The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-08-14
KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE
REACH OF ALL.
BIT HON. EDWARD EVERETT.

The world has advanced to high
point OF attainment IN science and art.
The progress Of invention and improve.
men, has been, especially Of late years,
prodigiously rapid; and now. whether
we regard the science OF nature or Of
art, Of mind or morals, o! contemplation
or practice, il must we confessed that We
live in wonderfully improved period.
Where is all this knowledge? Where
doe, it dwell : IN the minds Of the pre-
sent generation Of men. II is, indeed,
recorded in books, or embodied in .lIc
various works and structures of man.
Blu. these are only manifestations Of
knowledge. The books arc nothing till
they are read and understood and then
they are only a sort Of short. hand. an
outline which the mind fills up. The
thing itself, the science. the art, tue
skill. are in the minds Of living NEIL
Of that generation which is now upon
the stage. That generation will die
and pass away. In thirty years all
now living will be gone, or retired from
the scene, and new generation will
have succeeded.
This mighty process does no, take place
At once, either throughout the world or
in any part Of IL; but it is constantly
going on silently, effectively, inevitably !;
and all the knowledge, art and refine
ment now in existence must be either
acquired by those who are coming on
the Stage. or it pershes with those who
are going of. and is los, forever.
There Is no way by which knowledge
can DO handed down but by being learn.
ed over again; and of all the science,
art and skill in the world, so much only
will survive, when those who possess it
are gone, as shall be acquired by the
succeeding generation. All the rest
must perish. The rising generation is
now called upon to take ur this mighty
weight, 10 carry il along little way,
and then hand it over, in turn, to their
successors.
The minds which, in their maturity,
nre 10 be repositories Of all this knowl'
edge, are coming into existence every
dsy and every hour, in every rank and
station Of life, all endowed with fscul'
ties /; all at the commencement equally
destitute Of ideas all starting with ig
norance and helplessness of nature
all invited to run the roble race VI i'm
provemen,. liz the cradle there Is as
little distinction Of persons as in the
grave.
The grea, lesson which would teach
you is, that il depends mainly on eaet
individual wha, part lie will bear IN ,h'
accomplishment Of this great work !
is TO Je done by somebody. In qo'e
order oi things the stock OF useful know
ledge Is not only preserved bu, aug
r,eaied; aud each generation improve
on that which went before.
II is true there have been pei II
the history Of the world when dscor
h, home or invasion from abroad ha
80 blish,ed and blssted tho condition c
society, tina, knowledge has perishe'
with one generation faster than IL cooi
he learned ~ another; and whole ns
tious have sunk from . condition ot iff
provemen to on. Of ignorance and Ga'
bari,y, sometimes in = few years. bu
no such dreadful catastrophe Is nos
bs feared.
Those who come amer Us will NJ
a. only equal tus suspsss iLsir p'edece'
sofA The existing arts w'll be IN
proved, science will be carried to ne
heights, and the heri'sge OF us~t'
lnos ledge will 60 down ani'npa'red m
sugr,ssted But il is sn 70 b. thar
~ eR,~ and il is for each person