Washington telegraph., 1855-08-29
Education.

articles on this Supject, tHe uuty Oi Tue
patriot and phiIanthropist to extend liberal
patronage to literary institutions, we ap-
peal. to-day, to the christian, and shall
attempt TO evince his duty from con-
sideration of the dignity Of the human mind.
Its dignity may be considered in refer
ence to its origin, capacity, and immor-
tality.
The dignity of the mind is taught on
the very first page of authentic history.
The Bible informs US that the physical
man was formed out of the dust Of the
earth. but that the psychological man was
an emanation of Divinity himself. The
body, previous to The Divine infatus. was
nothing more than mass of insentient
organized matter but when Divinity breath
ed into his nostrils, man became a living
soul-h physical passivity was overcome.
the vital fluid, propelled by quite small
apparatus, began to circulate through eve
ry portion Of the system giving it vitality
and motion.
Originally the mind of man was an i'm
age of the divine mind LET us make
man in our own image This cannot be
understood of the body, for COP is a spir-
it, and cannot, therefore, be limited by
parts. He can have no cor
poral organization after the similitude of
which he formed the body of man. The
expression must be predicated of the mind
and certainly invests it with peculiar dig
nity-springing from and partaking of the
character of the divine mind, it could have
no imperfections. 1t was capacitated, per-
haps, to look ont with thrilling delight,
upon the illimitable Universe, undimmed
by a single cloud-to receive within its
comprehensive grasp, the heavens adorn-
ed with, and Illuminated by, innumerable
revolving worlds.-the green earth, with
its infinitely diversified productions, its
widespread and glowing landscapes,-its
mountain scenery of terrific grandeur, and
its oceans of dark blue waves Thus
was man originally-but now how fallen
yet, in his fall still exhibiting extraordin-
ary capabilities. To restore as far as may
be, this primitive excellency-to remove
the shadows of dim eclipse which have
fallen upon it. darkening all its faculties
is the appropriate office of education.-
In seeking to gather up something of his
original inheritance-to recover something
of his primitive excellency, man is but
conforming to the chief end of his being.
and the benevolent design Of his maker,
for we cannot, for a moment, suppose that
Infinite Goodness intended man should re-
main in a state of mental imbecility.-
Had such been his design, he would have
divested the mysterious thinking princi-
! pie of its Unsuitable thirst for knowledge.
! An eager curiosity to kaou is distin-
gushing characteristic in man. The au-
thor of his being has not stimulated him
with restless curiosity to knoiO, without
intending its qualification. He has plac-
/ ed him upon a theatre sufficiently extend
ed in which to exercise his faculties
! He has filed the external world with eau
ses and influences which are ever excl
ting and prompting man to send his mind
out on the wing Of exploration. He has
/ spread around him a wide and boundless
prospect, clothed in beauty, in loveliness
and sublimity, TO allure him onward in
The pathway of knowledge. Nor has man
been an idle spectator of the scene. He
I has sent his spirit forth, a conqueror over
matter-demonstrated the laws which bind
in one harmonious sisterhood systems Of
worlds-inyented method of analysis
and, in the laboratory, compelled nature
I to reveal her more secret processes-seiz
ed upon the light Of heaven and made ii
minister to reveal to the worlds whence
it came-called eloquence into being
expressed his poetical ideas in flowing
numbers-perfected music into sound
dipped his pencil in the colors of heaven,
and initiated every form of life. Thus
with his magic wand, has he lifted clouds
and shadows from the face of nature, and
revealed a lovely panorama of things'beauti-
! full and sublime. These are the trophies
of man, but it may be that he has just
entered the vestibule,-the confines oi
! knowledg dge-and that still greater achieve
ments may lie in the future. New pros
poets are still opening upon the minds
vision, and inviting it to pursue the work
of its own improvement, till transplant
ed to higher and nobler sphere of ac-
! ton.
We have thus noticed the dignity Of
mind in reference to Its origin and ca
pacity. 1t will further appear from a con-
I sideration of irS Immortality Re;D1 i'm,