The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-09-26
ORIGINAL THINKING.

IS mysterious anu lne1pllcaUIe. Ihe 'uS' 10
obvious, TINT the world is ruled by mental
power. There are intellectual as well as
physical forces. A strong mind when en-
countcring weaker, will as natural move
it strong force in the material world Will
overcome a weaker. 1t is an old sdoge.
passed into inquest onable axiom. that
"knowedge is power" This is but par
taI and imperfect expression OF great
truth. knowledge is not power, unless
welded by an intelligent agent, who knows
how 10 use and apply it. A man may have
st lfftd into his head all the contents of the
Bodleun library, and his memory mny be
the treasure-house of all facts in science;
and yet comparatively q weak man, who
may pnss through the world and dio With
out permanently influencing or changing
the course of any individual. mere oc'
quaintance with facts. however extensive,
does mol give po wer. 1t IS the comprehen-
sion of principles, md the ability to apply
them in tho varied circumstances in which
he may be placed. which makes strong man
intellectually. Now principle cannot be
apprehended, much less can 1t be compre-
hendeG, without thought. We may conf
IDENTIFY assert, then, that mental power IS
generated by hard thinking only; and
he alone possesses it who has been
accustomed 10 bring tho powers Of his
understanding to bear with such inten.
sity of heat upon the subject submitted
to their action, as either to dssipate them
in thin uir. If they are in.rinsically wot.h-
less, or to fuse them ana remould them into
better forms, better suited to his purpose
Such man will be strong in himself. his
power over others irresistible. SiL; ipsi
sial. While resisting or modifying all in
fluonces, however, mighty and sweeping,
coming in upon him from abroad. ne sends
out strong and modifying influence over
the excited elements raging around him.
He is himself an original source of influ.
ence, He stands firmly fixed upon the ada.
mantine rock Of his own clear convictions,
against which the turbulent waves Of hu.
man opinion dash harmlessy, and break,
and foam. and retire. But from this immov-
able stand he u,ters voice which the ele
ments hear and obey. Such man, with
respect to other meiI, is neither planetary
nor reflective. but fixed and self-uminous.
Eic pours ligh. abroad from The living
fountains of his own Intelligence. Who
does not envy power like this? 1t is truly
the only power worth desiring or possessing.
What true dignity snd subiml,y enclrces
the brow of the mighty ruler of mind!--
Olympian Jove, shaking the material hea-
vens and earth with his nod. and hurlins
his hunaers upon the aghast and discomfts
ed giants, does not "with half that kindline
majesty dilate our strong conception" as
simple man, with no outward ensgns of au.
thority, swaying to and fro a vast multi.
luje Of intelligent minds by the breath Of
his lofty eIoquence. and demolished the c'a-
dels of error by the might Of his irresista-
Bile logic.
IGNORANCE OF GREAT PHYSICAL Truths.
How few men really believe that they
soiourn whrIns globe, and that each day
and wear of life is measured by its revo.u-
,ions, regulating the labor and The repose OF
every race of being. How few believe that
the great luminary of.he armament, whose
restless activity they daily witness. is an
immovable star, controlling. by its solid
mass, the primary planets which compose
our system, and forming the gnomon OF the
great dial which measures the thread OF
life, the tenure of empires, and the great
cycles of the worlds change. How lew
believe that each OF the millions OF stars
those atoms Of light which the telescope
can scarcely descry-are the centre OF plan
eiary system that may equal. if not surPass
our own2 And how very few believe that
tu0 sOfIu pdtcLcut VI tuS S'o"se NV"
which they nightly slum5er, is an elastic
crust, imprisoning fires and forces which
have often burst forth in tremendous ener-
gy, and are at this very instant struggling
to escape-now finding their way in VOL
canic fires-now heavIng and shaking the
ear,h-now upraisiug islands and con'i'
nen,s. aud gathering strength for that final
oulburst which is TO usher in the new
heavens and the new earth, "whereIn
dweilsth righteousness" Were these great
physical truths objects Of faith as well as
deductions of reason, we should reason,
we should lead better life than we do, and
make quicker preparation for its close.
Busy not ,hyself searching into other
mems lives; the errors Of thine own are
more than thou canst answer for. Ii more
concerns thee to mend one fault in thyself,
than 10 find out thousand in others.