Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-11-04
NUMBER 81.

liamentary address. 1t is a remarkable
fact that the ables. now in our Senate
aud Congress are men of this kind.
Men who have been educated to do. by
the hard necessity of toll. who have ac-
quired practical experience. who have
obtained knowledge by observation OF
men and things, and by hard study. it
may he of not many. but of the best
books. Perhaps one of the most Strik-
ing Illustrations of Il selfmade man,
was our late lamentei President. Lin
coin. 1Ou know his history well; his
early poverty. his hard but honest toll,
his plans and eSertions for obtaining a
livelihood. As this tall, awkward
young man enters the Office TO study
law. what is there that Is peculiar about
him. or what is there that Is promising?
Nothing at all. To ooutward appearan-
ces lac was simply yerda:It, awkward.
unSuSpecting youth, the horror of very
nice Young folks. But he was honest,
he had a will to labor like slave. he
had i clear mind, but exceedingly
siow in It's action. He was not, in its
common acceptation 4 smart young
man.. Very many smart young per-
sons, spend their life time fiddling at
other peoples wakes, Eut as TO Lin
coin. what he acquired he acquired
with pains; but he held on 10 it with
remarkable tenacity, his mind became
clear and strong. his convictions slow
in forming Were deep and abiding, be-
ing OF the people he acquired Il breadth
ot view, a liberality and wisdom OF
sentiment. which distinguished all his
ntterances, his self-cducati0n, the dis
cipline of labor in youth. of labor in
practice, L cOmmon-sense that aSSimi-
lated to itself the results of profound
study and SIgdcious observation. 1t
was the nObiesU education 4 man could
receive for great calling to serve 4
great people. The history of his great
rival. Stephen 4. Douglass, is almost
parallel u his, save as 10 personal fea-
tures. The lesson of it is the same.
But let none OF my younger hearers
suppose the force OF these Illustrations
to be taken away by the assertion so
ofteI made, that these things are peculiar
In our republican society. that are they
incident 10 tie democratic spirit of our
nation. In one respect this Is true. No
where on earth does merit and diStinc-
tion depend SD much OF personal labor,
and worth and ability. nowhere is real
power 20 apt TO be recognized, no where
Is wealth. and distinction and office and
power. so open to the labor and comDe-
tItiOn Of ali high minded and Industri-
Gus men as in our country. The mer-
chants and traders OF our cities, are not
replaced by their sons, but by enter
prISing young men from the country
JIe active and successful men who rise
10 the head oftheir professions. are gen
orally OF humble origin. who carry ac-
qu:red habits Of industry from the farm
or shop To their studies. And ia is is
eminently true OF our literary men, and
our artists. love of the ease. the vices
and luXuries of wealth seem incompat-
ible with the laboriUus self denial re
quired by one devoted practically to
>cicuce and art. What splendid illus
trations were given of this fact during
the late war in our successful generals.
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Hancock,
Rosecrantz. and.others, one the son of Il
tanner, a tanner by trade. another an
orphan boy. left without parrimonv.
aud adopted into the family of his ia
thers friend, L. Ewing, another the son
of tipsy Irish stOue-breaker. But [
need not multiply these examples, for
not only our present. but also our pre-
ViOus history i full of these iilustrI-
tions OF the advantages of cur repabIi-
can Institutions. Bat these things are
not peculiar 70 our own country, they
are peculiar 10 the times. TLey belong
TO and are evidences OF the progress OF
the age. That progress has come in
with revolutions which have shaken OLD
Institutions. have broken down caste,
have delivered the MASSES from intel
lectual and social thrallCOm of aristoc-
ricies. Napoleon, who was himself an
example OF tGis change. and a POW err
fIi agent i'm producing il. taught Eu-
rope the meaning of his maxim. lie
the men, who know how to handle them
use the tools" With the diffusion OF
popular liberty and Intelligence, the
INEQUALITIES OF mcr are reduced. but
the leveiling down of greatness is COM
pensated by 9 greater average of in
teliIgence aud power. Stlf-education
enables Us TO abridge tie distance be-
tween us and our intellectual supe-
riors. But now many do We see VINO
do noJ accept this problem just as it l.,
they attempt to reverse its Operations.
instead OF ascending themselves. they
labor to detract and pull down those
who are superior TO themselves. What
mean Spirltcdness is this.
There may be education without pro
grcss. The lshmaelite is educated but
for thousands of years the son has
known no more than the father. The
youth like the father, learns to ride and
guide his swift stced. to hurl his lance
or fire his gun, while moving with the
swi:tneSs of a flying bird. he learns the
songs and traditions of his forefathers.
a few crude notions of religion. the few
details of his family and patriarchill
and his education / 5 COM
pete. Every MAI. receives an educa-
tion, IL may be no more than the facts
OF sensation of experience in common
life. or knowledge acquired by his lin
tied Ois .rvation of things. But sIch
an education. may be without any pro
gresS, the son may be like the father,
the later generation OF such people just
ike the former. How comes this
" hat is that education which is con-
nected with Individual and with gen
eral progress? For that slch differ
ence exists you must all know. Tae
Inference !, lSt. In the purpose with
which knowledge i obtained Many
who receive Il liberal education. receive
it simply as an accomplishment. Kind
Df expensive luxury. Their education
: 70 them like the furniture of their
DarlOrS. Their minds are the store
houses of other mems thoughts. they
ire passive in receiving instruction. |
hey can quote whole books of classic
lut!Iors. can furnish you with an in !
leiinite variety of facts. and can detail |
% yol the Speculations and theories of
thinkers OF many ages; but they are
rot masters of their learning. ther |
lave no critical appreciation ot facts.
md in fact are not practical thinkers
N. again the difference is in the char
Icter Ofthc ideas. and the living sym
'athy of the learner with them. That
.nOwle.ige which gives power must
Ontdin sprinsing aud germinant ideas
: Lord Bacon calls them, all knOwl-
dge that expands the mind. enlarge>
'ur comprehension, contains preg
ant ileIS. which we III IKE our
wR and which not only teach us u
hiHk. but form the subject of onr
houghtS. Now it must be clear thai