Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-26

port tho responsibilities OF the present
took advantage 70 the strengthening o.
his own position, and the benefit OF his
\ subjects, OF his imnc dlate surroundings
I who, indulging In no idle dreams OF
prophetic visions OF future power, by d
wise use OF such means as the present
provided, overthrow the most valiant and
/ influential Of his advcrsaiies and secured
] the peaceful possession of the English
I throne. The contest between Edward
and Warwick Is in itself typical OF the
war which still continues between the
ranks OF intelligence and progress. sander
the leadership Of wisdom, and the co.
hofts OF Ignorance and error, who rush TO
the fray under the guidance of prejudice
and unreasoning conservatism. The
same battle is In progress at intervals
even to this day, but with increasing ad-
vantages on the side OF intelligence, and
the contests, though prolonged and
deadly, can have but one result. For
these contests are like those in which
men struggle for liberty
'Frcedoms battles, once begun,
liequoathed from bleeding sire to son,
Though doubtful oft are ever Won"
The character OF Adam Warner fur
nishes one of the most beautiful and in
structiyc studies IN the realm of fiction.
Bulwer depicts him as an old philosopher,
the lonely inhabitant Of q dcsolatc and d.
lapidated castle. Here he has buried
himself from the busy world and every
energy of his mind, every inspiration OF
his soul, every pulsatlon OF his heart are
absorbed in the pursuit Of one grand the
DRY. To the prosecution of his studies
and their application to his cherished dis
coyery Of great motive power he sacri-
fees every pleasure and comfort of life !;
lives in obscurity and poverty, his only
companion devoted daughter who shares
his solitude, even though she cannot
grasp the grandeur of his conceptions,
and his only solace the construction of
that mysterious machine, to the perfec-
ton of which his genius has voluntarily
devoted itself, The morning light of each
successive day beholds him fastening to
toll which the silent stars of midnight
see each succeeding night unfinished
Patient and accomplishing, he labors on
Kings are dethroned, courtiers diseraced,
battles and sieges are in progress, the
kingdom Is rent to its center with inter
necine strife, the sounds of which roll
sometimes up to the very doors of his re.
treat. Yet he hears 1t not His gentle
daughter is insulted and he himself
scourged time and again by an ignorant
populace, IN whose eyes he
Is a necromancer and his
engine an invention of satan. Yet he
feels none OF these things, and after life
devoted to studies for the benefit of man
kind and filled with uncounted sacrifices
in behalf of truth and knowledge, he at
last falls victim to cruel and brutal
soldier, and eXpiates upon the same bat
tlefield which beheld the downfall of
Warwick, an offense whose sole criminal
ity consisted in the, attempt to force upon
the world knowledge for which it was
not prepared. Adam Warner, the philoSo-
pher aud theorlst, is the type of a class.
He represents in that age the genius of
the future. He did not exist in what
constitutes his present. Forgotten were
all its duties, its responsibilities, its sur
roundlngs, in the delightful aspirations
whose full fruitlon the future alone
could supply. Absorbed in specuatons
with an enthusiasm which is inspired by
the most divine attribute of humanity.
viz: the desire to add to the knowledge
of the world, he forgets every human tie
and gives even to his faithful daughter
not y 1.-THE of the affection which he be-
0NNNo NpRh NllN AAhEAiull IlIutulNt WHICH
personiiles his "theury,n and which,
therefore, holds for him Just such di.
vinity as the Buddhist finds in his IDOL.
Adam Warner was theorist, visionary,
Il character which, in every age, can
not fail to extort our admiration, man
who follows with the eye of prophecy
a thread which is invisible TO others, Il
man who is content TO live in rags, to en-
dure hunger and cold, to be pointed out
as an object for the derision II not the
punishment of society, so that his theory
| is established The life and death Of
Adam Warner, as depicted by the novel
list, are sadly yet truly typical of the fate
OF him who, however pure and noble his
intentions, turns aside from the practical
necessities Of mis- age and devotes himself
TO visionary schemes and theories, even
though their object be to bring knowl-
edge and happiness 10 the human race.
| feel, fellow-teachers that | should
be paying but a dubious compliment to
the historical and general reading of
this Intelligent body, did pause even for
n short space to show you the application
OF what have said TO society In general,
| or TO point ont to you the Edwards, the
! Warwlcks, and the Adam Warmers, or the
classes represented by them In each sue
cessive age. The task would indeed be n
| pleasant one, but would invoke an exam
| nation which is beyond the limits of my
! present essay content myself, there
fore, with the broad assertion OF what the
"hoary registers of time" bear witness
namely, that every age, every country,
every community, every profession, has
Its WarwickS, It's Edwards and its Adam
! Warmers. Each has its representatives
| OF the first, In that class which is behind
the age; OF the second, in that class
4 which is abreast OF the age, and of the
third, III that class which is ahead of the
! age.
AS in general society, SO in our own
profession, there are the same lndlvid-
uals, representing the same classes. If
the bench. the bar, the pulpit the frater-
nifty OF medicine, and the political forum
can each furnish its exemplars, so can
the school-room, and that, too, from the
humble ''primary'' TO the most prcten-
tious university. We, too have our
Warwlcks, grit about with old habits
and effetc costumes, clinging with I'M
yielding tenaclty TO old methods of
school discipline and instruction, on
posing every reform as dangerous limo.
walton upon feudal usages and privileges
monuments of that ,unreasoning CON
seryation which was the distinguishing
characteristic Of the "kino-makers y,
and standing, by reason of their narrow
ness aud prejudice, us obstacles i'm the
path OF our professional progress and
useiulness. There are still men In our
ranks who look upon commodlous school
buildings and comfortable patent desks