Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-05-19
For the Portage Sentinel.
Education.

"ttDCf
in Rarenna, By S. McBRlDE, one efth
pupils, and. arhich 50 furnished fo
publication at The solicitation Of th'
,isitors present at the examination.
1t has been said by q writer of moder'
age TINT "knowledge is power" And We
take this as our basis, as our foundation
stone. And if man of genius and un
ders,anding, who has explored the deopths
of science, can say, that knowledge isl pow
er, why NAV we not do the same? Why
is it not we'll that we, too, should dig deep
among her coral fountains, and sip the
christal nectar2 Why is it not wei! that
we, too. should climb the rugged height,
aud pluck from thence, bright wreaihs OF
fame, whose undylng verdure blows only
upon spots where none but the unfiinching
hand of perseverance, can reach? That
ave should soar ulolt on airy wing, and
perch, if possible, on the top of the hill oi
science; where the goddess of Wisdom
with smiling hand, shall place upon the
brow the gemmed tiara, thick embossed
with studs oflising liget? .. a.s
But, let US look for a 'a1oment at the al
tributes Of its general character-ut Its ef-
fects, not in individual instances only, but
upon mankind in general. And not only
this, but let US endeavor TO trace out, if
possible, the secret path that leads to this
glorious end; for, if it be an object so
much 10 be desired, why should we not
grasp at every opportunity, 20 increase the
storm Of knowledge from ,ha, inexhaus,i-
bic mine? But where shall we 60, to dis
cover, to find this noble charact er! Shall
we go to that far distant land, Of which the
muse only sings in strains of poetic pathos!
the land Of the poets Imagination? Shall
we go among the unnumbered millions of
worlds, that glitter in unclouded splendor
in the ethereal arch abovel Nay, verify!
Take the history Of the world, from the
creation to the present moment, for nearly
six thousand years; and you cannot uTon
that tablet find one name, on whose char.
acter education hussbecn blot. It is true
there have been those, who would consider
an insult upon society, and upon the world
any deviation from, or intrusion upon the
old beaten wor path, pointed GU: to them
by their fathers; who would hold up to pub.
lie contempt and ridcule, the man who
woaid thns dare 10 violate and trample up.
on the sacred obligations their sires had
taught them. .-.z....
Take for instance one example, nor is il
the only one. Hundreds perhaps might be
pointed ct to illustrate the same principle
When Robert Fulton was building the
/ first steamboat that ever was laun ched upor
the rolling wave, he was pointed at as the
, dreamer as q wild enthusiast and it wa:
treated even worse than the wild drean o
madman. Had he at that moment, beer
disheurtened by the jeers and scorns OF hi
enemies; had he soy at that moment
quniled and shrunk back in despair, thu
world, perhaps, never would have known
. what man could do. You, nor |, perhaps
never would have sren the paning engin.
plying from shore to shore, from land t
land, nor across the feathercd wave of tn,
trackless deep. But 70! be fallcred not
he was born for another motive. Will
an unyielding frmness, and an unflinch
ng perseverance, he pressed forward
and as the first proud ship was launche'
upon the dancing bilow, his enemies wit
: had pointed at him as the wild enthusiast
! were struck with awe, and recoied will
astonishment. Little did they know tha
the power that lurked in the bosom Of on
: man, could renovate world. Yet it
f even more; and this is an isolated instanc
f only. Hundreds, as said before, might b
found but it would be but to illustrate til
. same fact.
. What called Franklin from the printer
: desk, and gave MIN seat in the hall @
: the nation? What brought Galileo fron
: his study, and sent him to wander amon
the unnumbered millions Of worlds thn
Q glitter in the ethereal arch above2
What motive imPelled all the great men
whose names we see engraven on the tab
let of time, to write them where they nos
f. stand, encircled with wreaths OF glory?
1t was knowledge. knowledge was III
;. mainspring of action, and by this means
b have they done all this, and yet there
g more TO do. There is u power in tn
: mind of man that battles comprehension
Who would have thought, that one lik
: Franklin, could bring the fiery arrows @
heaven in obedience to hgs will? VIII
had Imagined that man like Morse shoul
bring the forased lghtnings from the blacl