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

with hidden fire, as in low; elotuent
tones he uige'l the claims Of tic Muse
of Poetry. He spoke OF tile halo
which she cast around the immortal
gcniuses that make the past illustri-
GUS. antl the radiant glory she would
throw attoWn the vista or coiiiiht
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 its
beauty and hrilliancy.
His period was cut short bv one Of
stern, dark mien, whose severe
glance emitted u balcful spark as he
ridiculed the youthful speaker.
Poetry, forsooth-! what need las
the public for that? How does it ed
ucate? Improve! What truths of
nature does it reveal? 1t clearly
cnunciales the wonders of science,
suppose? Our poet would initiate
the ancient philosophers who contrib.
utcd their quota in erecting n wall Of
IGNORANCE and superstition, by build.
ing up q crystalline structure which
dazzlcd and mislcti the ,liligcnt
scarchcr after truth. Each sclctaught
sage thought hc could discern the er-
rors Of his predecessors, and establish
his own speculations; consequently,
timc-honoi cd theories arose, which
nIystified by the obscurity Of their
origin, the inccrtitudc Of their found
alton, and the intricacy which invest
cd them with an appearance of astutc-
ness. The enthusiastic founder then
fuslidiously dclincatcd his system in
the classic cities Of antiquity to
throngs of eager students by whom
his wandering vagaries were industri-
ously propagatcd. Thus the, ,idosyn-
crasics Of individuals became merged
i'll sect distinct from all others and
strict in its tcncts. The Stole, the cpl
curean, the Platonic, the Pythagorcan
sccts OF fphilosophers-wha. we're they
bnt the reflection and illustration Of
the characters of their several found
crs? 1t required years Of profound
study by wise men 10 refute their er-:
roncous doctrines. But through the
untirlng eNcrLlons OF genius, they
were finally corrected and assigned
to the shades of obscnrity whence
they only emerge as examples to en-
force tho truth contained in the coup
let,
Errors like st raws on the surface flow,
lie who would search tor pearls must
dive below
In modern times, along with the
tidal waves Of knowledge, far-felched
errors are borne on the current of
popular belief, and attain such n
widespread circulation as to meet
with universal reception. The aver.
age mind is SO devoid Of penetration
as to catch the floating opinion of the
world, and rcccding from any intense,
individual cNerLion, merely receives
the opinions Of others, and by
rcconciling them to its pcculiarities
OF constitution, imagines them to be
its own original conceptions. TO 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 dircstcd of The dark veil
which obscurcs her brightness, her
endless array Of wonders viewed
through tic nccronlailtic glass hcid
up in the vacllating rays of this
twentieth century, will dazzle the en-
lightcncd world with their gorgeous
| panorama.
Ovcrawcd by this glimpse .as
through glass darkly, into unknown
realms of thought, another porte.,tous
silence reigned over the audience.
With snecr on his handsome face
and an ronical 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 n we'll
disseminated assumption Of genius,
mingled with presumtive transcend.