St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-03
BY REV. A. J. NELSON.

The purposes for which we have con-
vened, have already been accomplished
solemn prayer has been offered at Throne
of Grace we have listened to the voice
of experience, and wisdom and sound learn
ing; to hymns Of praise and songs Of glad
ness. Our thoughts now 90 out after those
who arc to reap the rewards of these la
bors Most Of us have formed our char
acters for life as fearful as this thought
may be-, still it is true. Thrones may
crumble, states dissolve, knowledge may
increase and the church may pray, but
the prejudiccs, the moral convictions, SYM
pathies and personal activities will remain
much the same; there is but little hope of
improving the present generation, but lit
tie advancement may be expected, either
in religion, ethics or civil polity. Our
epitaph is written: "Ephraim is joined to
his idols' and we will let him alone But
our children are the pioneers of better
civilization-the wires which connectthe
present with the future; we are writing
dispatches for an unknown world, tonight
we establish new line, erect another bat
terry.
A great artist once said as he looked
upon block of marble fresh from the qua
ry: "Lo, I see an angel, imprisoned, and
will release it," The work of the educa-
tor is a most important work. More than
the skill of Michael Angelo is needed to
release the mind from its prison house.
intellectually man is born in blank igno.
rance. A few sensations make up the
consciousness of the infant, but knowledge
is nonentjty. Yet there is capability
to comprehend all the truth God has ma.
terialized. The work Of the educator is to
develop mind; not to create the statue but
to release the angel-soe inquire ho,o this
can be done. That mind is related to
matter, that there exists an intimate rela.
ton between the material and immateria]
is evident to all. Every form of organic
life is affected by the influences surround.
ing it. In mere animal life all improve.
ment is traceable to external causes-we
do not refer all difference of character and
talent in man to extraneous causes alone
or to the organic structure Of the phrenol
ogist, the decree of the fatalist or the cir
3o33mstances Of the Owenite. So far as ex
ternal things affect human character they
operate through the mind, not the body
yet there is an intimate relation between
the material and the immaterial. The place
Of our birth to a great extent fixes ou,
character. Both the woof and warp Of lif;
are made up of first impressions. Will
Herder we may say: "Our whole life il
| but the interpretations of the oracles o
of our childhood" Soil and climate, lati
tude and longitude ,have an intimate con
nection with intellectual developments
The politician who regretted that he wa
not born in New England, and was there
fore no philosopher, had as much philoso
ply as wit, for tour ffths of all the i'm
proyement, inventions and dlscov cries mad
tin the United States have originated there
simply because there the mind has receive
| the greatest attention. }''..'> d. I o..
Il Man may live in any latitude, from til
eightieth degree North, to the Terra dt
fuego On the South. The Creator seem