Arkansas intelligencer., 1857-03-27
For the hteiiigencer.
Travels thror gh the Mind No. Q.

this series, | a'-aTpted with what success l
know not. to exemphfy the ruinous conse-
Quences attendant upon a devotion TO trashy
htera'urc and the consequent production q
morbid and diseased imagnatlon. Grant
ing 4 -t ezyml li5catiOn true, we can but be
81 Led and impressed with PITY for The con-
,Sition into which it forces our nogiesc quality
OF mind-reasor. W zee that it Is weaken
ed, degraded from its original work and mag
pi6cence, and finally compelled to resign Its
throne TO the passions and to Imagination
who. deceived in their Wanted strength, in
duce an anarchy of mind with all its attend
ant evils, a state of things to be deeply de-
plored, yet we are at loss to determine
whether it is more deplorable than total
neglect Of the cultivation of the mind.
Travelling through the neglected mind, we
are astoundcd at the effect produced by an
absence of all care and attention. Around
the palace of reason twines the cinging ivy
encircling with its serpentine folds the proud
fabric which should stand out in grand relief,
and announcing, unmistakably the desolatiOn
Of the fair realm Of mind. But this is not
the de-ulation caused oy a misdirected talent
or quality, but that which follows so surely
in the train Of evils which accompany pit
liable negligence. Total i"oct'oa is equally
as dangerous as misdirected action. In the
state of this kingdom which We are travcrsng
We see the effects of negligence, in the rank
weeds which overgrow the virgin soil of IA
realm capable OF being made most lovely and
beautiful. imaginatuns beautiful temple, is
almost in ruins, a few traces Of pristine splen-
dor shining through the windng-sh Of de-
ISOLATION. Imagination itself, bereit of its
dcwny Iiuions, was never conscious of flight
The passions ever strong in ignorance, are the
most potent citizens Of the realm. They
know no bonds-they have never felt tet-
ter, unbridled they rush wheresoever they
will The least excitement calls them from
their abiding place, and attended with their
chieftain, prejudice, they ravage at pleasure
the worthless fields of their kingdom. Rea-
son caurot control, cannot so much check
them, they rush onward until they satate
themselves or destroy their possessor. Ever
on the alert for mischief they are instrument
al in engendering party strife, domestic infe-
lcity. cllicanerv, war, Jloodshed. They stir
strife between brother and brother, father
AMI son; they deform vir,Le and promote vice:
:hey d-oaiye the Goil, and bring grace
upon the cha.e'- They urge their io~sessor
TO I've his hand in the crimson current which
flows in tho veins of his dearest friend; they
urZe A..h on L. ia,5 .s., deceit. crime a.d
infdelity; they cause him to d,tsne himself
and bias .gmc hi, God These are some
'-- evils Of ignorance, taken "a. ran a3 Gom
the long catalogue Of shameful ,.ce. When
We glance a, tuls .c-ure we blush for our
species and turn with horror f.y the -uo-
ject. Yet none Of us dare deny that the pas
sions Of an ignorant man will lead to all these
and many more of the same kind Oh, how
we should battle with the tide of ignorance
wheE We see TO what an end it is bearing its
victim. We know that our country has pro-
duced Goethe, aSchlosser, and many more
worthy of imitation, yet we should reflect
however painful the reflection may be, upon
the thousands We are in the darkness Of ig-
norance and superstition. Dark clouds Of in
fidelity hang like curse over our :air land
caused by ignorance alone. Those who would
disPeI the one must di>sipate the other. The
one Is the effect, the other the cause, destroy
the cause, the effect will no longer exist
We see the followers of the beloved Luther
striving hard for eternal glory, yet We see
the passions OF some men uucurbed by edu-
cation urging them to tear down the barriers
which virtue ercci~, and rus IA impetupu-ly
over them and cast themselves headloug into
every degrading vice. Ignorance and vice
the twin curses Of a nation. How Is il
possible that can live on and see our land
thus threatened, and knowing how, viii not
attempt to eradicate the evil.
1t is very certain that if ignorance be not
opposed it will increase. and that but little
e1er,ion IN opposition 30 it will stop its ca
reer. Let us all then strive to drive from our
midst the plague that desolates our fair land,
that bathes it in blood, and makes it the
haunt of inidelity and atheism. The igno
rant can be imposed on and made to believe
almost anything, and designing men will
urge them 10 believe in the non existence
OF Great First Spirit cause, and thus whilst
Ignorance lasts. infdelity will prosper.
Let the youth then learn lesson from this
story of the uncultiYated mind, and let him
labor for a cultivated mind. Let him remem-
Der the state Of mind depicted in the former
chapter and avoid SYlla. vet heware OF Cari