New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-03

far in the rear Of enlightened public sentiment,
and ri artipg only when kicked and cudgeed into mo-
ton Holding their breath for fear Of giving ofensei
or opening their mouths only to ventiia,e the s'ale
nlattudes Of the canvass; studying the advancement
u their own fortunes and occupied with the party
ntrgues little that il manly or independent or ihroah
ing upon popular pre- udice is to be expected from
then-no assistance, certainly, in matter Ike THE
The people must act for Themselves or there Will be
no action taken. And thus brought 70 the point
Of the whole subject. From this acknowledged EVIL
there but one form Of defense: II 10 IN the gen.
erel diffusion Of practical available knowedge, bet
ter acquaintance with chemical and physical agencies,
and especially with the Of the microscope. Let II
be Emphasized that il IL an affair OF education and
science; It lie kno@!edee and PrGcf.ee that require
to be taught. II would be of hardly any TO place
chemical testing apparatus and good microscope
in every house in the land for neither could be used
They are worthless without the educated mind, hand
and eye. Tine, study and experiment are required 70
develOpe the value Of these contrivances. IL may
seem simple thing, il may be perfectly undeTstood,
but this is nothing if tie individual is not trained TO
svsfeDsatic and habitual Of the dppltdnces Moth
ing certainly is easier than 10 employ microscope.
Who cannot look throughiti True; and who cannot
obtain eounds from piano, OF discharge rlfe But
there s wide difference between these ano producing
harmonious music, OF hitting distant target IN ,he
white. The more intelligent public should demand OF
is educators thorough pruning Of those branches OF
study which sre to so great degree forgotten and
worthless when the student enters the working arena
Of practical life and require the substitution OF other
objects
nstey allied the course the interests and necessi'
ties Of daily experience.
And thus il il that an optical Instrument, winch we
have been accustomed to regard o. mere toy, be-
comes at once Of high value az means OF protection
from incessant commercial impositions. The micro'
scope is indeed, only system Of glass lenses, skli
fully combined and mounted in a brazen frame. Yet
il il by 20 means the trivial mechanical affair II might
seem II is the growth Of time ss much as an oak
II the consummate perfected product OF two centu-
res Of inventive genius and scientific erudition talked
20 their utmost power. He who purchases good
instrument buys the embodiment OF hundred hie-
times of ptensest intellectual toone Of the finest
bequests Of the past to the present-a key when
omen, the gateway TO a new and glorious realm OF
knowledpe II IT, Of course, "Ony material thing,
p4rtaining TO sense" vet is embodiment OF the
most beautiful principles and the sole possible means
Of entering a department Of creation crowded VITA
visible spendors and written all over with proofs OF
the upspeakabe wisdom Of God. The microscope
is far more thsn plaything Of vulgar curiosity;
il il an affair Of ethics and morals-a bsrri-
cade egainst frand, . protector where the ponce
fail TO protect an engine which ce!npei5 men INTO
honesty and drags the criminal to justice identifying
the murderer by the sanguinary stain and the robber
by the very dust upon hs garmens. IL comes 70 our
rescue when the e1hortatons of the preacher and the
DEGREES Of the lawgiver fail, but we cannot avail
ourselves Of il except become somewhat skilled 10
it's use through earnest and persevering attention
where else in science that the useful is always Joined
10 the beautiful, that the pathway OF practical
study leads also TO q region Of ineIhausbe pleasures
and delights Yours most truly,
Nev- York, Oct q, 1883 +. l.. fOuMANs.
The publication ofihe above letter has been accidentally
DELAYED but Of hind that viii teep aud give Il accord
iDgly.