Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-10-15


law, is to study the Constitution with its
history and in doing this, learn what has
been done for freedom, Or rather how free
dom has been wrought out and secured in
the structure of the government. Freedom
here has, for the first time, been secured by
separating the purse, the sword and the
church from the civil authority; and hence
all are not only freed from military restraint,
but are left to enjoy and exercise whatever
religious faith they may see according
to the common phrase, ''to worship God ac-
cording to the dictates Of their own con-
science" This phrase, though Of such ge-
neral use to express religious freedom, has
been the means of deluding millions Of hu
man beings: for conscience is universally
made the fashioned creature of education,
and consequently every sect thinks it has
the right religious conscience. 1t should
have been-that every one should be allow
ed to worship God as freely as he enjoys the
benefit of Gods creation. Thus, heat is a
portion Of creation, and if dozen men are
standing by fire all are or should be equal
ly the recipients of the heat. This is the
character of free worship; and you may ask,
perhaps, why these remarks? The reason
is obvious. In reading the histories of 9th
er countries you will have observed that one
sect has invariably acquired an ascendency
over all others. and necessarily united itself
to the government, and hence a religious
despotism. Thus, England is Protestant,
while France is Catholic It will require
sleepless vigilance on our part to guard "a
gainst SO sad a catastrophe In this country.
| I have already stated how you should
learn the constitution Of our country; but
you will be greatly aided and instructed by
reading Curtis History Of the Constitution,
the Federalist, and the Commentaries Of
Marshall and Story; and for the purpose of
the simple history alone Of the country, 1
think Bancroft's and fuckers histories will
be enough for you, at least for the present.
Read attentively the biographies OF Wash
ington by Marshall and Irving.
[ have thus sketched, [ know imperfectly,
an outline CT course of reading. I do not
intend to caaEey the idea that you are to
as,-,Gass.se Il ttiris, svl,tsiveiy
should carefully and thoughtfully read other
histories and other works, incidentally -
You ought to make yourself well acquainted
with the Pagan world, and particularly with
the three secondary States-Greece, Rome
and Egypt; and for this purpose, for want
of better, Rollins History will suffice
You ought also to read generally and care
fully, the history of the nations of the
Christian era For this purpose [ think
it likely Sears Pictorial Works will be
sufficient, except for France and Germany,
the two secondary States, and for these
you must search out good histories, for am
not acquainted with any that are really good
From the remarks which have made, do
not intend that you should omit fictitious
works altogether. They. are valuable when
rightly read Those [ have already named
are valuable works for study careful study
and Homer and Shakspeare's works are
most instructive and improving-for I re-
gard the poems of Homer, considering the
age in which they were produced, as the
master production Of the world, and as an
effort of Deity to heave man out Of state Of
barbarism and 1t is not a little singular
that the greatest Grafton and the greatest
4 poem yet produced, are the oldest and of
pagan origin Milton, in his place and of
his kind, is Of intrinsic worth; but Homer
and Shakespeare are more practical and like
to real life; for there are few who can ira
verse the regions of omniscience with Milton
and master mind alone can tread with him
the paths of infnity. Scotts and Kennedy's
these you should read the histories of Scot
land and Maryland. There are others, for
the reading Of which your own taste and
Judgment must direct you. Take good
review and one or two good newspapers and
store your mind with, and permanently with
the facts they contain. Commit to memory
firmly, indelibly, the most interesting and
instructive passages of the authors you read.
Improve, streng gthen and rely sublimely upon
this faculty. It is said there lived an A
thenian who would quote five thousand poems
appropriately and ehectually, under all cir
cumstances; and have read that the Eng
lish historian, Macauley, could read once
and then repeat every word in the London
Times. In committing to memory, do it
perfectly and indelibly, and not imperfectly
and partially. !
In reading, or rather, in studying word
by word and sentence by sentence. any au-
thor, lecture and converse with yourself as
if you had class of students before you
whom you were instructing. Habituate
yourself to think of what you have read or
studied, under all circumstances, whether
you are riding, walking, sitting or lying in
bed before you go to sleep and before you
rise in the morning. Do not initiate or at
tempt to initiate the style of any particular
author This will cnfeeble strong mind
10 f,o1 81 Mt of
Deeply imbue your heart and mind with the
sentiments of your best authors Read the
biography of Demosthencs, the master ora