Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-09-11
ON THE LITERATURE OF AMERICA.


usually full one, an Grafton was delivered by the
Hon. GEORGE p. MARSH, of Vermont, for the fol
lowing synopsis of which we are indebted to the
Boston Daily Advertiser:
The Grafton was of the highest character Its general OBJ
ect give review Of the extent and of existing
knowledge. This very comprehensive subject handled
in mastery manner and the broad and clear positions of
the speaker stated in the most accurate and elegant Ian
guage Every essay, and if any hearer did
enjoy the address, because he not accustomed
having valuable truths presented him in such rapid
cession esey and severely expressed Such address
suffers particularly in analysis, but attempt brief
sketch.
Mr. MARSH commenced by saying that in country there
is appropriate place for merely literary men that here the
culture letters not that of separate class but
orally either the task of youth the recreation of declining
age In the lives of those who devoted themselves
letters there three marked epochs the day when leav
ing college they sought for the in which to direct
their future advance the day when they left their profession
al studies mnge with the busy world and those days in
which, after business career, they back to the Alma
Mater take lesson with regard past and future
The addressing of all Of these classes and
might address them all disciples of common cause-se
teaching pups-who would give up the common themes Of
the progress Of the agewhether in science teroyhe
progress national crimes and goeso consider the
and the essence of the knowledge Of our time.
He then proceeded give rapid but pointed, analysis of
the and character of this knowledge, pointing out how
much ground the student has before him in languages
the general dynamic laws of creation, which give rise to
astronomy chemistry geology, and the general cosmogony,
making worlds he well said of the Exuvin of Mcroco
pic Ephemera the recorded history of hundreds Of nations
law whatever under that had been in successive pc
RODS the substitutes for physical force keeping order in
munespoetry metaphysics supersiions, and those real
ly religious views which sixty centuries have furnished
If the philosophers OF Greece and Rome found life short
attain all the accumulated information of their day, how
could the scholar Of time collect the varied and increased
stores how could he appropriate to his own use the move
mens of the evernceasng circles Of the OF learning and
how could he find leisure and heart and where teacher for
the acquisition of that knowledge sometimes considered the
best object of the life Of To resolve this question many
had forth the word SYSTEM, and had advanced systems
of science" which only forms of mnemoncs." The
idea that sciences created subdivisions of facts
and theories heretofore known popular 1t increases
the number Of studies without saving the labor Of the student
In fact since all science TRUTH there can be science
except from arrangement of received material To
show the in which sciences might be nomnaly in
creased in NUMBER while the facts the same, the orator
adduced the science OF philology.
From this view Mr.. Marsh urged il evident that the
tdiscple make his choice of special study
codng to his natural VOCATION and not TO undertake to learn
all things knowledge had, to be sure, become marketa
BILE commodity which might be quoted in prices current like
others Its buyers and sellers styled themselves "the
trade to the deogaon of other business and had adopted
the principle of large sales and small profits that that
the beer book Of which the most copies sold,
whatever the value of its thoughts There striking diff
ference between literary and mechanical products in this
gard For machine considered that other things be-
ing equal that which had cost the most labor in its manuac
ure most valuable the book which had been most
fully made not judged by this test Consequently era
labors vugarized under the of popuarzaion
although good motives and good results here had justified
the promise that they who waered the of knowledge should
reap golden fruit
The orator then proceeded to consider what the char
acte of human knowledge and the nature of its highest
uses pointing that most certain and absolute cogn
of fact that Of laws regarding matters without the
immediate reach of Our astronomy is more
tain than meeoroogy history accurate than
election returns. The who left England for
the South Seas TO take observations Of the transit of Venus
in 1859, with perfect confidence that the celestial phe
nomena would within few minutes OF predicted
time but they went in doubt and anxiety with regard TO the
time which they should themselves arrive at their post and
the Of the winds and which to bear them
While calculate with absolute certainty the movements
the distant spheres of universe in doubt to the
under eyes, only Of spontaneous ma
ure but Of the action of the human mind and the condition
Of public sentiment in other ages in this Although Cham
poon has been able to reproduce for the history oil the
Phaaohs and Niebuh after the lapse of nineteen centuries
contradict successfully the statements OF Lvy while we
with accuracy the position and movements of bodies
the extreme limits Of space and WHILE in natural his
tory, develop the whole animal from single part
we ourselves the most mysterious Of engmas The
physical condition Of and the relation Of body TO spirit
are among the subjects of which know least That which
is nearest escapes grasp We cannot sccu
rately measure yard although calculate the distance Of
Saturn Our knowledge TO be universally propooned
10 our means Of direct apprehension
From this the orator Inferred and argued with elo-
quen illustrations that the intellectual faculty was TO be con-
sdered higher and worthy Of cultivation than the SEN
sual approximations Nature generazcs all study Of
nature results series Of instances in variety, instead OF
uniformity The student must strive TO rise above ma
tue, and enunciate general laws. Absolute certainty OF
knowledge impossible except in the pure mathematics APP
proxmae certainty only be reached with regard to those
relations Of matter which its substance is not nvoved-in
chemistry and knowledge Of quescent bodies. With re-
gard to moving bodies and CORRESPONDING duf phenomena
the pure @ Of their action all that IS movable that the
highest OF human aanments Theory really suggested Ivy
phenomena dependant upon and general laws are finally
established by proofs aside from observation u the sun does
rise predicted Orion should be stayed IN his courses
we should not doubt the law but the chronomeer.
Mr. Marsh proceeded speak Of the mistake Of character
zng certain sciences PRACTICAL when all science Is prac
cal After good education the student starts with results
the results Of centuries Of study on the principle OF SELF
made and practical all start alike, with small stock
of common instincts and IDEAS On the practical theory
the teacher obUs for the pupil while the other he teaches
him to goncraze that theory knowledge can only be the
result Of accumulation while the latter grows from de-
veopment and yet the former appeals TO the vanity OF men
by convincing them that they constantly receiving inor
nation while that which Pounds knowledge general laws
repes many by proving their acquisitions nugaory and emps
them by no promises of easy success.
Doubtless education begins with the acquisition Of facts hut
has more important duties and bearings Much Of wha,