Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-11-17
COMMUNICATION.
... FoR THE AMERICAN.
THEORY AND PRACTICE. o..

oeen joined togetner py Gou, ana II Is unna-
tural and involves contradiction IN itself to
Try and tear them assunder. As well might
We speak Of word without thought, or
plant, as we see it with the eye Of sense,
without an internal idea of which it is the
external expression as Of soul without body
or body without soul they are insepara.
bly, one--stand in the relation 10 each other
OF union.-The beautiful bust and the
nicely executed picture on the wall, are but
the outward realization of ideas which have
previously existed in the mind Of the artist; /;
and to say that what we see are mere shadows,
without any intrinsic substance, is necessari.
ly false, for II leaves US TO form conception
which is impossible, namely, that there can
exist an external without corresponding in
ternal. If this was possible, the most ordi.
nary intellect might rival the greatest sculp.
tors and authors that have ever lived. If it
was not necessary TO have an idea of any
work that we are going 10 execute, e,-have it
first to exist in the mind ideally, any one
might write an epic like the Odyssea, or con.
strnct Colossus like the one al Rhodes For
who can not sit down and take pen in hand
and scribble, without having the least thought
of what he is doing, and when done. say that
he has written poem, or take chisel and
malet and knock pieces off from a marble
slab and flaiter himself with the idea that he
is making statue of Ccerc, or some one
else. Such an attempt at poetry or sculpture
would amount to foolishness! We must have
the ideal Of the work which we wish to exe>
cute in the first place and when we have 7;
executed we see it in a sensible fotm. But
what was ideal before is ideal still, as to ex-
ternal expression, and If we take the one a
way, we also take away the other.
These remarks are peculiarly forcible as
applied to theory and practice the former is
the internal or ideal, and the latter is the en-
ternal or drawing out of the former into a
sensible former. To say, then, that theory
can exist without practice, or practice with.
out theory, amounts at once TO folly! They
must always go hand in hand-,hey cannot
be separated. When theory once ceases to
be, prsctice will have to do so also, and when
practice once ceases 10 be, humanity will have
10 turn into spirituality, so as to be placed
beyond the reach Of physical necessity, or
starve.
Why, then, if theory and practice stand
this continual war between theorist and prac
ticalistl Have theorists recently found SC
much sufficiency in themselves Mat they
can do without practicalists, or have prac,i
calists found so much sufiiciency in them
selves, that they can do without theorists
No; they are both wrong! They must il
the end meet in the "goIden medium" 70
which men so earnestly strive in almost eve
ry,hing, but so seldom attain. The linquis,
the mathematician, the philosopher, the ma
iuralist, slough they may claim for the theo
retical part their respective sciences exclusive
attention, must after all meet the praciicalis
half way, and exchange the compliments o
friendship and union. So, alse on the othe
hand, the praclicalist must meet the ,hecrist
and recprocate the courtesy.
Although theory and pracice must Away
go together, however, me former has righ
to claim more attention than the latter, be
ing as il is the greater or more important par
of the union which they form; just as tn
ideal which picture inholds is more impor
tant, (and actually constitutes the picture a
such,) than the form in which we see il ex
pressed upon paper; or as The soul is NOR
important, than the body. Hence it follows
that in any branch Of etacarion OF sc.enc
the theoretical must be acquired before III
practical part, and the practical part can onl
be perfect, so far, as the theoretical is so, Q
has been well studied and fixed in the minc
Consequently we find fhathe who is the be.
theoretical makes the best practical scholar
and the best practical professional man, h
who is best acquainted with the theory q
his profession.
In view of what has now been said no,
important that we should qualify ourselve
for action in the particular sphere that W
! expect to move by due study. II the trut
of this, as well as its paramount necessity
was generally felt, and men would shap
their course accordingly, how much of tn
quackery and superfciality which stare u
in the face On every side would be don
away with. The learned professions woul
alone be filed by men eminent for their ia
lens and learning,-an education would no
be considered of any account, save it wa
thorough, especially in those branches rela
ting to the particular calling OF any individu
al, and its not being such wonld be looke'
upon as calamity Of no ordinary kind. Bu
how different are the facts before US. Th
worla generally derdes men of science AM
learning; it appears SO at least when We se
ignoramouses and mountebanks patronised
while they are neglected. II Is not deeme'
necessary that one should be acquainted witt
the theoretical part Of its business, if il onl
knows enough of the practical part 10 as /
be enabled to make money, then all is well
T "What do care about your theories an
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