Washington telegraph., 1856-10-08

render its requirement imperative upon
him, which l shall be led to advert to, in
considering the advantages to be derived
from it. And now to speak of these ad-
vantages.
There is no excellence without labor,
and in all labor there is profit Consider
the intimate relation which exists between
mind and matter, between cause and eff
feet, and we perceive at once how abso-
lutely dependeet practical results are, up
on a proper preparation and application of
the means used to produce them. And
we must judge of the value of those means
by the results accruing therefrom. Thus,
Education being great means given to
us for the accomplishment of certain pur-
poses, we must lo.k to the manner in
which it accomplishe these purposes, when
we would learn its tue value
To speak first of is practical results, its
material advantages 1t shapes, it forms
the mind it gives the mind power to con-
ceive; it endows it With capacity to act,
and out of the cruCb elements of matter,
to originate and c,mplete all the great
works of Science and Art, and all other
forms of labor which adorn and enrich
our land. BY its ait, through the opera
ton of its influence all difficulties are
overcome, all problem. solved, ali that ap-
pears strange is made plain the lore of
past ages and the learning of the present
is given into the keepng and to the use
of man. 1t teaches tie sailor to thread
his pathless course over the trackless sea !;
| it guides the seeker aftcr treasure through
the hidden mines of eaIth-it unfolds the
secret and mysterious workings of the uni
verse-it leads the astronomer through
yonder illimitable vault, and displays to
his enraptured gaze the wonderful workings
not made with hands, which make the
night beautiful and lend unutterable glo-
rIes to the day. 1t leads The student with
gentle hand through the fowery wales
made classic by the song of immortal
bards, and guides his dim eye ard falter-
ing footstep along the paths which were
travelled by the mighty men of Ed, and
through the halls which once were vocal
with the eloquence of those who live only
in the storied page Its power recreates
and reproduces all that was wonderful, all
that was worthy, all that was sublime in
that mysterious realm-the Past. And it
qualities, as [ have said before, man for
action in this present world 1t prepares
him for usefulness 1t makes-aye,
makes the mechanic, the artisan, the mer-
chant, the professional man, the Philoso-
pher, the Poet, the Historian and theRev-
erend Divine 1t is true that certain de-
gree of success may be achieved, and very
often is achieved, in the different depart
ments of Life's business, By the ignorant !;
but the world should become impressed with
the fact, that the day when such men
shall triumph over the tutelary genius of
these halls, is passing away and we in
this day and generation should become
alive to the importance of fastening the
consummation of the final overthrow OF
Ignorance, the dethrming of her base idols
and the substitution of the light of the
sun of knowledge for the more than Cim-
merian gloom in which she hugs her folds
of darkness. And this, my hearers, leads
me to consider briefly the moral, the spir-
itual advantages to be derived from an
Education. Even if | were worthy and
competent to touch upon This theme, it is
so vast, so illimitably vast, so comprehen-
sive, so solemn, that 1 should utterly fail
of setting forth its importance. Living
as We do in a gospel land, il being our
blessed privilege to sit under the sound OF
the glad tidings, we cannot fail to perceive
the peculiar necessity which is imposed
upon us, of fostering every means By
which we can contribute to an intelligent
understanding and proper appreciation Of
this inestimable privilege. Education
should be regarded and used as mos
efficient means for preparing the mind fol
the reception of those divine truths, with
out obedience to which, without submis
sion to which, without love and reverence
for which, no mans life can be happy
without obedience to which, it matters no
if we obey the moral and social law
without submission to which, it is in vain
to walk meekly and lowly in this life
without love and reverence for which, W,
but idly lavish all the wealth of our affec
tions on all beside For, Education enlight
ems the mind it fits it for the reception
of truth it enlarges the mind and fits i
for the comprehension of all that can b
known of mystery; it elevates the mint
and fits it for communion with higher an
holier things than earth affords. 1t be