St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-10

AVA " Wo1UssS'-EAODUSj OHAP! XIV VEi
----- ILL., L - - I = - -Gl IL
- u 7T-:-- ~ I77 III 7T- :7I777 7l57I7 =
A A...T,HURtSDA3Y:'.>.. ,,.. 4: R ] D)4A.3 r. n:
huo:%4 p, ,,-r1;2t aiIi .u2nt tson'Ii h92rr
God since he looked out upon the work.
Of his hands, and pronounced them .good
It is not all Of life to enquire chow w
shall be fed, and wherewitha1 shall We b
clothed 1t is not all of life to live ant
toll and die in tho pursuit of gain!Sj 1t il
not all Of life. TO tread the: burning sands
in the wearisome journey after this world, :
goods: The craggy mountains, and the
barren deserts, and the turgid waters that
lie in that way, are ever tbs ecorld's poor
est giis. This is not all of life. ~ There il
a higher. ard poblcr part T. There is 9
purer sphere in which the human soul fndt
congeninl employment, Commensurate with
its capacities and aspirations. tt is cult:
waiting and expanding, elevating and puri:
flying, the mental mind" This is the
great, the high work for man to DO. This
is his blessed privilege his priceless
liberty. And yet in the madness Of the
present day, in the thirst for riches how
often is it forgotten! Gold is the god to
be worshipped Trade and commerce,
barter and merchandise usurp, the places
in the sQnctuns Of our, thoughts, ,xthat
| should be given to art and philosophy
Every scholar must derlorc tho utilitaria,n
spirit that lis corroding that golden chain
that conuccts us back to- a better day
Not that we should not rejoice in the en-
tcrprlsc and thrift that characterize Amer
ican life. It is creditable to American
courage. But with all our universities, all
our institutes, all our lyceunls, how infin.
itely do we fall below that standard of lit
erary ercc1lcucc capable of attainment by
our people. Newspapers and books are
abundant, but how few standards in thtir
line.!& II. Indeed, the question is not who
shall be. autser, but: who shall be, richer
than his neighbor. Look at your great
cities giving law to fashion and. taste with
a 'despotism even more intense than that
with which. Rome governed her conquered
provinces: Observe the gorgeous display
of wealth ane equipage. The! Halls Of
splendor where Epicare.i god. The in
sensate thirst for gildcd fncry in which to
crafty for the Aeeting moments, the poor
pride of poo, heart ens1ared. Your
metropolitan Journals come to you freight
ed with studied descriptions of mans and
f,1u 1;po
does 1t lind room tor in commcmoration of
learning's progress and art triumphs. In
these times, the rich, and not the great
and good are becoming society's idols and
models. Shame t. American prete nsion !;
shame to American TASTE Has she forgot
ten her Franklins, and her Edwardses .
Will she remember only the Girards and
Astors? Never. Sober reason teaches
that none of these shall live in mems re-
membrance beyond their stately scpulcher.
Their memory shall die with them, and
the recollection of their works shall be in
tered with their bones. Who cares to
speak of Cresus? Who remembers him
Who knows aught Of his long life but that
Cresus was rich? Cyesus hved aud Gre
sus died and that is his history. u. -.
But how differently is it with those whose
words and works were intellectual, and CIV
en- to the world for the world good. The
mention of the names Of Cicero and Plato
poor though they we're, and without lands
or slaves, lifts the soul in admiration, and
inspires it with renewed confidence in
mans Immortality. Socrates with his fated
hemlock; Plato. in the midst of idols,
pointing upward to an imperishable life
Aristides teaching justice to conquerors,
ostraciscd and in exile Diogon nes under
his tub, waving Alexander from his sun.
shine; these are fresh, and green in our
memories ; while cotemporaneous. nations
have been blottcd from existence, with the
temples and marble columns, that in theii
day, attested their opulcnce and power
The lapse Of years adds; TO the grandeur Of
their lives-and such as theirs-as distance
to the splendor Of the rainbow--as mists tc
the gorgeousness Of the setting sun. No,
is this strange: God has planted in every
mans heart a reverence for high intellec.
tual power 1t has spoken out III all ages,
And when'2w we remember its wonderful
achievements We are sometimes at a. loss to
know with reverence be it spoken) which
most to praise, the gift or the. giver be.
cause whether the oneior The other, both
are of SGod d, Behold mind 5 triu'nphs;. {. :.
Man has by wisdom given bands to Orion,
and named the Pleadies.y He has, parted
the strata Of Earth, and brought up from
Its profound depths formations Of prior Re *
istence that 'foldeh sages'' never knew lew
-brought'new worlds to view, and corals and
gems an and precious things from, the before
unknown isles of the sea measured Gold
ocean = chained the lightning and sanhiihtii:.
lated space; given i!tsana nature ttozthe
glowingzcanvass. and form ahdrbtauty, ito
the the unseemlylzock: .1Musio, hath her sens