The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-03-20
ADDRESS.

What proud and ennob!ing thought it is
that man, after the lapse of so many ages
has at length reached that lofty position
which, from the first dawn of creation, b,
was destined to fill.
Ere the divine light of thought had blessed
an ignorant and supcrstitious world, man was
mere breathing substancc--a brute-likc be
ing, wondering at all he saw; but now the
most perfect piece of workmanship ever fash
ioned by the hand of his God. Then, envel
opcd in the mists of ignorance and idolatrie.
Of the most hidcous and degraded character
now, standing forth in an intellectual exist
ence, towering In that capablllty Of thought
that God-like reason, and displaying amid
the various brcezcs of worlds, the proud and
commanding banner of intellect.
Where can there be heart so cold as moi
to expand with soul-stirring emotions, the
mind that is not mbued with supremacy ot
thought, when it reflects that man is "the
distinguished link in the endless chain of be.
ing" second to none but his omnipotent Cod
the sole thing of earth that holds claim on
Immortality
Immortal what can strike the sense so strong
As this the Soul it thunders to the thought
Reason amazes, gratitude o'erwhems--
Reused at the sound the exulting soul asccnds,
And brcathes her native air; an air that feeds
Ambition high and fans ethereal fires,
Quick kindles all that is within us pure, divine,
Nor leaves lettering thought beneath the stars.
Deep should be the gratitude of every
man in the knowledge that be alone has a
double existence, holding to superiority in
both-iirst, in his pre-eminence over all 9TH
cr things that are animate and in physical
structure; secondly, the immortal, intellectu-
al spirit breathed within him. Yes, this is
the proudcst and noblest git--the gift OF
thought Thought-what is itl Who can
define it None, for it is intangible, indie.
Enable. Yet we are conscious that there is
such thing; we know that it does exist
Consciousness tells us tina. il is living,
breathing spirit, like something within that
is never at rest; that it can only be conceived
directly through ITSELF But notwithstanding
IL has no real or visible form, yet nowhere
can the eye he turned that it does not see
traces and signs of its existence from the
simplest to the sublinest themes.
Everything which bears the mark Of civil
ization, and contributes to the elevation Of
man, is the production of thought. Visit
the rcmotcst portions of the earth; explore
the heart of the deepest forest, and il there
you find rational man, you will see that
thought has been at work. We might as
well attempt 10 conceive of ubiquity at once,
as the speed and strength Of thought. 'Tis
in IL that man can at will create and people
world of his own. 'Tis bounded in its
wanderings ouly by infnity, and II spheres
were shaken from their orbit 'twould be the
master hand in achieving the deed-'twould
be vain to attempt detail of the advanta
ceous results we have from the exercise o.
thought Il is to that We are indebted fol
not Only the birth but the onward progress
and discoveries Of every science aud art In
every vessel that rides majestically over the
deep blue bosom of the ocean waste-in eve
ry railroad that performs function in oul
country, like the veins of the human body
binding the extreme portions of the country
together, facilitating all her different avenues
of trade, and giving a healthy, vigorous AMI
active circulation to all her salutarv elements
i'm the late invention of the magnetic tele
graph, the crowning result Of franklin.
great discovery-in all can we see the pro
iections of immortal thought. 'Tis in thought
the astronomer mounts at once amid thu
heavenly bodies, travels from star to star
Iearns their relative positions and motions
and not content to stop at what he befor'
thought infnity, penetrates farther and far
ther into the immensity Of space, and dis
covers innumcrable worlds that the unthink
ing had never dreamed Of 'Tis the grade o
thought that forms the grade of society, an'
it is expanded in proportion as il Is exercised
The unihinking man may devour libraries
bat the contents viii pass from bis mind an'
-llesve nc eace behind, bat Ie. the man o