Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-11-26
IwtAs fe1iagssa IhssliiCsnesf.
TIE LOVE or MONEY We. LITE1A.

AID eivfny force to tho laws Whlc
govern IL, ard IN mutually restrai,
tsy each other from running into III
dangerous extremes 10 which the
are naturally inclincd. II
j Which OF these classes is MOI
strongly impressed with the lore q
money 10 . questioa quite iiiMcuI
In some cases TO decide. But We ven
ture 10 say thst Il il sensrsllt u
rich. which Of them has the mos
ardent lpvo for literature 10 . quca
tlon which, We think, hasiin most ID
stances been decided In fAvorof ID
POOR. We do NOT mean 10 say tha
sitrieh usdn are iiiiterats, nor that d
poor mon arc friends Of learning, bu
that the former, a. . xeners
thug, arc cnsnared by the fashion
aud vices Of the world, while the lat
ter, from the very necessities Of thei
condition, are oftener forced aud In
clined 10 depend on the cultivation
Of genius. This 10 about tho tru.
state OF the matter. .rssf
But most men seem to recognize,
the superior value Of learning, ut til,
present day, though they do not ac
upon their avowcd convictions .,
men should do who are really il
earnest. They are convinced tha,
whatever vocation they follow the,
are pot prepared 10 enter iuto society }
without some little education. There.
fore, with many OF those whose pos.
sessed object in life 10 the accumula.
tiou Of riches, It 10 sn important
matter that they be acquainted with
at least the rudiments Of an educa.
ton, not that they have any love for
Iterature-far from it-nothipg more
disaxreeabIe 10 them, but for the
simple reason that people Of intelli-
gence and worth condemn nothing
in b man so much a. culpabie igno-
rance, aud they want to have the ap-
probation OF such men. Others care
nothing for learning. fTheir hostili-
ty 70 IL 10 avowed. They think it tis .
great evil to man, imposing shacklcs
upon his mind which make him any.
thipg else but . freeman. Conse.
quently they Imagine that they have
. kind of superiority over the liters-
ry mat aud tlsere 10 nothing which
they listen to with greater abhorence
than . proposal to educate their
children. ...'..
Still, another class put OF all liter.
ary requirements until, alas 1t 10 too
late to make any real progress in
them. They seem to place these in
the lowest scale, when compared
with other accomplishments, and
they spend tho morning Of life in
Tho pursuit Of pleasure aud riches !
In acquiring the empty shadows of
fashion and dissipation ; aud wher;
In old age, they thinE of improving
their moral and intellectual nature,
they find it impossible, because beth
have bceu weakened aud sbused by
neglect. This 10 the more laincutable
when We consider the facilities offered
by our literary iDstitstions to young
men who are desirous Of becoming
servants Of the public.
II would appear, upon the frst
view of the matter, . redecming
feature Of the American people, that
IN nearly every house In the land We
eau find many works OF q literary
But, alas! how soon are
all our expectations blasted when We
remember that these are, in most
cases, never employed to any good
only used for ornament, or
intended for the eyes Of some curious
friend, who may wish 10 employ
passing hour In . has,y pcrusal Of
their contents. The very multiplied.
~ of books, now flooding our couu-
try, have, no doubt, In a degree pro-
duccd the evils Of which we speak.
Learning IS too plentiful, aud often 1t
10 held out to tho people IN books Of
a very worthless aud injurious char
acter.
Tho preceding facts prove that
even In tho nineteenth century,
which boasts OF its civilization aud
the American people are .
nation Of lniscrs, aud that the great
majority Of tho protessed fr,ends Of
learning are its most dangerous enc
lnies-an iacabus which will even
hinder its progress.
The love of learning aud tho love
Of money arc not TO DO brought iuto
comparison. The greatsst benefac.
tors Of the human race have ever
been those who were the brightest
stars in the literary hcaveRs. Alas!
Il 10 shocking Indeed to see nearly .
" hole people in pursuit OF the vain
aud inferior accomplishments which
depend on riches. o, learning! how
few among the millions Of the human
race arc thy real friends; those who
pleasure aud riches upon
thy altar for the pure, disinterssted
love they have for thee! C.G.P.