M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-02-21

disch,rged their duty, by selecting
Subjects ofIhe highest Importance, and !
suehls have given scopeto the mental
Tenerges ofthe ableSt and most praliced |
debaIis, that all claases have been pro- |
fted and better prepared for Usefulness
in society. nt.
! imagine that all who have listened
to The debates Of our society, and who
feel an interest in common with us, are
Igratifed in having witnessed the. rapid
progress made BY young men who have
availld themselves Of the opportunity
of Improvement thus offered and al.
though they are few in number, aud
tlsbortd under all the cnbarrassnlents
common to the uninithted, possessing
es;,iss and refined nlnds--ye the IN
teIlecsual Improvement they nov deyel,
op, compared with fret efforts are a
praiseworthy and uherring precedent for
the encouragement Of olhers, and con.
vinees the most skeptical tha. practice
and perseverance will overcome all ob-
stscIes that frequently in.erspersss tie
path OF the devoted aspirantl TO fame.
Allow me, Ladies and Gentleman,
on the present occasion to adysr. briefly
to the several Lectures with uk.ch our
society has beeen favored, by Messrs.
N. Westerman: +. p. Hall, L Hol.
land; I, R. Stanley; G. p. Taylor; E.
F. Bingham; o, T. Cunning, and T..
| w. Stanley, all Of which exhibited a
thigh order of literary aud scientific at
tainmeats, aud ertitle ;l,eir respective
authors 70 the thanks and lasting graft,
tude Of the society.
| In ta6ecting upon the past history
and future prospects of our association,
nothing affords me more pleasure than
the assurance that | for once, at least,
was right in recommending to you the
admission Of ladies to membership,
which suggestion was heartily concunet
to by all the members Of our society
and Of which provision / am happy tc
know o number OF ladies have availeC
them selves, thereby giving encourage.
ment andcountnnance to our institution
The thanks of the society is j Justly due
TO the fair unknown contributors who
. have favored as with several interest,
, ing essays and lfee fully attic ized fol
and in behalf Of this association, again
!, to call the attention ofthe ladies to the
fact that their contributions will ado
interest to the exercise OF the soci ETY.,
= and be gratefully appreciated.
And &c we are associated tog ether fol
the Highland laudabls purpose of i'm,
proving our mental fac culties, and enhan
ciug our intellectual pleasures, allow
e ms TO show how great and paramount
= an accession OF pleasure is derived
e through the medium of the intele tua
n faculties. There is resulting fro m the
e intellectual faculties operating upon
the senses. .one special effect that should
attract general observation. The supe ri
Tor faculties transcend the inferior or
subordinate in 80 positive a manner as
: to constitute than absolutely new en-.
y dowments. To make this asseyeration
: self-evident. we have only 10 remark
: the sudden! efectsd,As though
o in the very nature Of sensation, the in.
i stantit is combined with any intellec.
d iual operation, as impTessively exPm-
e pIified in the anlipodes. between the
intellectual conception OF beauty and
!. the mere perception of sense. The pic
a turesque scores OF hills with their gen
Ile undulstions that encircle magnihcen
: wales, the deep shade Cf trees that stand
II in groups at their base, s1ten.
j ding lis dark yet diversified outline far
i up the sides OF others, the prancing yet
+ soft light ever aud anon bril- 'iantly
J. presenting thousand changing hues OF
j. green all over the vast meadows, and
!. csreering in sporlive msnner upon the
+. upland follows; the inlerspersing cease
less motion of the gorgeous clouds, the
periumed air. the ever varying melod les
), Uf the feathered tribe, the inspiring
> music, the winds af Heaven, create in
= the trembling foliage OF the tall pines
y that frs! proud represe ntstion of Etern
: Isltruth, the sun in the armament, the
n atmosphere we inbale, the mounta ins,
n The groves the dense forests, and the
o sounds that issue there from, make an
j. impression upon the senses even Of those
|. anilnals that subsist around about the m
|, but upon their senses they fall with d
q leaden monotonous effect. engendering
y 40 taste of the intellectual pleasures S
they are calculated TO produce. Neither
dOessny species Of humanity, whose
mental faculties have been uncultiva.
o led feel imbued with any new emotions
or ideas, The unlettered rustic, the
d p!odding boor sees, hears. nor feels
: them any more than does the soulless
! creeping brutes, that require his unre n,
). ittiug care, but to the cultivated intel.
/ lect, the expended mind, how innumer
: able and diversified are the feliciiuus
Impressions, how beautiful the com.
4 blnatiohs, how trsnscendant The emo.
! tions of pleasures such objects invatia.
bly, engeuder'
II Again by untainte1 Intellectual op,rs
lions we derive the mobiles, felicity man
is capable of realizing, TO- wit: from
: memory, assifcatious. com bination,
CON paIison, analysis and inducIions,
: aside from the exquisite pleasure expet
/ fenced from the investiga tion of nstur
al phenomena, when be attains to y