Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-10-05

pressed by a horribly-maimed soldier,
who said, with bright and hopeful air !:
| know that the world has some useful
place for me to fill, and work for me to
do; my business is TO hunt it up"
Knowledge is posoer.-This proverb is
in two respects like Franklin's Hon
esty is the best policy''--first, in probably
being sound by original intention, and
secondly in probably being the parent of
more evil than good. Franklin's, after the
reign of a century, has been condemned
by high ethical authority, and is rapidly
passing out of use, because it seems TO
base honesty on policy, instead of regarding
it as morally obligatory, and thus lower
ing the standard of public morals. The
proverb at the head of this paragraph has
also been condemned, and is also passing
out of use, because its tendency has been
to lower the standard of popular educa-
ton. There can be no question but that
those peoples and generations which have
excelled In knowledge have also exeelled
in power; but any educator of youth who
should act upon the principle that educa-
ton consists in examining the mind with
knowledge will have perpetrated as great
an error as would body of civil engi-
neers who should saturate the atmosphere
with vapOr from boiling caldrons be-
cause il is known that steam is motor
The truth is, that steam and knowledge
are powers Tor rather mems Of p0tcer) only
when properly used. Many man who
has been known as walking encyclope-
dia has been equally noted for inability to
put his knowledge to account, because the
practical part of his education had been
neglected.
Immodest words admit of no defense,
For want of decency is want of sense.
If there be any misapplication predica-
son given by the author than in the use
made by those who quote them. In any
case the last line is true; but in otfenses
against society no excuse on behalf of the
offender is regarded as more available than
to say he knew no better. Even the Apos-
tie Paul affirmed, in certain sense, its
validity when, in speaking of his bias
phemy against Christ, and his persecution
of the church before he became a believer,
he said: "But | obtained mercy because
! did it ignorantly in unbelief." The plea,
however, to be urged by permission of the
offender requires such degree of humil-
ity or rather of self-abnegation, as to be
says: "Most people would rather be ac-
counted knaves than fools" Possibly
Mr.. Pope had this fact in mind when pen
ming these lines; but if he had he would
have been nearer the truth, and not whit
the less biting, if he had said, substantially,
in his smooth verse
Immodest words admit but one defense:
That want of decency is want of sense;
and perhaps this is what he intended.
What euerybody says must be true
There are certain deep and resistless in
buttons possessing the universal mind
such as belief in the existence of God
and in the immortality of the soul-which
might be safely received as true, even il
they had no other support than their evil
dent adaptedness TO the necessities OF our
being, and the fact that they impress all
unbiased minds alike, thus beautifully il
Illustrating the sententious old maxim OF
the Romans V01 p0Dlttt DOR Del. These
intuitions are always strongly marked
with the peculiarly that, although they
may not need the support Of argument,
they are not opposed to reason. There
are cases, however, in which the UOE pop
uLi has been in direct opposition to the
cor Del, as afterward revealed by reason,
though none of these cases are OF moral
nature, nor is their accompanying percep-
ton worthy the name OF intuition. A few
generations back, under the guidance OF
another old proverb that seeing is betteutng
everybody said" that the world was flat,
and that 1t was a sort of immovable center
around which daily revolved the sun
moon and stars. But when this "voice
of the people, came TO be tested by
facts, which reason proclaimed to be utter.
ances of God in nature, it was found to be
utterly false, being an illusion of the
senses; the earth is not fiat nor do any OF
the heavenly bodies daily rotate around
it. Then, again, that mysterious and all.
prevailing authority known as "eyery.
body" is proved in many cases to be a
mere myth, being composed oftentimes Of
ones own party in politics or clique in
society, while their maxIms are contra
dicted by people of other parties and Of
other cliques.-F. Il. Goutdtng, in apple
tons Journal.