St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-01-01

youthful mind to the .attainment o
that moral excellence, from :whicl
springs every thing "puA '!gels apd
of good report"
BY all means let Ms strive .to.at,ni
hilate ignorance V'9i.l ignorance vic,
is closely connected, and in such ;
country as our own, the connection i:
fatal to freedom. knowledge open.
sources Of pleasure which the igno
rant can never know,-the pursuit o
it fills up every idle hour-opens t,
the mind a constant source of occupa
tion-wakes up the slumbering pow
ers--gives the secret contest victory
and unveils to our astonishment idea
worlds,-securcs us from temptation
and sensuality, and exalts us in the
scale of human being. ... ....,....
When | pass by a grog-shop, chap
PLY such are becoming scarce, and
hear the idle dispute, and the obscene
song-when | see the carriage roll
along, filled with intoxicated youth,
singing and shouting as they so, can
but ask Were these people ever
taught to read ?-was there no social
library to which they could have ac-
cess did they ever know the calm
satisfaction of taking an improving
volume and reading it by peaceful
freside =? Oh I! did they ever taste
the luxury of improving the mind
You hardly ever knew the young man
who loved his home and his book that
was vicious. knowledge is often the
poor mans wealth. 1t is q treasure
that no thief can steal-no moth nol
rust can corrupt. By it you turn his
cottage to a palace, and you give him
a treasure that is always improving
and can never he lost. ...
The poor man," says distinguish.
ed writer, "who has gained a taste
for books, will, in all likelihood, be,
come thoughtful and when you have
given the poor habit of thinking,
you have conferred on them a much
greater favor than by the gift of a
large sum of money {; sine" you have
put in their possession the principle of
all legitimate prosperity" Nor is it
to the poor alone that this remark APP
plies. The rich need edoccupation-their
hearts are often like seas, which stag
nate under breathloss atmosphere,
and putrefy for the want of wave.
Employment, reused by some noble Oh,
ject, is the secret of happiness.
| x X
We now turn our attention to an
other very important consideration
regarding the literature Of our coun
try,-thc abuses of the liberty of the
press /! We have daily, and weekly,
and monthly, and quarterly journals,
which, with far too few exceptions,
are entirely venal Not one writer in
a hundred ventures if he be SO dis
posed, to express his true sentiments
with regard to persons. measures, pol
itics, or literature. The vilest books
are lauded to the skies, if they happen
to be written by q personal friend or
political partizan Of the reviewer, and
the best books are ridiculcd, if they
make their appearance with nothing
but the name of rival or political op-
ponent as their author. The most out
ragcous libcls are published, not only
without shame on the part of the au-
thors, but, what is infinitely worse,
without being followed by disgrace.
A man who is notorious for uttering
falschoods and publishing the vilcst
scandal, in the paper which is under
his control, may nevertheless be add
mitted on terms of civility among the
editorial corps, and be allowed to take
to himself the title of gentleman
Nay, the man who carps at the best
men in community, and uses every OPP
portunity to give secret stab to their
reputation, may be set up as candi-
date for some important Office, and
people may be found in this cnliShtcn-
ed community, sufficiently corrupt to
give him their votes. The good peo,
pie among our citizens know all this,
but they set themselves aside, and
take no pains to reform an evil which
they imagine has grown beyond the
reach of the axe or pruning knife.
The critics department of the pub
lie press is the most ridiculous, if not
the most scurrilous, of all departments.
Nothing is SO mean, but it may obtain
a puff from the majority of editors,
from Maine to California Thousands
are too ignorant and imbecile to dis
tinguish between the meritorious and
the ccnsurable and the remainder,
with some rare and honorable cxcep-
tons, are governed more by interest
and caprice, than by any principle OF
taste, in condemning, or recommending
the subject of their criticisms. Many
of our good citizens know all these
facts but supposing themselves in a
small minority, they think it imprudent
to attempt to stem current which
may overwhclm them with mud and
filth ! ~ st " l'H
The time is come when the moral
portion Of the community should as
sociate together, and resolve that they
will no longer patronize indecency,
falsehood, and scurrility. knavcs OF
all denominations are always active
and vigilant and if the friends Of JUS
tice, morality, decency, and good
taste, allow themselves to slumber, ev'