The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-01-29
From New York
r5rreTDonefeJ,ee WHeetfIsg .hlIGeIliqellesF
NEw YoRK, January "a, 1853.


NBw YORK, January 81 1858.
In these times of railroads and teIe-
graphs, when information spreads With
the rapidly of lightning almost over
this whole inhabited part of the globe,
II Is but natural that education should
make rapid progress. More especially
in country like ours, where no odious
restrictions are imposed on anybody to
express his opinion and principles in
public by word or through the press,
the education Of the masses stands a
much better chance to develop itself
rapidly than on the European contf-
nent, where the Governments Law more
or less onerous restrictions ON all pub
l1cat1onsi thus preventing the public
from forming an independent opinion
and giving them no chance for compar-
lson and reasoning on questions which
touch international or or even Internal
questions of state, religion or politics.
We may therefore consider ourselves
lucky to live in republic where
every facility is given to a
man of forming an opinion of his own,
whatever may be said In favor Of mon
atchial Institutions on the ground Of
their being adapted Ior the character,
habits, and manner of thinking in GER
tain European countries. We venture
70 bLAuB tuaE Lue86 IlOuHfCQleS ana eLl-
Pires will not arrive at the state OF per-
tectioniwhich we enjoy in this republic
in regard to obtaining general Informal
ton and the education of the public
as long as they persist in their restric-
tions on every branch of science which
tends toyinterest the public as to the
equalitY5 of persons before the law
Science and literature, although actualS
" enjoying higher degreelof perfecI
ton and probably more Appreciatedo on
the other side of the. Atlantic than here,
are nevertheless restricted by virtue OF
the more or less aristocratic institutions
In Europe to asmuch more narrow
circle than here where free schools
Feadtng rooms and literary societies
Iare on the increase. Every day we nos
tice in the papers some new enterprise
aiming towards public instruction in
the above meritorious manner, and our
metropolis appears to be fast assuming
the lead in the literary world of Amer
lea, as IL does already OCCUPY by far
the most prominent position among
the commercial cities of the new world
Your correspondent has, for instance,
lately had an opportunity to examine
the newly erected printing and book
binding buildings of the enterprfsing
publishing firm, ID. Appleton q Co.,
which Is not only an ornament 10 our
lcity, but cannot help interesting every
friend Of literature, for that firm has
done more, perhaps, than any other In
the United States towards the introduce
ton and circulation of useful and in
structive works of literature. Tt
Is the intention of that firm to
publish an edition of the works OF
the Rgreat authors, which will for its
price be accessible even to the poorest
class of our citizens, and promises to
become a source of useful diversion
and OF comfort in every family. The
edition combinss neatness with taste,
and the entire works of Dickens,
for instance, will in this edition only
cost a SO. 1t appeRrs thatthe Wavarly
novel, the works of BuIwer and other
we'll known authors, Will soon be pub
lished at corEespondingly low rate. :
about Dickens, who by his adj
m1rable lectures is likewise contrlbu-
ting to the diffusion of knowledge, par
dcularly the knowledge OF. human
nature, he is at present making a trip
through the West, but we are selfish
enough to hope that he win soon return
and deliver as many lectures before the
New York public as his time will allow
him previous to his return to Europe.
Mr.. Dickens may be called a
good or poor actor, as he has
alternately been by New York
papers. He may be abused by others
ror having abused the, Americans, by
some of our institutional in |
some OF his works, but he is, neVerthe- |
less an admirable author and a bene- |
actor 70 whomsoeyer understands and |
knows how to turn to good account |
5he useful lessons which he gives us in |
his works and readings,