Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-11-24
For the Timer.

Inc Dung Men s ASSOCIATION OF Galena,
have engaged the services of ten eminent lee.
turers, to address them this winter"
EDITOR NEwsos:-The above item Of news,
which clip from your neat and interesting
little Daily of Monday, in connection with the
long winter evenings now upon us, suggests
few reflections, for which beg space in your
columns.
The Lecture system is now becoming one
of the most popular modes Of public instruction.
A course Of Lectures, during the long evenings
of winter, has become kind Of necessary
institution" in every village of considerable
Importance in the Eastern, Middle and West
ern States, and there can be no doubt Of its
being "good investment" Of both time and
money. can see no just reason why our citi-
zens cannot reap the benefits and pleasures to
be derived from the Lecture room. 1t is true,
our isolated position in the winter season will
not permit Of an engagement with "profes-
preparation for The winters labor. yet there
is certainly to be found in our midst native
talent enough to entertain and instruct US the
winter through. Let number of our most
talented citizens be engaged, forthwith, each
| to deliver series of Lectures, and my word
for it, crowded house will greet their appear
ance every Lecture evening. AT present our
city cannot boast of single place Of public
and literary instruction, and night after night
may be seen hundreds Of young men lounging
around Hotels and Billiard Saloons who might,
if the proper steps were taken, be allured from
these resorts for vice and idleness.
But leaving your readers to ponder the sug-
gestion, l go on to speak of long evenings
from another point Of view. How can they
be most proftably spent where no literary Or
ganiza,ion exists and where no public Lecturers
are supporteds answer, at HOME, in the Pc
rusal of meritorious books, or in the pursuit of
some useful study. History furnishes US one
of the best storehouses from which to gather
an abundant harvest of KNOWLEDGE Hill
DRErH. BANCROFT, PREscorr and other Anne
rican historical writers should be permitted to
address themselves 10 every American youth,
as they teach him what the continent he lives
OH has been in times past, and furnish him
with the guage which enables him by compar-
ison of the past with the present, to look for
ward to the future OF his country and read its
destiny by observing its onward progress.
have noticed with regret disposition, among
our young men, to devote too much of their
time in reading the light literature of the day,
and total lack of taste or appreciation for
proper course of historical reading -partieu-
lary that portion Of history confined to the
American continent Let American youth be
more thoroughly mbued with American feeling
and sentiment, and more frequently drink from
the pure fountains Of American knowledge,
and not many years will elapse before we, as
nation, will be practically free as we now are
theoretically-free in thought and action, free
from limitations of the frailties of other nations
free from the many servilites that now give us |
an unenviable characteristic. Let every youth |
in the land make it point in his life to become
thoroughly acquainted with the minutest details
in the history of his own country, and then, if |
possible, that Of every other. 1t was this
knowledge that added to the lustre of the name
of LOUIS Kossuru, and gave to his speeches
an historical interest which pleased all classes
and even taught some of our own countrymen
and it is this knowledge which will add to
the lustre of every man in America. whatever
his occupation, or however humble his path In
life.
If the mass Of our youth would thus spend
their winter evenings instead of Willing away
the hours in frivolous amusements or baneful
associations, we might soon be nation as
much superior to what We are at present, as we
are now to all others in the possession of the
ines:imable blessings Of Liberty and Republic
can Institutions. BOREAL.