Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-10-26
PRACTICAL MEN.

the most reliable in all matters appcrtaning to good
government and the prosperity of a State 1t is
true. that sometimes here and there may be found
Meorist, who docs something in the way OF benefit
to his fellow, nan and leaves name which posteri-
ty immortazeS. When We find these rare exam
pies so far the truth of history goes there is al
SO the evidence of an influence eXerted over them
by practical mind.
There are many who entirely misconceive the
purposes and advantages of an education. They
seem to think that to be educated is to be great
That tn go forth from the A'ma Mater with the tes-
timonalS of scholarship is all Sui:. and that
now the world mast look upon them in tire light OF
pro,lgcs of learning. This, however, is a mistake.
Education can't make give to man mind. The
Creator alone possesses creative power. He wills
and 1t is done" "He commands and it stands fast
Out of chaos he brings forth order and beanty and
out of the darkness Of non-enity He originates light
TINT studs the vault above with its gems of diamond
brightness. Man is but the creature of the Crca-
tor.
The olect of education is t, develop and discipline
the wonderful faculties of the mind. and give it
shape and beauty and to admit it to the pra teal
and useful purposes of life Hence the completion
of a college course, is hut the beginning of what
should properly be called an education. A man
may he educated, and vet it avail him nothing lie
may spend his days il dream, though: and never
achieve allght of good. unless it be that by his
"master!y inactivity" he does no harm, which we
call negative virtue.
What we want is to see mind properly cutiva-
ted applying its capacity and gifts to some practical
ru pose of le and energctically exercising all its
powers for the promotion and welfare of society
An example the opposite of this, is to be found in
the case of the worthy learned blacksmith" Elhu
Burrilt No one questions his worthneSS or attain
ments, and vet what practical good has he ever
achieved! lie has be n constantly theoriZing upon
this that and the other subject and unless we are very
much mistaken, will not leave any other evidence
to posterity. than that of showing the great and
wonderful capacity of the human mind for the ac
QUESTION of knowledge.
"Cvi Bouo'" What good is the great present
question of this unitarian age. Has man know
edge? Society demands its fruits Does nc rank
high amongst his fellows: They ask for his achieve
mcntS. No matter what. or where, may DC the
sphere of his operations if he leaves no evidence he
hind of usefulness practical good, his memory
will not be cherished, and his name, in few years
will be buried in o!livionS grave The fact is, or
institutions of learning seeing the importance OF the
great principle seeking to enfcr'e and main
TAIN arc becoming daily more pract cal In their SyS
TEN of education and ENGRAVING thereon all the
means that can be made available IN the behalf OF
! this one great object of lie.
| The days of romance and folly have, with the
American people, passed away At the Bar, in the
Pulpit or no matter where the demand is for com
mon sense and that practical knowledge, which is
the result of a well goyerned and properly directed
mind Mere prctentionS will not satisfy the honest
inquirer and glitterng show will not dazzle their
| vision. The drawing room iop may sport his pat
entS and dangle his massive gold chain, and spout
imperfect Latin French, but he can't SHINE. Our
! girls now understand these mysteries of an Gun
known tongue themselves, and no longer stare and
gaze at the seltconccited fcol, who may imagine
that all the sense in the worll HIS abandoaca nearly
/ i'll mankind, and found hone in his empty brain
The cause of this mere wise and practical state OF
things existing in society, may be accounted Tor MP
on the ground that such has been the astonishing
and rapid progress of mind in aevSing Liberal
things, for the benefit OF man, regardless OF POM
and parade. that we invountarv look to the effect
and by it measure the cause and its extent.
The most important benefits accrlling to Societ!
in the arts and sciences have been made not by tn,
formally educated, but by, TO very great extent
sef-lnade men, irrespective of the particular pursuits
to which they were trained in early life. Tie great
est improvements in agriculture have oecn made b,
persons bred in cities. Some Of best laws lave
been made by practical men. The same causes will.
perhaps. account for the circumstances so frequent
! " observed that whichever man of superior prac-
teal mini arises, the last thing benefited by the
exercises of his powers Of invention will be the pur
suit to which he was regularly educated RAM
age, the opcian who rendered such important SER
vice to science, by the Improvement of rejecting tel
escapes, in which he obtained equal power in half
the size used by lcrSchc!l made improvement in
! tanning leather his original occupation.
/ The most efficient men in the Senate of the I.
! States have BEEN and still are, its practical men,
! The names of Clay, Benton, Allen, Douglas and
many Others afford a complete cxempGcation of our
; views. All these were, and are. selfmade men. In
fact, in political life, all vsioni>tS have lived and
toiled in vain They have theoriScd and split very
fine hairs in matters involving metaphysical dstinc
tons, and left elaborate articles paper containing
mysterious speculations and wonderful conceptions
at least considered So if for other reason, for the
fact that they are invested with so much mys
terry, that no body can understand them or make
point Again, we repeat, that without practical
common sense, knowledge may be good and beau
tiful but it will not shine. and neither will il
do its possessor much, if any, good 1t vii
be like the brilliant gen. which confined in its little
box, only shines within the limits of its narraw ant
contracted space, unseen and unadmircd.-- Wash
ington Dispatch.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF AN INTERESTING WOMAN