The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-09-12

with hidden flie, as In low, elotucnt
tones he urgel the claims Of tic Muse
of Poetry. He spoke or tile halo
which she cast around the immortal
gcniuses that make The past illustri-
GUS. and the radiant glory she would
throw aiowil the vista or coliiIhg
years, and compared her place in the
"Grcat Constellation" to the steady
glow Of the fixed star which ever
shines with n pure and unwavcring
light, which needs not the reflected
glow Of distant suns to enhance it's
beauty and brilliancy.
His period was cut short bv one of
stern, dark mien, whose severe
glance emitted u balcful spark as he
ridcu!ed the youthful speaker.
Poetry, forsooth-! what need las
the public for that? How does it ed
ucatc3 Improve! What truths of
nature does it reveal? 1t clearly
cnunciatcs the wonders Of science,
suppose? Our poet would initiate
the ancient philosophers who contrib.
utcd their quota in erecting wall Of
Ignorance and superstition, by build.
ing up n crystalline structure which
daZzlcd and mislcd the liligcnt
scarchcr alter truth. Each selEtaught
sage thought he could discern the er-
rors Of his predecessors, and establish
his own spcculations; consequently,
timc-honol theories arose, which
mystilicd by the obscurity Of their
origin, the inccrtitudc Of their found
alton, and the intricacy which invest
cd them wi IL an appearance Of astutc.
ness. The enthusiastic founder then
faslidiously dclincatcd his system in
the classic cities Of antiquity to
throngs of eager students by whom
his wandering vagarics were industri-
ously propagated. Thus the, idosyn-
crasics OF individuals became merged
in Il sect distinct from all others and
strict in its tcncts. The Stole, the cpl
curenn, the platonic, the Pythagorcan
sects philosophers-wha. were they
bnt the reflection and illustration OF
the characters of their several found
ers? 1t required years of profound
study by wise men 10 refute their cr--
roncous doctrines. But through the
untiring eNcrtlons OF genius, they
were finally corrected and assigned
10 the shades of obscnrity whence
they only emerge as examples to en-
force the truth contained in the coup
let,
Errors like straws on the surface flow,
lie VINO would search tor pearls must
dive below
In modern times, along with the
tidal waves of knowledge, far-fetchci
errors are borne on the current Of
popular belief, and attain such a
widespread circulation as to meet
with universal reception. The aver
age mind is so devoid Of penetration
as TO catch the floating opinion of tho
world, and rcccdng from any intense,
individual cXerLion, merely receives
the opinions Of others, and by
reconciling them to its pcculiarilics
Of constitution, imagines them to be
its own original conceptions. 10 up
root these false opinions, ascertain
The true, and implant them in the
cloudcd brain, is the task Which
purpose entering upon through the
columns of your paper. Science be-
ing thus divcstcd of the dark veil
which obscnrcs her brightness, her
endless array Of wonders viewed
through the nccromantic glass held
up in the vacillating rays of this
twentieth century, will dazzle the en-
lightcncd world with their gorgeous
panorama"
Ovcrawed by this glimpse .as
through glass darkly, into unknown
realms of thought, another porte.,tous
silence reigned over the audicLce.
With snecr on his handsome face
and an ironical smile curving his Gym
ical lips, another speaker arose. and
with mock gravity, and an admirable
imitation of the formers bombastic
tone, addressed the philanthropist on
the rostrum
"Pompous phrascology and wei!
dissimulatcd assumption Of genius,
mingled with presumtivc transcend.