The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-02-05
Mr.. Everett's Address.

Mr.. Everett's Address.
The dedication Of the Free Puplic Ii
brary buildings in Boston was carried out
on New Years day in most satisfactory
manner. Addresses were made by Hon
Robert c. Winthrop, Mayor Rice and
Hon. Edward Everett. We make room
for the following extracts from Mr.. Ever.
ett's address: u'l'9. s.
q am aware that there is still floating
about in the community vague preju
dice against what is called book learning
One sometimes hears doubts expressed o.
the utility Of public libraries; opinions
that they arc rather ornamental thar
necessary or useful; and the fact that oul
time.honored city has subsisted moro
than two centuries without one, is suf
ficicnt proof that until within very few
years. their Importance has not beer
practically felt. There is perhaps ever
now disposition to claim some superior
ity for what is called practical knowledge
knowledge gained by observation ant
experience (which most certainly tho
Trustees would not disparagc), and 1
kind of satisfaction felt in holding up thu
example Of sclf.taught men, in supposed
contradistincton from those who hav
got their knowledge from books; and NJ
name, perhaps, is so frequently mention
cd in this connection as that of Frenklin
who, because he had scarce any sclioo
education, and never went to college, ha'
been hastily set down as a brilliant exam
pie to show the inutility Of book learning
1t has been quoted to me in this way,
within three days.
Now, Mr.. Mayor, l need not tell YOU
that there never was a greater mistake in
point of fact. A thirst for books, which
he spared no pains to allay, is the frs,
marked trait in the character Of Frank
lin; his success throughout the early pc
riod of his lite can be directly traced to
the use he made of them; and his very
first important movement for the benefit
of his fellow men was to found public
library, which still Aourishcs-one of the
most considerable in the country. Frank
lin not book mani whoever labos un
der that delusion shows that somebody
else is not a book man, at least so far as
concerns the Biography Of our illustriou'
trownsman. We happen to have little
information on that subject in book
written by Franklin himself. He there
gives a very different account Of himself
and would ask any one who cntcrtains
the idea to which l am alluding, at what
period Of Franklin's career he supposes
this taste for books began to be manifest
ed by him, how soon he ceased 10 be
self formed man 7 Perhaps after he had
struggled through the years ofhis youth.
full povcrty,-escapcd to Philadelphia
set up in business as printer, and began
to have little money in his pocket. /
need not tell you, sir, that it was earlier
than that. Was it then, while he was
the clever apprentice to his brother, the
editor Of a journal, and wrote articles for
its columns in a disguised hand, and tuck
ed them under the office door, enjoying
the exquisite delight Of setting up his
own anonymous articles; was it, then,
at the age of fifteen or sixteen, that this
fondness for reading, under the stimulus
of hoyish authorship disclosed itselfl-
Earlier than that. We'll, then, at the
grammar school and Master Brownwell's
writing school which he attended from
eight to ten, Qor there are boys who
show iondness for reading, even at o
tender age); was little Bcnjamin's taste
for books developed while yet at school :
Earlier than that. Hear his own words,
which you will permit me to read from
that exquisite piece Of autobiography, to
which have already alluded: From my
infancy was passionately fond Of read.
ing, and all the money that came into
nv hands was laid out in purchasing
books. was very fond of voyages. My
first acquisition was Bunyan's works, in
separate little volumes. afterwards sold
them to enable me to buy r. Burton's
Historical Collections. They were small
chapman's books and cheap, forty volumes
in all. My fathers little library consisted
chiefly Of books in polemic divinity, most
Of which read. have often regretted
land this is sentence that might be in.
scribed on the lofty cornices Of these no
bic colu,un.) tha. a. = time when I had