelings of com
misseraton, sympathy for the unfortunate,
and now the desire of dark and fearful re-
venge on an enemy. He may never have
left his own native town, and yet be famil-
lar with the history of the present and the
past; of his own country, and with that
Of those on another continent. He may
have spent his days in his study, and new
err have wandered farther than his own
garden, and yet be familiar with the mys-
terles of nature; be able TO explain her
most obscure phenomena and trace the
most wonderful effects 10 their Legitimate
causes. All this may be the result of an
acquaintance with books.
But this knowledge cannot De acqu ired
without patient, long continued and Iabo-
rlous research. We must read carefully;
read extensively; read constantly. Many
have acquired false and injurious habits
of reading. Their objec: seems to be 10
run over great number of pages rather
than 10 treasure up fund of valuable in
formation--.o crafty the passions rather
than improve The taste-.o pass away time
rather than feed the intellect. When such
habits have been formed, no real advan>
tage can be derived from familiarity with
books {; but on the contrary it serves to
weaken the mind and unfit it for intellect
ual labor. Reading becomes a kind OF
dissipation, and, instead Of furnishing ma
teria for reflection, proves its antidote, and
is resorted to as being less laborious than
| thought. Under the influence OF such svs.
tenn of mental culture, or rather the want Of
it, the strongest intellect will suffer, and
must soon become the confused receptacle
( of mass of facts destitute of order and
arrangement, and alike useless to their
possessor and the world. The best eau.
ton that can be given to those who have
acquired such habits Of reading, is to read
much less, but to read that little, much
more.
Another fault among readers, and it is
a serious one, is a disposition 10 unlimited
credulty. Some seem 10 have imbibed
the idea that the mere fact of finding any
statement, however absurd it may be, in a
book is sufficient evidence of its truth
They do not seem 10 manifest the same
discrimination in Judging of written
statement that they do of an oral one. -
This propensity to believe whatever is
found in print would undoubtedly prove
useful, if books were always the organs
oflruth: but since such is not the TACT, the
reader is constantly liable to be imposed
upon, unless he subjects whatever he is
asked to believe 10 the test of reason, and
receives or rejects it as he finds it to agree
or disagree with this standard. 1t is true
we are compeIledto admit the truth of ma.
ny things, which 10 US may at first appear
improbable, on the testimony of credible
witnesses; but this is one of the few ex
ceptions TO the general rule, and the prin
ciple remains good. But while we are
careful 10 reject nothing that is well au,
thenticated, we should remember that as
the probability of an event decreases, the
amount of evidence necessary 10 establish
its authenticity must increase and that
many things are improbable to be received
on any testimony.
do not mean by this to say that all
books are useless except those which con-
tain nothing but sober truth this would
amount to rejection OF a vast amount OF
reading matter, that is not only popular,
but useful. 1t would amount to proscrip>
tion of very much of our elegant literature,
and contine the reader to dry details, OF
facts, or still dryer arguments.
We should read extensiveIv-read eve.
~ class Of writings, but should be careful
to regulate the quantity of each kind by its
comparative value. w.
A FUeITIvE. Slavery seems TO be
taking to its "heels," giving leg bail.
Scarcely paper but gives account of one
or more who are escaping from the bes-
sings ofslavery. We had a fine specimen
at our Saturday and Sunday meeting from
Culpepper county, Va. He said there
were three of them when they started. but
they were attacked several times, and had
desperate fights, and shot at, and in one
of The SKirmishpS disnersed He is safe