Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-11-14
The Character rofErnnkIin.

The example OF Franklin is invaluable as tri-
nmph OF self culture. His name not only an
honorable passport among the learned, but an
endeared watchword 10 the humble. The low-
est laborer Of the undisingushed multitude
claims part in his fame, as well as the great
discOverer of the regal patron. Never dawned a
self reliant character more Opportuney on the
world at home, illustrating TO a new country
what perseverance. honesty observation aud wis
dom can effect with the most limited resources (;
abroad. proving to the ancient regime how indie
pendent q genuine man may be of courts. acade.
mics and luxury both the most requisite lessons
for which humanity thirsted, and both enforced
with an attractive cander, gracious consistency,
modest resolution, which no argument could al
tain and no rhetoric enhance.
Let us glance at the variety of subjects identi-
fed with human welfare and apart from political
interests, which. from first to last, employed his
mind and elected either sagacious conjectures or
positive suggestions The causes Of earthquakes
and the art of printing the circulation of the
blood and the cultivation Of grasses; theory of
light and the treatment of fevers, the manufac.
ture Of salt by evaporation and the arrangement
Of musical glasses. q remedy for smoky chimnies
aud the tendency of rivers TO the sea, husbundry
and fire places, magnetism and water spouts the
effect Of oil on water. meieorology, the aurora
bOrpalis. toAds, balloOus thermometers, and ven
tilation. lie searches opt the mossy inscriptions
on the grave stones of his ancestors in Northamp.
tonshire, and acquires proficiency in foreign
language after sixty. He is one Of commission
France, aud to protect st. Pau's from lightning
in London. lie could watch shooting star,
glance at a metallic crystal. behold the flush of
sunset clouds or the hectic on an invalid cheek
feel the impulse of the tide the greeting of the
wind. examine a proposed law Of state or a veg
rtable product OF the earth. hear beetle hum or
feel quiverng pulse gaze on petrifcaton or
a type, converse with stranger or meet com
mittce, draft plan or look at a machine. without
feeling a plea Of causaliy, striving to trace
the origin of effects, and to infer law ap-
plcable to the wants Of his race, or the elucida-
ton of truth. No experiment was too nsignif-
cant for his philosophy. no task TOO humble for
his patriotism. Open his correspondence at ran
dom here you find precautionary hints for
voyage; there sketch OF an English school; now
observations on maize, and again remarks on pa
per currency to-day and be draws up plan OF
union for the Colonies, tomorrow dialogue with
the Gout at one time he iuvents a letter from
China and at another counses the settler beyond
the Alleghauies. Commerce moment aud o
jeu deSErit the next advice to n Yankee trades
man and bagatelle for Partisan lady, seem
equally c0ngenial themes; State paper and a
proverb, allcgory and statistics the way to save
money and thu way to form government an
article for the Busy Body fable for the Alma
nae. and cptaph for hmself,-heath. finance
natural history, the story Of The Whistle "a
theory of watcT-spots, and Cool Thoughts on
Public Affairs. alternately occupy his pen and
to determine how man valuable precedents were
established. what useful principles were realized
and what impulse was gwen TO individual minds
and to social progress by his en ghtening activ-
ity, were as hopeless a task as to define the re-
sp, ctive influence Of the elements in fructifica-
tion. He benigny and opportunely scattered tbs
seeds of popular knowledge and of experimental
science they took root in the virgin soil Of
new civilization aud the tiller Of the earth the
reader Of the newspaper, the frugal house wife,
the public spirited citizen. the aspiring mechanic
the honest tradesmAn. the legislator, the of
science, the worker, thinker, companion, writer
the banicd and the novice, the adventurous and
truth eking OF Anne rica caught gtams of wis
dom, warnings of prudence, perceptions of law,
moral aud physical, from Franklin, which gave
them clue OF prosperity aud q motive to cul-
ture.-N. 4. ReUiew.