The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-03-13
soR the CHARLOTTE JOURNAL.
TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS.


Permit me to call your attention to a Sc.
rics Of elementary works on Natural His.
tory, prepared By Dr.. Ruschenberger, for
the use OF Schools, and published by Gngg
& Elliot, Philadelphia. These are VIA,
they are truly sty led the first Books OF
Natural History They nre the opening
door TO a department Of knowledge, high
as heaven, and broad as the universe L..
self; but which has until these our times
been sealed up against the inquring mind
as If God had reserved "to US and 10 our
Children" this vast field for Intellectual en-
loymcnt and mental expatation. No ex.
ercise Of the intellectual faculties is more
calculated 10 give correct perceptions Of
God, the author of all things, than study
Of His Works. What we call natural
productions, are but organizations in the
material world, which are directly the
handiwork Of that universal all pervading
Spirit, who is the grand architect Of every
organized body only Of those vast
globes that float IN immeasurable space,
suns and systems of worlds, = but, he is al.
so the maker of the smallest thing that
moves. He is the God Of the living. The
animal kingdom and the vegetable may
be truly said to be but the work Of His
F" fingers" The fealhered tribes, The fin.
ny races, and the branching families Of the
reptile and insect orders are but the fore.
ground, the beginnings Of creation. But
how little is our knowledge Of their begin.
nines. We see them TO exist, and recog.
nize their external forms, ou, Of their pln.
ces in the grea, scale Of organized exis.
fences, and of the various parts which they
act in the progress Of life, and of their in.
iernal structures, we know but very little
OF the science Of their organizations, the
general knowledge is next to nothing
Here then Is a field now opening 10 us,
where the mind can revel III fathers, and
feed on truth unaIoycd with fiction. 1t is
indeed one of the most important fields for
intellectual Investigation that has ever been
presented to the human mind for its ex'
plora,on and the mind trained up IN the
study of natures organization, is prepared
TO receive those moral influences which
correct the Judgment, and purify the heart.
But this work must begin in mental Inian-
CIV, when the seeds Of character which de.
termine the future man are planted. How
highly necessary is 1t then, that before the
mind becomes pre-. occupied by those things
which are purely fnncilul and abound il
error, il be presented with u system oil
truth, one which embodIes only facts, for
a mind nurtured with truth can never 70.
ceiye that which is fictitious. Thls work
Of the author therefore cannot be too high.
ly valued. Like every other work of Sci
ence, il is system OF facts, developing
the wonderful mechanism OF organized be.
ings from man down through all the order
general and species of animated belrg, &c
the tiniest insect that moves. Itisa WORK
that should be in every family. and studied
by every member of it. No Library shoulC
be without the whole series, and if there
no library in the family, these books should
at once be the beginning of one. No chill,
should be without them, whose mind is be
ginning to act. The study of Natural His
tory should be considered ms important an(
necessary branch of School instruction
as Geography or Arithmetic, for tie rea
son that it is destined TO exert great ant
leading influence in the formation of The
future character of man. MOI a wore
need be said of the talents and character
Of the author, DR.. Ruschenberger, he !: