The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-12-21
THEORY vs.. PRACTICE.

INV VI uS' III piepdilb all article 10 De pre-
scented to this meeting, has the idea tina
| the well worn topic, Education" mus
of necessity be elucidated; althoug
the abiest minds have for long ages full
explained the subject.
But, perhaps, upon the principal tina
the humblest seeker after truth, may Sc
cure the richest specimen of the precou
jewel, is it supposed, that humble asso
citation of public school teachers of Ceci
county, may bring to light some great prin
ciple of education, hitherto unthought OF
by all eminent instructors of youth; an,
that too upon purely theoretical principles
have chosen as my text on this occasion
Theory as. Practice, and shall not confin
myself to the educational part of the ques
ton.
Theory is a word in frequent use, and il
mostly used to express the philosophical
exposition of the principles which under
lie the structure of any science, mechani
cal branch of industry, or form of govern
ment.
Practice may be stated as the applca
ton of those principles, in various ways
to our daily life.
Theoretical knowledge is useful, and
necessary, as it is requisite for us to thor
oughly comprehend the principles which
may be called in active exercise at any mo-
ment. y system, either of manual labor
or of intellectual operations, based only OF
practice. without a knowledge of the prin-
cipies of the system. would be but ser.
vile imitation. mere copy; and any indi
viaual Or nation that relies only on prac
tice to obtain knowledge, will soon degen-
crate into an automatic machine, without
thought, and without originality.
Many nations of the earth have thu.
dcgenerlted, and become servile copyists,
quick to comprehend the mechanical per-
Torrance, or operation, but utterly without
thought as to the theory upon which The
operation is based, or to the principles in
volved i'll its performance.
1t is useless to speculate on the causes o
this degeDeracy, or to guess at the philoso
ply it involves. But the fact is sufficien
to show that practice alone will not pro
woke thought, and drive us to find out tn,
foundation for our practice, or whether WE
have any foundation.
Theory, | stated, is necessary. But
theory can only be educcd from facts, and
single fact is not sufficient to establish a
theory, no more than the advent of sin
Gle one of our early spring birds, denotes
the coming of the beautiful summer. Too
many persons start on false course OF
reasoning from insufficient data. They
take single fact as a starting point, and
from this build up a theory, beautiful il.
all its parts, symmetrical in all its proper
lions, exquisite in all it's details, as those
grand Old buildings erected by the master
architects of the Old World; beautiful crea
lions Of the gigantic genius of man. Blu
unlike those buildings standing on soil,
foundations, the flmsy theory stands on
sandy foundation, and the first application
of its principles to practice, brings til,
structure topping around the unfortunate
wight who is thus applying it. We Nigh
cite numberless instances in familiar life O
this false theorizing. Instead of dealin.
with facts as they are, stern, hard, stub
born things which cannot be twisted OF
turned from their original purpose; many
imagine things to actually be what the,
would like them to be, beautiful, tlowery
soft, sensuous things, such as poets DE-
scribe, Or as we may dream of in delir.
ions fever.
But it requires a long series of observa-
tions, and close examination, and compari
son of many facts, ere true theory can b.
evolved.
The oscillations of the lamps in a cathe-
dral is often pointed to as being the fac
upon which was built the theory of TIL
pendulum, which gives lis our accurate
OF time, and of kindred in
ventions. Likewise, the fall of the appl,
from the tree, is cited Us the foundation
Newton's theory of gravitation. Man,
other instances might be adduced, of SINH
lar single facts, being the foundation o!
various theories. 1t is true they are til,
nucleus, or substratum upon which thes,
theories lie, or around which they cluste,
Bnt to suppose that the isolated facts cite.
alone and singly, served to give rise to al
the grand, beautiful, and stupendous theo
les in physical science, is an absurdity to,
great for belief. Rather are they like som,
chemical experiments in which n threa,
serves as the medium upon which certain
substances crystalize themselves, and be
come arranged into beautiful, regula
forms. The observation of the first fac
was the starting point but there mus
have been many observations, many exam
many comparisons, before theory
with all its principles was educed. We
cannot now notc the successive steps by
which these great thinkers built up the
edifice of original reasoning, until it form
cd an harmonious whole, perfect in all it.
details. ana forming IA pleasing picture to
those capable of comprehending it in It's
perfection. But when these giant mind.
were constructing their systems, theories,
or combinations. them what you will,
they tested every step, and proved the
correctness of each new principle. 1t is
the assumption of facts, or the basing OF
new principles upon a single fact, and
false reasoning from these insufficient OF
false data, that gives rise to so many alb
surd theories.
The worlds history is full Of examples OF
this. Quacks in all sciences, and profes
sions. and pretenders in every department
of life. Charlatans in religion who delude
their dupes with new revelation, empir-
les in medicine who pretend to cure theh
patients by the application of Il single rem
edy to all diseases; smatterers in law vine
lead their clients still deeper into harass
ing difficulties, and moon struck visona,
ries who delude themselves, and try to
dupe others into a belief of the truth OF
their assumptions. But when such theor-
les as these are attempted to be reduced to
practice, and their usefulness tested by
~ i.