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

wrecked for it is an acknowledged princi'
pie of our nature that restraint stimulates
desire. The true ground of safety is found
only in correct views Of life. False views
originating in ignorance and corrupt imag.
nations react upon the heart that cherish
es them. The interest Of both sexes is best
attained by educating them at the same
place, in the same classes and under the
same regimen. Here man learns that wo-
man is his equal, that what he deemed
angels are only mortals like himself. A
young ladies boarding school out on an
evening promenade with matron in front
and two or three in the rear, is violation
Of the social laws. Better adopt the doc
trine Of the Koran, that woman has no
soul, shut her up in harem and keep her
Ignorant Of her true nature.
Intellectual development depends, to a
great extent, on the condition Of the body.
"A sound mind in sound BODY is the
order of nature; there is an intimate con-
nection between the brain and the stom-
ach. Mince pie and indigestible sponge
cake have spoiled many good Sermon
Most which passes for talent in the world
is nothing more than good health. Until
we learn to eat we will never learn to
think. Until appetite shall cease to tri-
umph over intellect we will never be
stronger. The advantages arising from
the Improvements of the age are cancelled
by our physical degeneracy and our three
score years are cut down to less than thir-
! ty. Still, we honey comb the bones, sodden
the muscles, irritate the nerves, and evap-
crate electricity from the brain by our
"bills Of fare" many of which would be
a disgrace even to a cannibal. We "dig
our graves with our teeth" and starve
the intellect to feed the stomach. Con-
tact with other minds is another prolific
source Of development. No last will and
testament can bequeath mind. Nature
has no aristocracy, she is no rcspccter of
persons. There is no right of primogeni-
turc in natural power. All mind is SUBJ
ject to the same law, and this is the law of
labor. This was the philosophy Of the
Greeks. "Arduous, are all noble things"
are the words of Socrates We believe
with Carlyle that "The sweat of the brow,
the sweat of the brain and the sweat of
the heart include all Kepler's calculations
all Newton's meditations-all sciences
all spoken cpics-all acted heroisms-all
martyrdoms."
Most of the renowned and honored of the
world have arisen from the common walks
Of life; and very many from obscurity.-
Protagoras was parter; Plautus corn
grinder ;Cincinnatus and Virgil were OK
drivers; Horace was the son of a slave;
Pope the son Of draper; Prior a hostler;
Ben johnson brick layer; Defoe was a
hosier; Prideaux an assistant in kitch-
en-; Hatton was a stocking weaver; Sir
Francis Drake was a cabin boy; Christie
pher Columbus the son of wool comber;
Linnaus, the father Of Botany, was cob
bier; Arkwright hair dresser; Sir Robert
Peel the son of cotton spinner; and Ben
Franklin the son of tallow chandler.
John Buayan a tinker; and Sir Isaac
Newton used to carry peas and onions to
Grantham market for his mother. The re.
formers of the world, Huss and Luther
Calvin and Melancthon, Zwingle and Lat.
inner, Carey and Morrison, all rose from,
obscurity No birthright here. The son
of Bacon may be dolt, while the son
of poor old German miner may be q
Luther, who can shake world. But, Gas
iron sharpeueth iron," so mind may grouse
mind by contact. As we read the history
of the pilgrim fathers, the heroic deeds Of
the Revolution, the valor Of a Washing
ton, the eloqucnce Of Henry and genius
of Franklin, the heart glows with patri.
otiem and pants for the unexplored realms
of truth. With the mathematician We
solve problems, demonstrate theorems, form
equations and develop formulas, until ia,
away inthe brigt realms of triangles and cir
cles we live with the resurrected forms o1
Euclid and Pythagoras.
In communing with the poet we catck
the inspiration of the muse, as we visi
Burns in his humble cot on the banks O.
the Ayr, or Scott at his dwelling by tht
Tweed or in the grrden at Westminster
listen to the song of "Man's first disobedi
ence," the soul mounts higher and highe,
and pants for greater attainments
i Who can listen to the voice of the blint
old man Of Seio, as he wanders among tn,
} Grecian Isles, singing Of the war of Troy
and the wanderings of Ulysses, withou
;. having the mind aroused to vigorous 40
ton.
|, But neither extraneous influences, con
} tact with tho best minds, philosophy o
} poetry alone can develop the intelllec
fully. Thinking, not knowledge, make
f the great distinction between the wise maj
and the fool, the philosopher and the say
age. ~ -. y 4. ".f. ""'
: The mind develops selfby a process 9
J retro-actton, by a reflex power. eth
, ability to think and reason, (says "a grea
! educator,) is the true measure of ments
no1l1ron kho - -.