The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-11-10

The Philadelphia Inqstrsv says that shsSS
Ia game of mind - contSst butwesn individ-
ual inte1lsets Of no mean power. Il is smi-
nently q past:me Of study and Of thought,
tasaE renders leisurs . fertile source Of mental
strength and cultivation. According TO Sow
efat authors, some ofwhom evidently drew up-
on their Imagination for their faotsy chsss was
about $50 B. c., while others contend
that it was unknown until the dfth dfntury Of
the christian ara. The lsafned AIyta and Sir
William Jones were Of the opipi6n thai oriel.
mated in India, and that II is of immense sn-
tiquity. One tradition stasss gkat-ES1as de-
vissd by the Minister Of ? certain Great King,
for the purpose Of teaGhhg hjpl t9t9s most
delicate and Agreeable manner possible. that
q monarch was powsplsss, usaesensuauosd by
his subjects. And this, in fact, is one Of the
great lessons taughtby the game, which 10
played with sixteens pieoes on each side. vide-
teet-one king, one queer, two castles or rocks,
two bishops, (called by, ,Qther 4sF94e In the
Bast.) two knights, and sfght commsoah soldiers
termed pawns. When tho king. Il. .cAsck-ma-
ted; that is, placed n i3ch. 4 situations
that he can neither Be pt6tEcssdby his sub
jects, nor move without Ahe Aiibiiny Of cap
ture, the game is won by bis4ppqnente. Of
himself he possesses very little .pQver-buE
oriental gallantry has made the asssn the
most potent and formida6: . pitssod the board
Throughout all time, chess has bsS1a faver.
ite passtime, with men Of wind- And why!-
Because 1t so far absorbs the faculties aad di-
rects them into one channel, that With prof.
cents, the outer worlJ and It's carss are for the
time forgotten, and each champion thinks,
reasons and sysn dreams. Of slittlsS6e than
defeating his antagonist At ztla Achsquered
board Then it is seldom, II eyers played for
money, so that gambling '.t chess e sltogsth-
great commandsrs shass, svsrs pssasuIlssd the
amusement, IS the moyementerau4 combina-
tions required for success, bear streng aHRnity
to the strategis of war, and indeed, may In
some measure be said TO suggest ylans Of MIL
li:ary enterprise both for Tht atl2xk and de-
fences 8 Philosophers shAys psssgeeas1b chess,
because 1t has a. .terdsncy ~ Atrsngthsn the
reasoning power; while dtyines ststeSnen, and
eminent law ysrs, have adop pted It q sn amuss-
ment for the sain y feas6n. aff6k We have
chess anecdotes Of Napoleon, ~ Wsl1ineten,
Of D.. Franklin with myny other pptabilitiss
Of the present and last gensrsfi6ns; while Of
the times preceding ,their day. the, PERSONAL
illustrations are innunierabls. lnst snces of
serious illness have often sbSsiii' u f6ducsd by
defeats at chess, and IL i5susbis.sllsn Sfoba! is
that the in,iispcsiticnsI ef a distinguished oP-
r ponsns q ,Mr, Asrnhy, elhs ars2k, t1.riean
has been caused W Ms rBs shg ~ faishsd.-
In coIiDlusioi,, We may ada Ashat CASsGV Vkeadiss
the mind, soothes the ( psssienss psserains the
impulses Of unbecoming haste, improves the
reasoning faculties g-ky positive fskAiAu. pro-
notes inductive philosophy, < ia relation be-
tween cause and effect, teaches fercsight cir-
cumspection, caution and sslEfsflsx3, oocu-
pies the. hours sof7rscrsaaionpin siray that
prevents their enpleymsns 4 iph SsiHe6ous .
mussments or dissipation, and n seme meas
ure indoctrinates its disciples Nth thoss
truths and that intelirstuAf pfsStiS4 bf sou-
binsd logic and the hlsth.nnasl6s,i ilaueht -
the. highest elsssss -ef nliann.u lut6Ps
1t is, that We hail the revival Of shssr ~ IA
voyaLle fsatusg in quE cepntynsa1k geea
omsn for society atllasBeJ ] J "a