Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-06-06
miscellaneous.
Ii @ RA c L N IN n.
By GE o RCE w DUSGA AY.

The name and fame of the distinguish
ed subject of this sketch are world wide
/ He is known, honored, and appreciated as
the promoter of education and the defend
er of the oppressed The mantle dropped
| by the lamented Adams sits gracefully
upon his shoulders He is eminent as a
writer. speaker, a scholar. aud states
man. His essays and his speeches com
mand the attention and win the admira
tion Of all who read or hear them He
never fails to get the eyes and ears. if not
the hearts. of his hearers. whether they
! be little children in a common school. or
larger ones IN Congress. He is prophet
who hath honor in his own and other
countries. The first time the writer saw
him, was at the opening of primary
school in Boston Several prominent men
had spoken to the children present. in an
Ineligible language In fact, they spoke
to the youths as they were accustomed to
speak to adults. By-and-by tall thin
graceful man, with a high forehead and sill
very hair. arose in one corner of the room
and in familiar manner asked the chill
dreu to let him see their red lips and
bright eyes In moment a sea of sun
ny faces was turned toward him He told
| them to persevere in the acquisition of
knowledge and asked them if they ever
saw q honey-bee go out from its hive on
I May morning In pursuit of its sweets
They said they had seen the bee on his
tour among the flowers. : ow," contIn-
ued the speaker, when he comes from
the leaves he does not bring a whole hive
on his back, but he flies home with little
at time You must copy the example
of the bees and gather the sweets OF
knowledge from book leaves, as they gath
er honey from flower leaves" The chill
dren were intensely interested in his sto-
ries, comparisons, illusions, and admo,
ntions
The next time I saw this prominent and
popular Mann. was at the dedication of
grammer school IN Boston. Many Of the
with delight to his extemporaneous and
appropriate speech His tongue is like
the pen of a ready writer 1t costs him
little or DO effort to round period band
somely. or polish a sentence until 1t be
comes transparent with beauty, and as for
grammatical accuraces, even in his i'm
tpromptu efforts they are out of the ques-
ton. Last winter he delivered the intro
ductory lecture before the Mercantile LII
brary Association. fremont Temple was
packed from the orchestra to the entrance
MANY reasons were obliged to leave the
crowded doors for want Of accomod& ton
After the usual preiiminaries, the orator
appeared on the platform. and was warm
ilv greeted BIZ the vast audience. lie com
menced at once by leaping, at a single
bound, into the middle of his lecture. and
be addressed the young merchants IN
strain Of SURPRISING power and eloquence
The last survivor of that large assembly
cannot outlve the impression that mas
terly effort made on every appreciating
mind lie spoke forcibly, rapidly. and
emphatically. Wit, humor, pathos, irony,
, argument. flowed from his lips as freely
as water from an unfailing fountain =
Those who carry their souls in the sacks
Of their stomacbs. and those who carry
their hearts in their breecbes pockets.were
shown up, as Marshal Tukey exhibits the
, light fingered gentlemen who sometimes
q visit the City of Notions, He did not
Isnare the wine bottle nor the tobacco box,
the coffee pot nor the tea kettle. lie pro-
nounced woes against those who Will not
breathe pure air. and drink gold water.
and eat D ain food, and sleep on hard beds
/ in ventilated rooms He has a stout
! heart and d strong hand. and the whip be
holds over the backs Of gluttons and I'M
: biders has silver lash and a golden han
! die and although every blow reaches the
d red. the wounded and the whipped save
their lamentations for the secret chamber,
where they sit upon the stool of repen-
taDce.
If it be true that New England is fur
: ther from perdition and nearer paradise
\ han any other portion of America 1t Is
il owing to the superiority of her public
: schools Horace Mann has done more
e than any other person to elevate the edu
o cational advantages Of New England
: His praise is in all The schools His sys
n tenn of iustruetiCn is almost universally
e adopted The moral atmosphere of Wash
Iington is sure TO spoil the principles OF
some men whom the multitude delight to