Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-03-05
Extracts from Rev. II. I. Parker's Address.


turer alluded the natural activity and the necessary
education of both the mind and the body spoke OF
defect in system, or rather in the application OF
oar system oil public instruction. by which the bodies
OF the educated class, and the minds Of laborers are
neglected and regarded the Institute asevidencc that
mechanics felt and disposed to remedy, in mea-
sure at least this defect in their early training.
| Among the means of intellectual aud moral culture,
he noticed particuarly,-l The possession OF the at
tributes o Humanity .. Good Books p The proper
| use of time.
Ofincentivcs to Inprovement,-the position or rank
which the arts and trades occupy in this counry-the
wide AMI free range that is opened to thcn-the III
crease ofaby for usefulness and the sure reward oil
efforts for s.lf culture were severally discussed
Nv prescribed limits admitting onya few bret
extracts, attempt at systematic arrangement mas
been made | have marked the following para
graphs -
Aln rc on lowed with IN, roVe e intellect, CT
conscience, o, sympathy, and knowledge, and love
ofac,ng their minds, on inaninae nature, and
on the minds Of others
"These attributes give to man his dignity, his SUI
pcroiity to brute creation. He is by constitution,
only little lower than the ange s.--No matter how
obscure how little known or loved man wherever you
linl him. has nature almost angelic lie may neglect
and abuse it, but is there there susceptible of being
reused to think and feel and love there to be develop
ed beyond any prescribed limits-to be cultivated,
strengthened and polished or to lie, as casket OF
Jewels covered with DUST for which the owner has no
use 1t is not muscular strength, symmetry and beau
~ OF form, that give dignity and grandeur TO man.
These belong only the caskct that contains the Jew
el Neither is it circumstances or station Tor these
are often ioruitous and accidental True greatness
belongs ntrnscay to man, no matter where you find
or place him Man is great as a man be he where or
what he may. The grandeur OF his nature turns to
nsgnilicauce all outward and accidental distinctions
You may clothe him in rags. You may chain HIM
, daily to slavish tasks and chrisen him. mental, a
slave, chattc. thing. You may close your doors
against him. Danish him as an outlaw. vagabond,
, from human society, or immerse him in n dungeon.
He is still mana being clothed with angelic iacul
ties capable of unlimited expansion and improvement
He may have sunken among the dreGs OF society, and
, be still descending toward the very lowest point at
tainablc Or, it may be- he, like muttudes at the
very commencement, OF his career found himself N
the immediate neighborlool of this very lowest at
tanabe point Influences, numerous and strong,
conspire to keep him there. Bu, you awaken in
him noble enthusiasm rse above tn. undistln-
guished of society, and is this enthusiasm OF
that practical character which expelds itself in the
putting forth OF untrng efforts in the right direction,
= upward advances are sure and rapid.
" In the possession of mind, then, the nobest part
OF the man, have given the basis for mltlcss in
provement The foundation Is laid by the hand OF
Him whose wisdom and power are infinite. 1t is lett
for TO rear the superstmciure. In this emphacay
, is every man the architect OF his own fortune
With quite too many, this superstructure rises at hap
hazard. With the body there is regular, vigorous
h"aithl exercise. Its powers a~c properly and fully
developed.
But how do most laboring men educate and unfold
the powers OF the mind Mechanics must 50 early i'll
life their trade, nnI then early in the day to then
e task. With the observing and thoughtful the dali,
task, associated with daily OF readilg ant
J hearing, and seeing, will afford mental discipin,
which has its value. Upon many, however this il
c nearly lost. through indifference inatentlon or men
! tai dissipation.
= "The unpractised mind, like the body, INDUCED ii
. Incidence shrnks from effort. But the man accus
"A toned labor loves it, cannot live is miserable with
II it, mind soon learns to love its own pecua
d work. 1t ruses forward grappe with difficult, pro
ic,ini, or intricate subjects, and questions.
r why then may not men devoted to the mechani
L. arts oil Subsistence, possessed of the Ike
l. of knowledge they generally are, unlock enter an
mt Temple of knowledge! They surely may. Fac
n prove this beyond the possibility of doubling,
OF There now lives a man of almost unbounded a
I' ainments both a lnguis, and general scholar wh
IT, for many years, regularly labored at the Anvil lively
!! hours each day. His great acquisitions were mad
- during hours OF relaxation from manual labor, as
" kind Of pastme. Those hours which he empoye
II, with eminent success, in storing his mind with us,
II, u knowledge, at the time increasing immensely h
~ resources o happiness and his means Of dong good
were by Others OF the same agc, and in the same en-
poyment spent in various ways such as tavern hnu,
oil ting incident oang, novel reading cards billiard
nd d &c, X. The maH you know by reputation he is Il
no military called the " Learned Blacksmith" of Worce
ry ter Mass. and is now making the ourof Europe
~ foot II is said, attracting large audiences wherever
r. consents to lecture
is What others have done in this respect Won
~ men in Burlington my do. ~ say lat al. c,
&c rise TO the high emnence of Franklin, an Akwrgl
It. or Burnt. 1t Is not name that you to see
4h Such an object usually defeats itself Seek know
cr edge Of happiness and means OF usefl
a. ness.
H. " The only rules that can be given for beginning
IL course OF self culture, is to begin where left off
40 there has been leaving of with us--rhc COZ
Of mon elementary branches lie, necessarily at the tou
~ dation OF any symmetrical structure may rel
mo-, They cannot be neglected with IMMUNITY. lie II
would safely and pleasantly climb the hill of Scier
must ascend step by step The greatest difficulty
=, tobegn The horse unaccustomed to the harness
~, restive and applies his strength reluctantly +
s,o mind unused TO close application hcsiates 1t IN
rs at fist be goaded To the task Effort is painful Pl
IN tracted concentration Of its powers impossible.
zen thing will overcome this hcsatng, iaterng relr
ne: lance and give To the complete mastery o,
ned his mental faculties, but severe, protacted perseve
OK effort This power once acquired is invaluable
ont Labor, intellectual effort, painful, becomes
, tensely pleasurabe.
her Books are indispensable ouxilarcs to selfimprov
W. ment. Through them commune with the choic
'" spirits OF all past time. Circumstances may ,
clude us from much intercourse with living men
T. cultivated minds, high attanments, and lustr,
,;n name but " to the making OF many hooks tn,
is no end !" aud cheap now the
hooks that none need be excluded from commun
o. through their works, with the honored dead, wh
No society," when living was courted by the rich
nds great Associations like yours, bring within
has reach OF ALL labored and interesting production
ned minds the greatest and the best. On the shelye
your own library resting books, in the use OF wi
II