The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-06-18
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

VIC NI'Houl at tue SaWe llIne pTOmOllDg
all others. The pioneer in every walk
of science strikes out sparks, tina; not only
guide his own researches, but illuminate
also the paths of those around him, tho
they may be laboring in quite other d.
r%ectIons. Examples Of this kind might
be multiplied without end, bat | will con-
tent myself with an illustration or two
from a science which deals only In alb.
stract numbers and imaginary quantities,
and utterly rejects experiment and obser.
yation as tests of truth or as instruments
of It's discovery. Who would have sup
posed that the intervals OF the diatonic
Gale in music were capable Of exact ap>
preciation, and their relations of precise
ascertainment, by numerical quantities !
Who would have expected that pure math-
ematics would have been appealed 10 10
decide between the rival claims of the
corpuscular and the undulatory theories
Of light or 10 ascertain the proportions
and relations of elementary bodies not ap.
preclable by any of the senses, in chem
lcal combinations ; or, as my accompIishs
ed friend from South Carolina (Mr.
Holmes) suggests, that the authenticity
of a disputed text in the Scriptures would
be determined by an algebraical lheorem?
What do not astronomy, navigation, civ.
il engineering, practical mechanics, and
all the experimental sciences, owe 10 this
one science, which in its Investigations
appeals 10 no empiricism, calls in the aid
of none of the senses, none Of the ma
chinery of art or of nalure2
But, independent of this particular
point, The aid which the physical sciences
may expect 10 derive from mere specu!a-
tive knowledge, l should hope that al
this time, and in this place, one might
safely venture a plea in behalf of all that
higher knowledge which serves 10 hu-
MAMIE, 10 refine, to elevate, to make men
more deeply wise, better, less thoughtful
of material interests, and more regarded
of eternal truths. And let it not be said
that our own brief history proves that
great Libraries are Super1uous, because
without them we have produced slaies*
men, civilians, orators, and jurlsprudenls,
no wise Inferior 10 the ablest of their Eu.
ropean contemporaries. Without dwell
ing upon the stimulus Of popular instilu-
tons, and the stirring excitement OF our
revolutionary and later history, which
have tended 10 encourage the development
of this species Of talent, the objection is
su efficiently answered by saying that, in
the case of most Of the American states
men of the Revolution, as we'll as Of ma.
ny of later date, private wealth has sup|
piled The place of public provisions for
the attainment of knowledge. In The pes
Rod of our colonial history, the sons Of
wealthy families were often educated in
the best schools of Europe, and the franz
ers of our Constitution were chiefly men
of high education and elegant attainments'
Jefferson, whose writings are canonical
with the Democracy, had the best private
library in America, ard was a man Of
multifarious, if not of profound learning.
The State papers of that remarkable era
are, with few exceptions, obviously produce
lions of men not merely Of inspired gen.
Jus or of patient though t, but of laborious
acquisition and they are full, not of that
cheap learning which is PROVED by PEI
dantic quotation, but of that sound disci"
pline which is the unequivocal result of
extensive reading and diligent research.
Who have been The men, in all ages. that
have exercised the wises and most perma-
nent influence both on the moral and
physical well. being of man? The spirit
of the clusades was reused by the preach
ing of a thoughtful solitary Columbus
was a learned scholar, and Luther but a
studious monk. Watt, the great improv-
err Of the steam engine, was a man OF curl
Gus and recondile learning, Bonaparte
was carefully educated at the school of
Brienne, and was through life the liberal
patron Of learning and the arts. The
glorious rebellion Of l649 was the work
of men Of the closet and Milton, who 10
our shame is less known among us by
his prose than his poetry, was It's apostle.
Our own independence was declared and
maintained by scholars, and all men
know that the French revolution had its
germ in the writings Of the Encyclopa-
dists. All men, in fact, who have acted
upon opinion, who have contributed 10
establish principles that have left their
impress tor ages, have spent some part OF
their lives in scholastic retirement. Ii Is
this very point-the maintenance OF prln-
ciples discovered and defended by men
prepared for that severe discipline and Ia
borious studv-lhat so slrikingly distin.
guishes the English rebellion of lG49
and our own Revolution from most other
insurrectionary movements, and particu-
larry from the French revolution. The
English and American statesmen OF those
periods were contending FOR truths,
the French atheists and philosophers for
interests ) the former sought to learn their
duties, the latter concerned themselves
only about their rights; the Anglo>Sax~
was inspired by principle, the Gaul
was instigaled by passion.
The principles of American liberty,