Washington telegraph., 1856-10-08

the body polite, the necessity of acquir-
ing an Education becomes apparent, not
the less forcibly does this necessity impress
itself upon our mind, when considered
with respect to ourselves, as integral parts
of the diverse and complicated system of a
well organized society.
So rapid, within the space of compar-
itively short period of time, has been the
advancement of the arts and sciences, so
universally diffused has become the ac-
quaintance OF the Eaa 'ar nind, with the
various branches of knowledge that the
individual, who at this day, starts out with
the hope of succeeding in the great con-
flict of life, finds it absolutely imperative
upon him, to possess in some degree an
understanding of the various branches OF
human learning.
Glance at the record of our own land for
three quarters of a century; for with our
own land, Its pride, Its honor and Its glory,
we have, as American men and American
women, particularly to do. Look at the
mighty changes, which time and the labor
of man, aided by that power which cometh
from on high, have wrought within the
confines of this fair and noble realm
Think how-within the memory of living
men, the silence of the primeval forest,
was broken only by the war-whoop of the
savage, or the velvety tread of the antler-
ed monarch of the wild, as he lightly boun-
ded thr ough the woody aisles, which the
God of nature gave him for home, Or
it may be the song of the wild bird, floafed
out in musical joy upon the winds of Sum-
mer, or the voice of some dusky warrior as
he told his tale of passion, in that Ian
guage, which is coeval with time, and
whose perfect use we shall learn only in
the spheres above, is heard above the rip
pie of the waters, that murmur at his feet.
The shout of the warrior is silent now !;
the shrek of the iron horse bushes the
last lingering echo of that sound of dread.
The old time monarchs of the woody glen,
have fallen before the flash of the hunters
rifle, and the fail and axe fling out their
CHEEKY strokes upon the air, that is bur-
dened with the welcome sounds which
make music sweeter than the song of wild
bird, around the homes of the tillcr of the
soil But greater far than these things
Cities have arisen upon the plains, or
crown the summit of the hills upon which
once fared the council fires of the Red Man.
Towns and villages surround US, and in
them and in the pursuits of the busy thous-
ands who toll therein for the perishable
wealth of this world, are we to look for the
more immediate results of the operation of
the great cause which toni ght engages our
attention Enter the crowded mart and
we behold how Science, born of, and fos:
tered by, the subject of our theme, has,
..IIewu the shaft and lain the architravc,
And framed the roof above them, -
and reared up glorious temples to the
living God, where man
MAY bow down, aud offer to the mightiesi
Thanks and supplication-"
Proud towers lift up their sun-kissed tops
to commemorate heroic deeds, s,-noble edi-
fees are reared and dedicated to the use
of learning,-commerce builds up hel
store-houses, and art Gccorates and adOrns
the palaces of the rich. Our ears are
greeted with unused sounds. The clatteI
of the loom. the clank of the machine
shop, the rush and roar of the factory, all
give evidence of the operation of the
power of the intelligence of man over the
inert and inexhaustible elements of mat
ter, which intelligence, unaided BY the de
veloping power of Education, would be
powerless to apply the principles which
produce these great results
Yes. From the leafy gloom of an im-
penetrable wilderness has arisen mighty
realm, where Art and Science meet in
friendly embrace with Education and
form an indestructible arch, upon which
the superstructure of cur future Glory
as nation must be built. And this is
the result of Education,- result OF
giving into the hands Of the people the
power to act
Looking then to the results to which !
have just briefly adverted, the necessity
for acquiring an Education becomes al
once apparent For without the posses
sion of this treasure man becomes, to a
very great degree, unfit to engage actively
in the ennobling duties of life of labor
and sinks at once into the condition of {
serf, or relapses into semi-barbarism, ant
gathering around him the shades of the
niGht of ignorance, is lost to himself an6
to that world to which he owes the duty
of life of action
But have as yet spoken only of tn,
material necessity to man, of an Educa