Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-05-03

senttd again IN the man, and IT may be shown
IN the simplest manner that there is one sim
pie gradation leading up from fish to the noble
stature OF man. And these comparisons are the
best means of developing all our faculties be-
cause they call OUT not only all the powers of
observation, but the ability of man to general
ize, and at the same time to discriminate They
call INTO effect all those abilities which distin-
J guish men from men. which give men power ov-
er other men, and give inen the power of dis.
! criminating JudIciously and of combining prop
erly all the ability of discerning differences as
well as resemblances one constitutes the art of
observing, while the other constitutes the art of
the philosopher
ART OF THINKING.
The difficult nrt of thinking can be ACQUIRED
oy TINS method IN more rapid way than by
any other. W hen study logic or mental
/ philosophy in text books, which We commit to
/ memory 1t Is not the mind which we cultivate
! it Is the memory alone. The mind may come
/ IN. but 1t 1t docs IN that method it is only in
an accessory way. But if we learn 10 think by
| unfolding thoughts ourselves from the e1amina-
I ton of objects brought before u.s. and we ac-
life ' -
/ 1t is only by the ability of observing for our
selves that we can free ourselves from the bur-
den OF authority. As long as we have not learn
ed how to settle question for ourselves we 90
for authority, or we take the opinion of our
neighbor that is, We remain tools in his hands
If he chooses to use us in that way, or we de-
clare our incapability of having opinion of
our own.
How shall we form opinions of our own other
wise than by examining the facts in the case ;
and how can we learn to examine facts more
readily than by taking at first those facts which
are unchangeable, those facts over which man,
with all his pride, can have control. Man
cannot make the sun to start off and move in
space man cannot change the principles of the
solar system he cannot make plants spreut out
of their season he must take the phenomena of
nature as they are They should teach humility
and truth He should learn that hat exists IN
nature is true, and that 10 learn 10 follow truth
he must bow 10 what is he must bow to what
he cannot change from the nature Of things ::
but 1T the same time he learns how to acser tain
what Is and how things are and while he learns
that, he acquires power which af erwards can
neither be checked nor lessened and which is
/ ever improving IN proportion as opportunity ;or
further observation is increasing.
will select very trivial case to show YOU in
what way we may reach questions from the
observation of special facts. Let MS take an
earth worm. [Prof. \. here drew on the black
board representations of the things described
/ 1t is cylindrical elongated animal with trans
verse rings all along. Upon each of these rings
there stiff bristles standing out in opposite
directions by the motion o; which the animal
moves along. Let examine the lobster
Here We have another animal, with BODY tail,
leg. and a variety OF appcndages In the shape of
(
earth worm Let Us examine the wasp or bee.
/ Here We have an animal still different. 1t has
wings, and it presents three different regions of
/ the body, and yet 1t Is constructed on the same
/ plan as the others. Let what they have
In common. There i a succession of rings
j which are moveable upon the other. If we
examine the naggot from which the wasp is
/ hatched, we shall find that it much resembles
/ the earth-worm, but as it grows there fewer
| rings around the body. The simIlarties and
80
scribed at length.l They have at the com.
mencement these things in common-a cylin
drical body divided into number of joints
1 which are movable one upon the other.
THE STRUCTURE.
/ We have. therefore, reached the general pro-
position that all these animals have a common
/ structure that they all built upon n COM
mon plan, and that the elements of the structure
! the architecture of II, consist merely Ill the
combination of rings. The difference arises on
/ ly tho progress of growth, and they increase
I IN every region until we have complicated an
animal, superior TO the worm, as the lobster is
superior To the bee wasp. How was the dis
/ coyery of these facts accomplished First by
and observation siugly OF these things one indie
pendently of the other then by a comparison
/ of thelr different stages of growth with one an
other then by Il comparison of all the success
sive stages of growth of the other then by com
! parlson of all the features with one another
J
/ Of all the features with one another: and then
we reached the general conclusion that there
was but one plan of structure of the Who'll, but
as soon as we have reached this generalization
Z We have at once also come to the conviction that
/ between animals organized on any other plan
" c ind that our frame Is built up in verv
different way. If We begin TO anlayze the diff
ference, then that what distinguishes
man is his head a2d brain. his middle body and
/ limbs. 1t would not be difficult thing to show
\ that the same bones are found in quadrupeds as
/ IN /; and that their limbs and organization
correspond. 1t only shows that the Great
Architect knew how to apply the same means
/ to purposes as different as walking and iving
Even In fish, the fins only modified arms
and legs. and are constructed on the same plan
/ oi arrangement as may be distinctly traced by
any person who would for a moment establish a
comparison for himself. by not merely speaking
these things. telling them in a school ROOM
only where the bodies OF animals are at hand to-
show them
USE OF SPECIMENS.
If You use a specimen in place ef d text book
you viii exhibit the similarity which exists be-
tween animals constructed on this plan and
you will introduce the most secure foundation