St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-09-06
Hon. Horace Maynard.


Wo lately spoke of the address Of
Mr.. Maynard, of Tennessee, before
the literary societies Of Amherst Col
lege, and proposed to notice him more
at length thereafter. The weather at
Amherst, at the time Of the Commence
mcnt, was extremely warm. but we
learn that the curiosity excited by the
peculiar personal appearance OF Mr..
Maynard, his extreme southern politi-
cal position in Congress, and the hap
Ply and interesting manner with which
he presided over the alumni meetings,
predoninated over the excessive heat,
and large audience was gathered to
hear his address before the literary so.
cieties. Mr.. Maynard is tall, slim,
with long, straight black hair, and a
dark olive complexion, and smooth
chin and fair face. With better fea-
lures he would be a very handsome
man. 1t is easy to believe the apoch-
ryphal story that he bears the blood
of King Phillip, and is proud of it,
for he looks very much like an amell-
grated American Indian. But it is
not easy TO believe that he is of Yam
kee parcntage and growth, as is the
the fact, he being the scion of an old
Worcester county family, in Massa
chusctts. In mind, manner and per-
sonal appearance, he certainly would
seem to be of southern birth and de.
velopmcnt. His clocution is polished,
scholarly, and pleasing, having the
freedom of the schools rather than of
the stump or congressional halls.
Mr.. Maynard's theme was worthy
and necessary onc--thc Disturbances
of Adding to a Liberal Culture Po'
litical Education. We have schools
to instruct our people in medicine, law
and theology. in teaching, in cng''
necring, in SCIENCE, in farming, and in
mechanics, but not a single instltu'
ton for the formation Of discreet am.
bassadors, prudent councillors. and
wise Legislators. These, in the opin
ions of our honest Dogberres, are tc
come 10y nature 1t certainly is not
long since diploma as a bachelor Of
arts from no school of instruction il
this country pre-supposed any knowl
edge of the Declaration Of lndcpend
cncc, the articles of confederation
and the constitution Of the Union
We educate Americans just the same
as we would EngliShmcn or SwcdeS
Our scholars may know the location
Of every strcamlct in Attica, whiIc
! the chances are that most OF them
would. like ono President Of the Uni
ted States, locate the Muscle Shoals
in Tennessee. We know the states
men Of European countries, and arc
better acquainted with their writings
than our own Madisons, Jays, Hamil
tons and Jcficrsons. Men travel t,
the catacomhs of Egypt who have
never visited Mount Vernon, tina
Mecca of the world, where rest tn,
remains of the wise and great Wash
ingtun.
Mr.. Maynard, in graphic and nori,
language, depicted the value and de
lights of travel in America, and en-
forced the necessity of studying on
own country, its institutions, its pre-
dnctions, its peoples, and both thci
common and conflicting wants. lie
no American scholar indulge in foJ
cign travel, or at least boast Of il
until he has made himself fami.ia
with American geography. Secondly
I he would enforce the necessity Of &C
quainting ourselves with the histor
of our government since the close {
the American revolution. True, tai
history has not yet been written, an
its study requires the examination {
various books, documents, and pc,
haps newspapers but it can be oil
tanned, and should not be ncglcctc
for this reason.
How few of us have any definit
knowledge of the more important pc
litical events in that period. Man
who can talk precisely about the Ag
of Pcricles or the Dogcs of Nenic
! cannot tell the year or by whom th
present constitution Of the rcpubli
was adopted, or do not know villa
led to the second war with Great Br
tain, nor can trace the history an
character of the several sections
compromises, or describe the celcbr;
ted conflict over the Panama mission
or give any impartial account Of til
sectional conflicts that have rcarc
their hideous heads in our history.
The study of the philosophy of Ii
American government, and OF OF
whole national and state civil polit.
was urged with impressive, thong
sometimes ovcrwrought cloquenc'
upon all American scholarship.
The idea and aim of the addres
were most commcndablc, and ongl
oftcncr to be enforced upon the educ;
tional institutions and the scholars {
the country.