Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-27
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY u. is5.
lCUMMUNICArED.
GE\ll Shy J. u. JOHNSON.

GE\Il S--BY J. u. JOHNSON.
Genius is defined as an aptitude Of the
mind for a particular study, and as qualify
in an individual for certain employment.
Those who have written i'll support Of this
definition of the term, have produced more
of an apostrophe to the term itself, than an
argument in favor of the existence of this
peculiar power which one person rather
than another, is supposed to possess. In our
Investigations of cause and effect, il is in
deed sometimes difficult to tell where nature
ends and where education begins. The
casust frequently meets cases in which 1t is
impracticable to decide whether their char
actcristics have arisen as the effect of fixed
laws, or as the result of accident In medi-
cine. it is often most difficult for the patholo-
cist to distinguish those diseases which only
attack great many persons at n time. from
those which are Occasioned by specific
cttiuvia. Hence, philosophers will ever differ
on those mooted questions whose decisions
are hidden i'll the arcana of Nature. Ii is
thus that metaphysical subjects are involved
in dispute: and when the mind is brought to
examine them, i'll consequence of their i'm
material nature. it has to rely Oh the evil
dence rather than the positive existence. of
the principle or subject itself.
Ii is true. the Orator may stand in the To-
rum alone in his greatness, commanding
thousands by the majesty of his thoughts
and figures. Us his clarion voice thrills the
hearts of an admiring multitude; and the
man of Science may astonish wondering
world hv his disclosures of the strange ways
Of nature: while the Warrior may fill the
minds of his fellows with admiration of the
mighty deeds Of valor performed on the bat
tie field: and their admirers may proclaim
each possessed of an innate disposition for
his calling. or in other words. as having Il
!gcainS for it. Such persons view the sub
icc;s of their admiration amid the blaze of
their success but do they ask how many
months and years the Warrior, Orator, and
Naturalist spent in becoming such? Do
they remember that war is but brute force
acting in the absence of reason, giving nc
tori to the riyilam and brdreF Do they ask
how long Newton studied the workings of
the machinery of nature AMI note that by
the falling of an apple he was led TO iathom
and expound the law of grayitation? Do
they recolect how long DemostheneS wore
the pebble under his tongue, and how many
months he practiscd defamation by the sea
side? Oratorv all will admit. consists i'll
the correct use of words accompanied by
suitable action or gesture. TO be 4 success
full Orator. much reading and study are re-
auisite We will say, you, reader are listen
ing TO speaker who has Your attention fixed
and YOUR passions aroused You admire
him. nav, his powers astonish and contound
YOU, and YOU think him great beyond COM
parison. Let the same individual speak in
language unfamiliar to your ear and use the
same gesture, add it will be but ridiculous
pantomimc to your eve. and YOU will soon
grow weary of listening to him. So in or
der for us to accord man genius for Ora
tory. he must speak in a manner that is in
tcligiblc to US. The very language which
he uses is of human invention. Ours. we
are told. was not known previous to the filth
century. and did not attain anything like It's
present perfection until about the twelfth
century. Place an unwordcd infant without
the pale Of human society, and all language
will remain unknown to it.
GRAY was right when he said Full many
q flower is born to blush unseen. &C." init
mating that circumstances do much towards
bringing out the powers ofthc mind. Wash
incton was by no means, as great, inteilec-
tually, as Jefferson. Circumstances made
both great. How many hair-breadth escapes
did not this country make from English OPP
preston before it was free? How much did
not Washington owe TO the generous foreign
ers who came to this then struggling country
in the nick of time? And had their efforts
been other than successful, our virtuous fore
frthers instead of being venerated as the
Saoes and Heroes of the American Reroh-
ton, would now be contemplated us the VI
lest rebels and traitors of their day.
The mind is Invisible into memory, lmagl-
nation, and reason. All have not strength
Of these i'm the same degree. Hence, the
mental diversity which we observe among
our fellow-creatures. Circumstances and
the po,yer of the will make mans Genius.
&. and W. were great statesmen, and under
stood. according to the Judgment OF the re-
spective party with which each was connec-
ted. the spirit Of our federal constitution
That constitution is Of human invention
Did nature give them q special genius to ex-
pound it? No. She gave them a good rea-
son. q good imagination, and good memory
Accident indicated what was most suitable
for them to take hold of, and circumstances
favored the pursuit.
Iron is subjected to a certain process and
II becomes steel. Man is subjected to Il rer-
tain process. and he becomes genius: but
for the certain process he would remain un,
lettered and untaught Just rs the steel would
remain iron. Nature has made man proud
animal. Ambition, the child of selt.lUre
impcls him to endeavor to outstep his lei
lows. In this strife for precedence is eveI'
we'd that activity and conccntratlveneSS
which occasion what is called Ge"'"s' and
this result will ever he in proportion to the
elevation of the man in the scale OF mental
capacity. . ,o,o