The New York herald., 1875-09-27
Mr.. GLADSTONE on MENTAL CULTURE

THE THREE Forms or MANS LrYE-srmTruAI,
INTELLECTUAL AND BoDILr-How WORKING
MEN MAY IMPROVE THEMSELVES M KDU-
CATION.
From the Manchester Guardian sept lSl
At the annual meeting y the Hawarden Literary
Institute held last night the Rev sephsn Gladstone
presiding the adoption of the report moved BY the
Right Hon. W. y. Gladstone who said - Ssh y0a
TO consider a few things whish vii endeavor % lay
before you, for every institution oftns Kind opens
great number OF interesting topics, from which
but select, and which only touch hastily
account OF the time which IL would require 10 exhaust
them. In the first place let say, in recommending
your encouragement and patronage establish
ment Of this kind, that do not DO a. n either
bodily exercise mental culture and the i'm
provement Of our intellectual faculties o. them
selves the whole OF what requires in the course
Of this his pilgrimage upon earth. Man has three
forms OF life-his spiritual lle his intellectual life
and his bodily life IL Is Ia relation 10 good and upon
his relation 10 good, upon the knowledge 0 good and
upon all that concerns that knowledge that has destiny
and his happiness really depend ON these matters /
don't presume to address you lt is no part o. my
function here / address myself here 70 a lower lask
but still to a very high task, whom ask you 20
slider what be done, leaving TO others, who
fit and better entitled TO do IT, 10 touch those subcca
in proper times and places ask you 10 consider the
question of the intelligent life that ought all
deavor to live and which belongs 10 such an nstui0n
this. have said that
MAN HAS AN INTELLIGENT LIYE
the life or his intellectual faculties and, likewise
bodily life and material life OF that bodily material
life the wants perfectly imperative and ind pcnsa
Bile. 1t is in his choice TO great degree whether be
will cultivate his intellectual faculties. II can hardly
be said be his choice whether he will labor for The
supply of his bodily wants and the supply Of the wants
OF those who are Immediately Dependents
upon him II often happens IA the mixed
and imperfect condition in which live that
the exgences OF bodily and material life such, and
the means of supplying them omited, that they actu
ally press out, squeeze out II may say So that oppor
tunity of attending TO the wants Of intellectual life,
and that perhaps is the great excuse that men would
make for passing by the calls OF institution OF this
kind. They say-t is all very well for people with
plenty Of money to spend; but am not In tneIr posi-
dependent upon my health have got wife and chill
dren to support 1t is not for me- and won't be both
cred with it," Well, now is this that ought
TO be made by the aborng population OF this parish
they standY There Is no circumstance more graft
fying in my vew in the condition OF the country than
that great change which has taken place especially In
aborng population to the means which they pos
sess both of seli-support and selfimDrovemenL don't
upon the question whether their they
all that is be desired in this world. 1t will have 10
undergo great many changes before those who inhab
it can have all that desired they have now
what they had not in other times There is only
great Improvement upon their condition IN other times
but contrast of most highly favorable characer,
contrast which must carry JOY and satisfaction TO the
heart of every intelligent man not belonging to the
laborng classes, who knows that the laborng class is
the basis and foundation Of the institutions Of the
country and Of all that constitutes the nation should
like draw to your minds few facts although they
must be necessarily incomplete as 10 what has been ia
other times the condition OF the aborng classes, and
show that your fathers and grandfathers and
grandfathers before you did not belong to institutions Of
this kind they had and reasons for II such
do exist in the present day will say few words
upon the subject Of agricultural labor and afterward
q few words upon the subject of mining labor. II is
about hirtysix years ago since, very greatly TO
my own comfort and advantage became very closely
connected with this place. and that is very limited
time in the life of a community But
WHAT IMMENSE CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE
in the position Of the agricultural aborer even within
that time You know what his wages were thirtysix
years ago and what they are now. Undoubtedly in that
period of time there has been very great change in
deed, change that has been brought about without
great grievances oppression, will venture 10 say TO
any portion Of the community but, on the contrary
with the general conviction that is for the good OF all
although these changes in some degree momentarily
rub and fret in particular and in particular cir
cumstances The right honorable gentleman then re-
ferred TO Mr. Edens work the condition OF agrcul
tural laborers in ten counties OF England be-
tween the years 1790 and $500 to show that
the average wages then received by agricultural
laborer TO support his wife and family were eight
shillings per week Continuing, he said-of the
sixty-two cases OF families who are given in the
most minute manner, in forty nine the wages OF the
man and of his family were not sufficient TO meet the
expenditure that expenditure being based upon mar
row, scanty and defective scale That was the condi
tion Of what VIC called Merry England" eighty years
ago; and now you hear people sometimes say that the
time OF merry England is gone by. Well, 1t may not
be as merry now in all cases as should wish be-
but suspect II quite merry as 1t was IN the times
OF your fathers and grandathers, and many genera
tlons before them, and a good deal merrier
too. (Applause.) AS regards mining labor, the
change has been very great and extraordinary.
don't speak of the change that has taken place within
the last three four years. hope there good
many miners in this room, and to them would say as
a friend have always looked upon that change with
very mixed feelings. II too great too sudden not
to be of short-lved character II was quite manifest
that so great and sudden change could not be sup
ported permanently 1t is not in the nature of things
The OF trade did not permit the rise that took place
three four years in the price of coke and coal 1t
was entirely without precedent 1t was like great
that dsturbs the air with exceeding violence and
I a "A a o.
that kind is apparent TO all who concerned.