The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-07-31
For The Free Trader.
self Culture.

For the Free Trader.
self Culture.
To abstain from those things which irjure us,
the natural appetites and propensities which
work mischief and ruin, is duty, but not the
whole duty which every intelligent ra tional be-
ing owes to himself. There are things to be at
jained, as well as things to be avoided positive
as well as negative Duties Self Culture, not less
than self control, become imperative have no
right to neglect my own highest welfare and adj
vancement. My duty is only in part performed
when refrain from that which positively Injuries
and degrades my mental or bodily powers. 1t
is my duty to develop and cultivate those powers
to the highest degree of which they are, under
the circumstances, susceptible to make the most
of the faculties with which nature has endowed
me. This is the duty of every man, duty which
he owes first of all to himself, but not to himself
alone. The family, the state, society at large,
tho Creator all have an interest in this. matter,
and are concerned in its performance or neglect.
The highest wrong is done, not to self alone, but
to Others, by every instance of such neglect Some
one may ask, what does self culture include Civ
ing my views only, may say 1t includes in its
proper province the entire range of our natural
faculties, whether of body or mind. 1t includes
physical culture not less than mental training
A healthy and we'll developed physical organism
is one OF the very choicest goods of life and in SO
far as it is result to be obtained by careful
training and culture it is duty imperative 90
every man to make that attainment, and to put
forth the effort necessary to it. A sound mind in
sound body, is a maxim true in philosophy and
true in morals We find in the history of the
Greeks what may be done in this branch of ed
ucation. In modern times, 4 am sorry to say,)
moro especially in our own country, this depart
ment of education has fallen into disrepute, and
been very much overlooked. The theory with
US is to discipline and develop the mind, and
let the physical powers take care of themselves
Our institutions of learning, our whole educa-
tlonal system, looks chiefly to this. It's in this,
no doubt they commit radical mistake. So in
innate is the connection between the physical
and mental state, that the highest condition and
most favorable development of the latter can
hardly be secured without due attention to the
training and discipline Of the former. Self.c, are
extends also to the improvement of the intellec-
tual and moral powers. No man is at liberty to
neglect his own mental discipline and culture
Not even are the claims of business paramount
to this. No pressure of professional or business
engagements can justify the neglect of mental
discipline No man in this busy world has a
right to involve himself in the pursuits and cares
of active life, tina: it shall be out of his power to
give both time and care to the improvement of
his own mind. Nature never intended this He
who made the mind, and endowed it with its
wondrous faculties, had 10 such intention.
Nor is the culture of the mind to be made
subordinate to success in the various employ
ments of life and to be pressed merely as a
means to that end. A means to that end it I'M.
questionably is, but that is not the whole or the
chief reason why it should receive attention.
The improvement of the mind is, in itself,
good of insstmable worth, aside from all the gain
that comes OF 1t in the more successful pursuits
of life. A well cultivated mind, richly stored
with the best acquisitions, is itself treasure
that wealth cannot procure nor poverty take
away. "For wisdom is better than rubies, and
all the things that may be desired are not to be
compared with it."
Nor is the duty of which speak limited to
the culture of the intellect alone Memory, i'm.
ngination, judgment, the reasoning powers,
taste, conscience-all are to be educated and
strengthened but the sensibilities also claim re-
gard, and likewise the will These great de-
partments of the minds activity are not to be
overlooked, in the process of mental training.
The heart requires education. Education of
the head and not the heart becomes a curse, the
feelings no less than the intellectual powers. He
only is the symmetrical, fully developed we'll
educated man, with whom all those fAulties OF
his higher and spiritual nature have received due
care and training. He who fails of this, fails in
one Of the hrst duties which he owes to himself.
What encouragement? one may say. answer
very great are the inducements, very pressing
are the motives, to the faithful performance Of
this duty. Other acquisitions are external, and
Of precarious tenure, these, part of the soul it.
self--so much of real value added to the man.
Other riches may take wings, this is the true
that remains, while the mind itself has any be-
ing, its inalienable inheritance. We have every
reason manifesting to US that this does not de-
pend on early advantages. In the absense of
these amid the pressing of active life, much
may be done by iudicious method industry, per.
sovoranca IN raN,;r tho Go;ouo;as &c .orl,, AL