Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1855-11-30
ssfs For the iaqairfr aud Cliroaieie. (
An Article for the Times

fa ere scare est pr caasas scire e-BAcoy
knowledge is power IS anaxim which
has eften been repested by sthe aslearaed
as well as the learned: By the hulnble cot
tager whose lonely hours pass quietly aw; II
amid the works OF God, as beheld in the
mo nounta;ns, hills aud .,reyes BY which he is
surrounded. as web as the proud nebIeasn
whose dwelling y in the palace of earthly
splendor, and whose hours are spent ia lux-
ur.f and ease AMID the gaieties of city life.
acknowledge is power," says tlse. weary s.u-
dent as he sits by his midnight lamp. and
turns over the dusty pages Of ancient lore,
or with feelings OF wonder, padses as he
lo9ss into the aygsseriesi and powerful truths
brought to light by the aid of moders.s sci-
entife discoyery;z-7so too the grave profess
sor, as he sits ponderiag over the 'hsyster2
les Of life, or the eteraai laws of nature.
feels that all else in this life, is but a pban-
tom wheh compared to the marvellous wen
ders which are challenging his most pro-
found regard in the physical, the moral and
Intellectual world,
Intimately connected with itltis maxim,
there Is another which is very nearly the
saiac in meaning, though Of a seemingly
more practical chararter. and that is ssKnow
Thyself" In ancieat times this was re-
glrded as one of the wisest maxius ever ut
tered by man. A Greciau philosopher,
known as one Of The Seven Wise Men Of
Greece, spent considerable length of time
IN fathoming its vast meaning before he
gave it to the world as one of his maxins
Ii was afterward written oyer;the renowned
Temple of Apollo, aad was REGARDED By all
the wise mea of that age as one Of the
most pregnant naxiras ever eomposed,--.
Since that time it has lost much of its orr
gnal force, from the fact that it is used
without am earnest regard to lis true mean
ing a,,l significance. This is out natural; for
it will be remembered tlias it is standing
maxim in the history OF humanity tuat -.rH-
n,iiariiy breeds contempt" Strange as
this may seem, it IS no less true. The.
truth of the maxim is not the result of
long and perplexing course of logical reas-
nning, bat of practical character, and de-
rived from the pages Of history, as we'll as
every day observation and experience.
Men are little disposed to concern them
selves about those things which do not, adj
vance their interests in the more common
walks Of life; and tue truth of this maxim
consequently exercises httle or no iufu-
ence over their minds. This calls into no
tice another item of information which is
very intimately connected with the two max
inns already alluded 10, VIZ: the mind
OF man is so constituted as to become
wholly absorbed in the subject which more
than all others engages his attention.. This
IS proven BY the most common observation,
If then it were made an object to knew
ourselves, 20 become acquainted with the
world in which We live, the laws oy which
it is governed, tile relation We sustain to it.,
II say, ii subjects of this kind were more
generally considered, there would be less
room for the cunning and crafty TO Impose
on the unthinking. zs.a ~
1t may be said, perhaps, BY seme, that 1t
is making broad and unjustifable assertion
when it is said that ignorance and supersti-
ton is dong sad work in our country.
| say, such an assertion may be regarded AZ
w1d and premature, butit is not. 1t is
just and true. To the busy politician, or
selfish man, whose whole object in this
world is, perhaps, to gather together few
rilltry dollars, aud even at the expense Of a
poor tieighbor, sit counting his spreeious
treasures' in the lonely and cheeress closet
Of a vgctcl.ed miscr, or % the ambitious,
whose sehnle heart is set on becowing popn-
lar, and whose contracted iAeannesse would
influence him to take advantageofs the ig-
norant-I say, to such individuals, our as
sertion will surely appear at least as being
uncalled for. But truthsi- truth, and there
is no reason why it should not be proclaim
ed abroad, and if made to reach it's desired
end, let the insignificant nliser crouch down
in the snalst of his alarm, and like o lion oI
meanness, feel how upjustly he has acculnn- ip
lated the dearest ohjsat Of bis hearti cgihe
aihbitieas, If he sbouldsfeel that his infu-
unce Is about to be narrowed, let him ele.
vate his littleness, and aim. at moro honor.
able position among MS fellow men, or thf
crafty and cunning politician, if he shoule
feel that jsstico is about TO bind him more
closely to the rights Of free people, le'
him begin to look forward to tho more beau
tiful and royal road to the temple of truth
Thus much, then, BY way of prelude. -
from what has been said, now deduc.
three propositions, which IL will be my OBJ