Mississippi Democrat., 1846-05-20

bill for The establishment of The Smith
sonian Institute, for The diffusion o
knowledge among men,
Sir, over this entire land must The rII.
from this sacred fountain freely flow; moi
10 be arrested and walled up here, to mi
mister to our pleasure or convenience. -
We greatly mistake, if we imngine tha
our constituents are Indifferent 10 the pri
vilege OF drawing from these waters o
knowledge; that they cannot appreciate
their ferlilizing influence. If there be
one feeling more powerful than another
in the hearts Of the millions of this land,
even through IFS remotest forests, itls, that
the intellectual cultivation which circum.
stances may have denied to them shall be
secured to their children. They value,
sometimes even beyond their worth, the
literary advantages, by aid of which the
few commonly distance their competitors
in the paths of emolument and honor
Ay, and beyond this, they feel--do we not
all teelI-lhat we are not in temper, in
habits, in feelings, or in intelligence, what
we ought to be, or what we might have
been; that our nature was better than our
education. They feel-has not the most
careless among US felt il tool-that there
are springs of virtue within US that have
seldom been touched; generous aspirings
that have scarcely been called into action;
capabilities of Improvement that have hard
ly been awakened; capabilities of enjoy
ment that have been turned into fountains
Of bitterness. If we might now re educate
ourselves even from the cradle upwards,
developing each mental power and moral
faculty, checking the rising vice, and cuI-
tlyallng the nascent virtue; bending the
plant habit to reason, and mastering the
evil passion at its birh-how gladly would
we grasp at the offer! how dearly value
the privilege! And what selfshness would
do for itself, think you not that parental
affection desires for its ofspring2 Yes,
vice itself desires it! Stronger than the
thirst after riches; deeper than the crav-
ing for power, springing from the best
and most enduring OF human instincts, is
the parents longing for the welfare of his
child! Criminal he may be; ignorant he
may be; reckless even Of his own charac-
Ter, hopeless OF reputable standing for
himself; but his childrenl If british excess
have not utterly quenched the principle of
good within him-for them there is still
rcdeeming virtue in his soul striving
after better things; hope that they may
escape the vices which have degraded
him; that they may emerge from the igno.
rance in which he is benighted, if not to
wealth and honor, at least to fair fame and
honest reputation; credit to his bIighted
name, and comfort to his declining years.
Such are the sentiments that spring up
tomeet US among the people shared by
The bad as well as The good; universal in
their prevalence. And it is to such senti. |
menls, the best earnest of progressive i'm |
provement in man, that the provisions of
ibis bill ought, so far as the amount OF the |
legacy and the terms of the will permit,
10 respond.
Such views are in accordance with the |
spirit Of the age, and the wants of the
times. 1t snot world all of flowers and
sunshine, this we live in. 1t is world,
where thousands are starving; where tens
o thousands toll to live-Iiye ONLY TO die
1t is world where cruel suffering exists,
where shameful crimes are committed,
where terrible oppression is endured,
where dark ignorance is found. II has
Sceres of wrong, and outrage, and guilt,
ahd wo. They rise before us. They
mTust themselves on our attention. Not
gd, not to embellsh; graver, sad
uer duty is his, who would aid in such
worlds improvement.
10 effect permanent good in such
world, we must reach the minds and hearts
wine masses; we must diff'Ise knowledge
aiaong men we must not deal ii out 10
scholars and students alone, but even 10
LON, Dick, and Harry; and then, as
wise and witty female writer Of the day
expressed il, 'they will become Mr.. Tho.
% %as, and Mr.. Richard, and Mr.. Henry" !
iney may no, become profound scholars,
v vrudl'e graduates. Nor is that necessary.
wen 10 know common things is the essen
ua' Ills moi elaborate learning that most
'oNes lhe world, or that eXerts most I
%luence in its government. Working. !
~ Nnowledge is simple, almost in the ra- {
y, w OF Its Importance; and Milton has
P,oa' Plua' not to know at large of things remote .
m1 MN use obscure and subtle, but to know t
i, III winch before us lies, in daily life, d
. he prime wisdom"
ue ancient masters realized not these :
w r's' WIN The millions they had no t
2upalhy 10 private, and to the initiated
mS !" alone, did they deign to unroIl the d
,c'. !s'ca' page of their philosophy they /
6no "Du 10 expose il nthe gaze Of The pro. c
,,a '"anNS TO the stirring spirit Of pro- i
h'NNNlN G ltDnrnVrn.., a.. !