Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-08-27


less ebb and flow, the meandering stream
let with It's silvery tide, the mountain with
Its cloud capped summit, and the praires,
those natural meadows of the West. the
pl 'cid lake and the toamng cataract are all
eloquent with deeF, irrepressible thought,
and irresist tibly lead the rejecting mind
from the works Of nature, up to nature 5
God.
] Thought is the Illuminating power OF
the mental word; it is the sun from which
all the rays of mental light have been dis
seminated which have blest the world with
It's invlgorating influence from its creation
to the present time; it is the nucleous
around which clusters all the achievements
of the past and from which must emanate
all the Improvements of the future. How
important, then, that in the instruction Of
the youth Of our country, peculiar pains
be taken to direct this powerful engine Of
the mind into It's proper channel; how care
ful ought we to be not to give wrong bi
as to the opening power of the mind, re-
membering that old and just adage, "lust
as the twi g is bent. the tree s inclined;"
and that an error made at such time, NAV
sometimes result in fatal consequences to
the happiness, rot only of the future inti-
vidual, but also to all or many of those
who may associate with him. Remember
that AS steel sharpeneth steel, so the mind
of man awakeneth in the mind of his fel-
bowman. deep thoughts of kindred i'm
port, either high and holy, tending to raise
the spirit upward towards the throne of tie
Eternal, in sweet communion with angelic
choirs; or debasing, resulting in the degra
dation of all the noble attributes. trans
forming that which was at first heavenly
and divine, into fit instrument Of destruc.
iion and moral death; or as Tupper has said
Of the mind:
1T shall regard trees and unconsciou,iv. in sen
arate review,
Embrace lis colors shape and use. whole and in
dividual conceptions;
II shal read or hear of crime, and cast itself into
the commission;
Il shall note generous deed and olov for y mo
mcnt as the d0er;
1t shall ina CINE pride or pleasure treadin.r ON tI,
edges of temptation.
Or heed OF God and of his Christ, and grow trans
formed to glory
Thought, profound. penetrating thought.
Is the great lever by which the mental and
moral universe is to be moved; it is an en-
anation from the spirit of deity; it is of ce-
lestlal origin, and illimilable power. It
was deep. protracted and comprehensive
thought which enabled Sir Isaac Newton
to solve the mysteries that had so long
perpleyed the scientific men of his and
former times, and which enabled him to
demonstrate many important laws of ma
ture; and ultimately we find him measur-
ing the heavenly bodies, computing their
distances from each other, revealing their
motions and successfully graphing with
the profound mysteries of tie vast un-
known.
Yes, there is power in silent, unobtru-
sive thought. as when the awakened geni-
us relires within the secret chamber OF the
soul. and there meditates upon the history
of the past, and communes with Reason.
Justice, and Liberty; then comes forth into
active LIE as did Demosthenes and Cicero.
and startle the world with their soul-stir
ring, l'fcsiving eloqucnce. It's power may
also be seen in the works of those authors.
whose productions are abundantly laden
with the rich gems of immortal thought.
whose bright coinage stir' with a magic
power, the deep fountains of the human
soul, and calls up answering responses from
every heart. Who can peruse the writings
OF such men as Locke, Milton, Newton.
Cowper, Chaucer, Burns, Dick, or our own
Irving or Mitchell, without feeling his soul
thrill and expand as he follows through the
labyrnths of scientific research, or dwers
VII" pecuiEtr deliSht upon their poetic inn
agery?
To him who is of contemplative turn
of mind, Nature is ever constant teach
er. She presents to his mind a PLEASING
variety of objects. each If which may
serve an important part in disciplining the
mind. lie watches with inward Joy all her
varied changes, and whether amid the
thunder's mighty crash and the lightnino's
urid glare, or gazing upon the calm.
peaceful sunset of genial Spring, bright
Summer, golden Autumn, or stern Winter
he is continually finding something to ad-
mirc. something iom which to draw less.
ons of wisdom, something to awaken in
his mind the latent powers of thought, and
cali them forth into vigorous, healthful ac-
ton. If he looks upward towards the blue
heavens above him he sees. far away in the
infinitv of en-. % povr;aJS oc hr;,.It CHI,