Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-12-09
The Lyeeaa.

The lecture last Tuesday evening was
BY Rev. J. K. FuLLEs. on Mental CuI-
ture," md in character snd delivery it ful
y sustained The interest already created
in the pa.roBs Of this association. The
lecturer was without msnuscript, or even
notes Of reference. yet the ease and ilusn.
cy with which y spoke, and the syuDem
and order which characterized bis dis
course, evinced that his subject hsd been
thoroughly studied and bis arrangements
fully matured. The ordinary fault of ex.
temporaneous sddresses--redundancy of
languags--wss carefully avoided, while
the freedom from al that restraint impos
ed BY written lectures, enabled the speak
er to avail himself of that feryid, forcible
and energetic style which characterizes
all his efforts as public speaker. The
lecture was we'll delivered, and was replete
with instructive hints and logical conclu-
sions. a ......
The power of the human mind and the
necessity for intellectual development to
enable us to comprehend the wisdom and
benefcence manifes ted in all the varied
works Of creation that are unfolded to our
gaze, was forcibly and eloquently present
ed. The mental drones that are content
with mcse animal existence, totally oh.
livions to the most elevating and delight.
full enjoyments that kind Providence has
provided as . reward for industry and
mental effort were .ru,hfully portrayed in
their career of vice and sensualism to
terminus Of misery and despair.
1t was maintained that the generally re-
ceived opinion that the study Of mathe.
mates is essential to the discipline of the
mind is an erroneous one, and that Of all
other departments Of learning, this, beyond
certain practical point, is the least cal
culated to impart enlarged, comprehensive
and really useful power Of thought to the
student; and that the literary mania for
acquiring a knowledge of the dead Lam
suages. and the fashionable notion that
the student must devote years in decypher.
ing Homer's Had and the Eread of Virgil
in order to merit the name Of being class
ical, is an error involving too much loss OF
time to be passed by as unimportant.
1t gas argued ,hst education should be
moral as well as mental-that the great
object of the teacher should be to impress
with force upon the mind of the student
that he has been endowed by his Creator
with powers of intellect to enable him to
accomplish something tina. will tend to the
elevation Of man, and the promotion of
that which is good and useful, and that he
will have but poorly accomplished his mis-
sion If at the close nf his career he can
point to 10 results that promise to he of
some value to those who NAV succeed him.
That the chief end should be 10 teach the
student to think, and to thi.k correctly, re-
lying on bis own nh erent intellectual DOW.
ers. rather than TO spend bis time ~ seek
ing the opinions of those who long since
passed from the stage of ac,ion-tha,
there should he more originality OF III uyht
and conce piiDn--,hat the goal should be
something higher and beyond the attain.
ment Of our predecessors, rather than sim.
ply pursuing beaten track, content if we
succeed IN attainin, an eminence already
occupied. The diseoverer after hidden
treasures has but q slight prospect Of sue
cess il he limits his explorations to fields
already thoroughly examined He will
acquire knowledge of the past sufficient
to give direction to his energies, and will
then strike into new and untried fields
So 10 knowledge. if we would make new
discoveries, that are to note our progress
in everything that tends to elevate US in
the scale of being. our system Of mental
culture must be suca one as will tend to
the discovery and calculation of new truths
and principles.
The important and responsible duties Of
tho prae'iea' teacher, were dwelt upon
with much force. It was maintained that
upon the proper discharge of the high trust
committed to them was dependent all our
future hopes az na,ion--'hat upon them
depended to great extent the moral as
well as mental standing Of our successors
that they are to mould the plastic m nas.
and give character to our future presidents
and law.makers-,bat they are now stamp
ing the impress that is to give tone. senti-
ment and character to the rising generation.
These important duties involved recipro
cal obligations upon the part of the pub.
lie towards teachers which are too often
neglected. For their arduous and cease
less lahors they merit an adequate com
pensation, and are entitled to the aid, con
fdence and sympathy of all.
The concluding part of the lecture was
devoted to q consideration of the litera-
ture Of the day, large share of which it
was maintained is sadly deficient in those
qualities which are calculated to aid in
either mental or moral culture. The lee
turer was unsparing in his excoriation of
those moral lepers who are flooding the
country and poisoning the youthful mind
with demoralzing romances, which aspire
TO the dignity Of literature; and conclu-
ded BY an earnest appeal to the youthful
portion Of his audience to avoid the PERM.
cious habit Of novel reading, ~ they would
a void into m nara ma oe anu afIn. Ia. IL.