Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-01-14
sS SaE VOL. 10. NO. %.
Communicated.
Education Continued.

should be mean unto his own glory
lie made man not for mans own pur>
poses or ends, but as mean or in.
strument unto something outside OF
himself, even unto the glory OF God.
This we stated in :. previous article,
and repeat it here, for its truth de-
cides Que very important fact, upon
which is based our whole argument
ia this article, which fact is this -
That man is perfect just as be is a
mean unto the glory Of his Creator.
Ii lesser mean, less perfect if a
greater mean, moro perfect. There
fore, whatever studies conduce the
more 70 this. mans perfection, these
studies should give the mind its ear>
hest and greatestexercise. 0fcourse
do not mean TO say that since the
study OF mind itself affords to the
mind the strongest exercise and most
wholesome development, that this stu.
dy should give very early employ
meLt to the mental faculties, because
indeed they are in child incapable
OF this employment But that the
mind should begin its exercise in
those studies which prepare it for ex>
ercise upon the next higher and more
useful study; and so Gu until it is en-
pable Of the highest exercise. And
that study is useful just according as
II develops, or, so to speak, gives
muscle to the brain. The utility of
study is not determined by the
amount Of truth it furnishes the
mind, but by the degree of menta.
strength It imparts to it. And note,
q study may impart great strength to
a certain faculty or faculties, and give
the greater number little or nothing
to do: this study though cannot be
called a useful study, when thus al
lowed to command the exercise of a
part only, and the mae tivity of the
greater number OF the mental facul-
ties. And such study is mathemat>
les in its several branches. This |
know is an assertion, and | also know
its proof is far above my mental pow>
ers and my learning. Still careful
attention to the arguments ofSir VIM.
Hamilton has convinced me that it
is even so, that the study of the mind
or Of the languages, or, if these be out
OF the question, that the study of the
English grammar AMI its eoncomitant
studies, is more useful and deserving
Of more attention than the study of
mathematics in any of its branches.
Many in our county are disposed to
give mathematics the higher utility,
but | think their mistake arises from
surprising that study receives its
utility from the number of practical
truths it furnishes, and not from the
strength it imparts unto the mind !:
but only the truths that are practical
unto making money or living in this
or that line, Whereas, they should
be truths whose acquisitionshas given
the mind strength or development,
which is itself practical unto the glo-
ry of God, unto mans perfection as
mean unto this glory. And there is
also little fallacy in this supposi>
ton, and it lies in this: They sup
pose that if the mind is only furnished
with these practical truths, that this
is sufficient unto getting along in the
world, but they forget that it requires
mental strength to handle this men.
tai furniture, these instruments unto
getting along. Oh, give me strength
or muscle Of brain, and | can then fur
nish the mind with facts with which
can make living, or, having a
higher and happier end in view, be
mean unto the glory of God.
Sir William says that Sin mathe-
mates all the principles are glUen +;
but in the philosophical sciences they
are to be sought out and established"
And as machine does the work
which would give exercise and
strength to the body, and thus takes
away. or rather withholds strength
from the body, so does methemat-
zeal machine withhold from the mind
strength and development, by its re-
Quiring so little mental exercise to be
worked. The exercise in seeking for
what In mathematics are already giv>
cn, is that which justly entities the
philosophical sciences, one Of which
is that which treats of the laws of
language, TO the higher utility. Now
| know that the above is an assertion
of Sir William Hamllton's but does
it not at once commend itself to rea~
son Does not our own experience
sustain him in this assertion? Says
he, Mathematics knoU nothing Of
causes the research Of causes is phi
losophy the former display only the
that the latter investigate mainly
the Chy" IF this is So, we seq at
once that the latter investigation be-
slows upon the mind the more vigo-
rous exercise, hereby proving its
higher utility. In mathematics boy
can work one Of its machines whose
invention or rather discovery has cost
a great mind intense application and
much time. And the boy need not,
hence uiU not, trouble himself about
the why and the wherefore of this
machine, since he can use it just as
successfully as if he did understand
all about its structure. And even if
one should investigate into the struc-
ture of these mathematical machines,
the whole difficulty Of structure hav-
ing been gone through with by anoth.
err mind, the only exercise for him in
this investigation will be that of re-
cciving an easy explanation of what
indeed may have cost another mind
much time and labor to construct
| But not SO in the philosophical sci>
ences. The perception of its truths
cost their every perceiver almost the
same exercise oflnind which their frst
discovery required. To perceive
them, every ore must for himself dis
cover them he may be aided in this
discovery to certain extent by elu'
cidation, but to perceive them ever
then is almost to discover them anev
But to work the mathematical ma
chine requires very little exercise O