Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-02-01

degree, because he is a citizen OF no mean
country. 1t is q citizen's right, it is a ciIi-
zen's duty, to acQuaint himself With the
elements of his owa business. Every young
citizen is bound to understand those els.
mrnts.
alt did not need pulpit to tell US this" !"
you will answer. II did need pulpit to
tell II to you. That IS just what it needed
For you have not a knowledge OF your bu-
siuess wben you have simply learned the
routine of affairs, so as to know the rela.
tiuus of your thinkinRs and doiugs TO your
nTOGt. That is not to be the end and drift
Of all callings. Thereby you ure to achieve
An independence; thereby you are to sup.
port your family; thereby you are to obtain
materials by which to become a power
among citizens; but to know how 10 trade
and traffic, or how to manage SO as to se-
cure your profit, is but the beginning.
hold that every man should make his
business school of knowledge, over and
above the money making knoWledgc.-
Every store in which d young man stands,
is an encyclopedia of questions which he
ought to be Abl0 10 answer. You should
be able TO tell the history aud the relation
Of your profession or trade. 1t has had a
history in the world. II has played part
in political economy. There is the same
line of business III other lands, and under
other laws and other institutions; and there
is just curiosity which should lead a
young man to wish to know how this or
that calling has tiOurished in those other
lands, aud under those other laws and in
stitutions. There are scientific elemeBIs,
there are great fundamental principles of
natural science, in almost all mechanical
departments and every progressive nature
should desire more or less to partake of
knowledge of those elements aud priuci-
piles. There ore on your shelves fabrics,
if you understood them from the beginning
to the eud, that would make you wise. If
you follow the history Of piece of cotton,
and know even the outlines of it. you will
know the history of the economic revolu-
tion of Great Britain; you will know the |
history of the origin and the progress of
machinery, which is itself almost moral |
institutions; you will know the early history |
of the development OF the industries Of |
your own land; you will know the history |
Of the most surprising moral and political |
change that ever revolu'ionized and put to
shame a natloni you will not only know the
history of this country, and the mOIheTcoun |
try, but you will be obliged to carry a line of
geographical knowledge along almost every |
shore of the tropical realms iu the world. |
One thread of cotton is enough To he the |
clue to lead man through mazes of kuowl-
edge. And ought a man to have to do
with plant of so much importance, and
know nothing about it, nothing about its
history, its introduction, ills manufacture,
or its machinery? Atpresent the political
relations OF the world are affected by, to-
day the whole globe is sbiveriug under,
the influence OF great movements that are
the result that has clustered around about
this one little aeecy plant. Not all the
Haaca that falla in yginI from the
can have more physical power on this
earth than this little fleece, cotton, has =
Aud 1t is shame for q man TO wear il, and
trade in it, and have money piled up about
him by il, and know nothing concerning it,
and have 40 curiosity in regard to it.
The same line of remark is true With re-
Epect to almost every article of grocery
and hardware; and | hold not only that
a young man should be an expert aud deft
tratficker, but that he should know the
things in which he traficS, and interro-
gate them, aud so increase the fund of his
information in every direction. And
say again that the store is an encyclopedias
OF questions to those that know how to
listen. From the cellar beneath, from
under the counter, aud from on the
shelves, schoolmasters Hre asking queS
tions all day. From the Foundation to the
ceiling there are tongues questioning,
questioning; aud for the most part mtn
are stupid fellows that do not hear, and do
not answer, and it is a shame.
How dull and heavy is mems business
because they do not understand these
things How, il they were TO draw from
it that knowledge which it is capable of
imparting, would It blaze all over with
interest! How would mems minds be re-
deemed from drudgcry, and how would
the most unseemly and uusavory things
become profoundly Interesting, if they
could be seen 10 their moral and intellect.
ual relations
And aside from professional business
knowledge there is much that one should
strive to gain because he ia citizen and "a
man. a man ought to have o kuOwledge
of his business. aud the relations Of his
business; but there are branches OF kuowl-
edge that 1t iS essential that a man should /
be familiar With which are not directly
connected with his business. For an
American citizen should have general iu-
formation; he should be cultured gen.
tleman. | do not object to ones guing
through the whole routine of The uuIver-
sity. Far be 1t from ne to stigmntize q
man because be gives himself up to study;
because he belongs to class Of workers
10 ideas because he is a manufacturer of
those fabrics into which ideas are wrought.
do not stigmatiLe him nor do / envy
him but do feel generous wish that
such privileges as he enjoys should not be
confined to Glasses; and look upon my
fellow men and say, Why should not tue
poor know, If not so much as the more ia
vored, yet the same 10 due propoI IiOn =
Why should not our common citizens feel |
themselves called to some participation in
the knO wledge which those possess who |
have superior advantages Why, since |
knowledge is made easy. and since tits |
brought down to the necessities OF those
who are children Of toil--wby, though
large Accommodations of it are not possible
to them, should they not have it accord
ing TO their means and time aud oppor-
tunIiies! Why, at least, should there not