Arkansas intelligencer., 1858-06-04
Book Worship,
Watch Tower, May &c, SO.

authors Is the lnseparaois companion W iSno
rance. However absurd principle may be,
it needs only to be promulgated by an auth
or Of some reputation, j, order to insure the
unqualified acquiescenceand servile obedience
of the mind partly and neagerlY educated--
4 Learned ignorance IS the inevitable result
of little learning. A mere taste of the
sparkling fountain of knowledge seldom fails
to induce the popular disease of the big head.
1t fills the mind with ideas Of great self inn
portance, and seldom fails to produce fit
subject for ridicule i not contempt. The
man thus enlightened by a aglimmering taper
of wisdom, is conscious of no excellence in
surrounding personagss, but let him tilch an
idea from an author and he at once pronoun-
ces il literary sedition, to deny the truth and
soundess of that idea. lie is wholly inca
pable Of concerning how it is possible for one
who is not an author, to detect anything in
this dea that can in anywise dstract from its
truth or disturb its foundation. lie never al
lows himself to reflect upon the merits of IN
author; he never eneavors to detect flaw in
his reasoning, and seldom tries to it by the
test of common sense. Hence he often falls
into the most absurd and even ridiculous be-
liefs and opinions, merely from serviliy to
the trade of authorship, and the consequen,
want Of one reflection, that the mind is the
noblest and highest gift Of our maker. No
one will for a moment deny and that the ls-
gitimate offspring Of this dsitio aud eternal
essence, is worthy Of all reverence and praise
is equally true, but it is only ths foolish aad
Ignorant who bow with Leathcnish devotion
to every dictum. 1t is singular fact, but
yet true one, that these mind worshippers
are seldom found to adore ora! truths; they
wish tho compositors, the book binder and
Publisher, all to handle it before they can feel
that it is an eternal principle; it must, in
word, be IN book, in ordsr to draw from
them its merited praise. This peculiar fea-
ture of this worship may be attributed to a
principle of human nature, by WHICH VIC are
led to magnify the Importance Of objects at
distance. learlessly assert that there never
was an iIlustrious statesman, poet, divine or
philosopher, whose importance in our eyes
would not be Deprecated by an intimate ac-
Guaintance. This j. an undenable principle
of our nature. to this may in part be attr;bu.
ted the existrnce Of book worship. ! say in
part, for it cannot be the entire cause Ilu-
man nature is the same in the educated or
ignorant; we seldom find the former accept
ing without doubt, the ideas or arguments
Of an author, bat nearly Invariably do we
invariably find the latter swallowing them,
nonsense ard all at a gulp. Hence much
must be attributed 10 the mental capacity and
improvement of the individual. Indeed il;
may be said that all is to be attributed TO the
judment and information Of the man. No
better or more conclusive evidence, therefore.
is desired in order to fix the charge of igno
rance or imbecility upon an individual, than
his seryie acceptance and unrebecting advo
cacy of a principle, merely because it is laid
down by some popular or reputable author.
This foolish worship is founded Eron tie in
psrfections of early education. Railroads,
tolegraph', &c, are manifesting miracu lou:
influence upon the spirit OF the age. Fast
men, fast boys and girls are so common, tha.
real sound minded healthy country lass of
thirty years ago would be curiosity inded.
Just imagine the contrast produced by her
attcnuated wardrobe, when paraded along
do fho
OF a belle of this age 1t would forcibly re-
mind one of hay stack promeaadpg with
Its pole beside it! people would be fast in
nothing but dress and habits, we might feel
more at ease, Tor in course Of time they may
get tired Of this frippery in dress and disgust
ell at their habits and lay both aside. But
the impulse communicated to tho mind is
more alarming. The old fashioned country
school with its 3 k-e :, its active transitive
verb, its four divisions of arithmetic. is re.
membered now as one of the folie. of our
ignorant ancestors, which We pity but never
think of such acting complimcntingl On
the ruins of their poor log huts We have erect
ed magnificent academies, colleges, DC, apt!y
called tub mills for grinding out simpletons.
Instead Of the rudiments who becoming IA
un'liar with which they spent years, We have
them now qefore We speak plainly Before
we know our our own ago we can demon
strats problsm in Euclid, or extract the
square root with all ease imaginable. In
deed we can extract anything but wisdom,
from modern improved courses. In such q
state OF education can it be matter of wonder
that young mon are specifically educated,
and ale prone to think writing book the