Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-03-07
N Lsyic u kysnls.

aEEaH&4.r%T| ETUET GETT3E- AMNEE&t
In the study OF history the logic 81
events should not be overlooked.
Nothing can be 0 interesting. and
at the same time more profitable, to
the student than TO study the why, /.
O., the philosophical connection in
events, let them be contemporaneous
or not. Some years ago, when teach.
ing in the public schools Of Indiana,
the writer found it almost impossible
to interest advanced students, young
ladies and gentlemen, in u study Of the
history Of our country. And not until
the method was adopted OF studying
the philosophy Of history did he sue
Deed. II hate history" II can't re-
member anything about it after | have
read it," are EXPLANATIONS too fire.
quently heard from both old and young.
Any subject in which there is o lack Of
interest manifested is not apt to be
either liked or remembered. Aber-
crombie, in his Mental Science" lays
it down As q principle that interest and
attention are tho two things on which
the poss ession of a retentiye memory
must depend. The why Of history, Of
anything. in fact, rarely fails to excite
an interest, and with that interest will
ZONE attention; this once aroused,
history becomes a delightful study
fascinating beyond most other studies.
aud no longer hated, but loved, because
the mind has been directed Alright in
seeking for it's hidden beauties.
In 1889, a body Of as grand patriots
as the world has eve seen met to frame
q constitution and to found a union of
the then federated States In that
deliberative assembly, a certain element
stood up for slavery SO defiantly that
the only alternative left was "union
and slavery; nc slavery, no union. /"
Here were two opposing elements, both
planted on American soil at about the
same time (162O), the one represented
by . boat load of slaves landed at
jamestown, Virginia. the other by the
Pilgrim Fathers of Plymouth Rock.
What, even now, is more interesting
than to trace the philosophy OF these
events and their causes down to the
close of that frstricidal conflict that
cost the best blood and treasure Of this
people? Studying, We will say from
this standpoint, q any n forget the
Missouri compromise, the bred Scott
case, the Kansas troubles, the mis-
sion OF Senator Hoar of South Carolina,
or . host of other historical incl
dents growing ont of, or closely allied
to, the question Of slavery?
The annexation Of Texas, the discov-
erv Of gold in California, and the Mex
lean war, were the leading events oc-
curing during President Folks ad-
ministration. The mere fact that these
can be grouped together in this way will
do much to help one to remember that
from 1874 to 1913 Polk must have been
the President of the United States;
but a careful study into the causes that
led to the war with Mexico, and the
full history of the annexation of what
is now the "Lone Star State. will ex-
cite an interest so deep and. earnest
that, having once studied these sub.
jects, they cannot be forgotten. To
study history in this is to
study it with q method, and for o pur-
pose. And, as o rule, anything done
metbodically, and with q purpose in
view, is apt to be done we'll A man
with method and q purpose will read
even o daily paper in this way. He
turns first to what most interests him,
and treasures that up, because he is
interested and for the benefit he may
derive from il. He next turns to what
are, to him, matters Of secondary in
terest, and reads them, and so on.
After he has finished his paper-it may
be days OF weeks-he is ready to dis
cuss it's contents and remembers per.
fectly we'll the greater part OF what he
has read. The point is, newspapers
not only tell when and where events
have occurred, but they generally tell
why they happened; and this, the phi
losophy of events. enchains attention.
creates an interest and indelibly inn
presses upon the mind the knowledge
thus conveyed.-Ed X. Pritchard, IN
ArkGnSaU Trduelef,