The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-04-12
Power Of Mind

Intellect never acts directly upon the Will
it Is only pat in motion by the feelings
Hence. in determining whether man VIII
become influential Ia the world, we are not
to look too exclusively at the amount Of his
intellect Supposing man 10 have -
great an intellect as Napoleon or Webster
without any development Of the feelings. il
would remain forever torpid and inactive.
The win could only exert itself 10 furnish
food for the consumption OF Tie intellect.
It might indeed. feast upon knowledge Of
all kinds, and supremacy happy in its own
medltati0ns IL might progression thought
20 thought forever. without tie slightest
wish 10 impart that knowledge 10 others, or
10 measure its own might with that Of other
minds But Il We We're 10 add 10 this de-
yelopment a small portion Of ambition, or
tie love Of praise and power. these feelings
would occasionally call out the intellect Tor
their own purposes. Now double the
strength OF these feelings, with an ordinary
share 0f others. and YOU have great in
teliect, stirred by passions, blowing a full
breeze. Vow ii you Will double the power
Of approbativeness aud self-esteem once
more you will have mighty mind, lashed
up 10 its utmost intensity OF action by q
strong aud steady gale Of passion, which
gives il no rest day or night. Instead Of
moving with sluggish, futtering sails, as
was the case when there was but little am
bition, the intellect is driven before the
blast WITH tremendous momentum, and
crusles all thar comes in its way. In the
former case, the heavy massive intellect
would strike with power indeed, but il
would be the power OF inertia. and might
suffer q rebound In the latter case, it
must break down all opposition. Or break
itself TO pieces.
The man vino displays in his appearance
that he has great intellectual power, even
if it be measurably inert or sluggish, Will
always command respect: because the
power is there, aud it might be terribly de-
structive when aroused just rs a pack Of
dogs, coming in contact with a sleeping
lion, would keep AZ distance, lest, when
he aroused, they might be hurt. The great
est steamer ia the world, would be au Oh
ject Of admiration and astonishment for
what it might do. even though il had never
moved q foot. So when the man of great
Intellect begins to move in any direction,
however slowly, the momentum Of his pres
ence is felt by all around; just as one Of
these huge steamers, when it strikes the
wharf. however sluesishly, nakcs evory
thing on it to tremble.
Thought feeling and viii constitute mind
The more Of these are concentrated in any
being the more mind. Thinking. or rather
having ideas. constitutes intellect. Thus,
an idiot who has no thought has no mind;
but the moment he can conceive Of bread
and butter. he has one thought, and be
longs TO the class OF rational beings. So
when he learns that the sun makes every
thing warmer he has two thoughts. and be-
longs 10 u higher class of beings. He now
has a succession Of ideas. and If he should
never gain another thought, he could al
ternate between them forever. II YOU can
teach him TO have thoughts on every Oh
ect Of sense. he viii be vastly improved.
Instead OF two thoughts. he may then have
athousand. If he can be taught 10 study
the volumes Of history and science, his
thoughts will multiply into tens Of thou
sands If you can teach the idiot to judge
Of the future by the past. and to range at
viii over all time and space, imagining and
surprising things that might be. and per
hapi viii be though they are not, you viii
double his power, and lie viii have range
Of thoughts which We may pronounce Him
liable, as there Will be no boundaries known
10 man by which il can be circumscribed
The conclusion is that he who has Que
thought only. is more OF man than be who
has none; aud so on to millions-the more
thoughts, the more elevation Of mind
Hence, the more ideas child gets, other
things being equal, the more Of q man he
will be. Hence, all knowledge, on all sub
iects, which the mind Graves and can re-
ceive. should be impaired; and If we can
help impart it, and if the faculties Of the
mind be immortal, We are doing the Re
ceiver a benefit which viii last forever.