Morning journal and courier., 1890-04-25
HrLLHoUsE HIGH SCHOOL.

It is law of existence that some creations ,urpass others. Superiority begets emula- lion; emulation is the parent of progress. This supremacy of gifts, which attracts and stirs the human mind with its invisible is genius. Originally meaning power of generation or production, in its trusst sense it is nothing else to-day. It is that faculty possessed by some of extracting realty from things to others void; of gather- Ing truth where most can see but mere va cancy.
 Genius has shown as the central orb of many political cancellations; an Egypt may ever stand a mockery to the art of six continent; China's prehistoric in- vsntion of gunpowder must ever challenge the admiration of two hemispheres; but in no other country of any time has genius been such an inherent possession of the commonwealth, such faithful reflex of na- tional character and such @ palladium of liberty as in America. Asiatic genius, Egyptian genius, European genius has made discoveries which are startling and re- vealed truths which are grand; but to American genius has been left the task to apply theory to practice, reduce abstract to 
 supplant airy conceptions and prohtless doubts with practical utility and common sense. A retorospect of our career discloses the reasons for the singular results Of our national talent. From two main sources can be traced Amerioa's remarkable activity in the fields of genius, her form of government and the necessities arising from her unprece- dented growth.
 Thought widens as responsibility increases.
 s,,ka ia dormant or is perverted for vice and crime. The nearer people comes to self-government the more penetrating asp comprehensive be. comes the power of its mind. Hence co9ita- tive strength is found in countries where, as in our own, every man at once lawmaker and . subject, where his best impulse directs his mental powers to the welfare of his neighbors. Accordingly, our great think sTs err. are noted for the their aysrs ready yet all wise scope of their inspiration. Stimulated by certain knowledge that his genius will be recognized, regardless of party or faction, the American boldly states his convictions, thus doing away with dogmatic ideas. To-day, in the greatest kingdom of the eastern world, the mind is dwarfed for want of exercise; statesmen, except of the despot's type, are there impossible; mental activity finds vent in acts ot depravity and crime.
 Compare with the versatile brain of our people the patriotism and elevated aim of great mon, and painfully must the fact ap- pear that freedom of thought has been 6 puissant factor in determining the level upon which we now stand. Human talent works vigorously as want is pressing. Deficiency stimulates activity, necessity is the mother of invention. Nothing can be more needy than country in It's infancy. Especially true was this of our republic during its struggle for existence and during its subse- quent trials of it's development.
 Consonant with reason, then, American genius has been wider in its scope and of clearer insight than that of long-estab blished, unaltsring states can possibly be. Washing toms generalship, Jefferson's and Hamilton's statesmanship, Patrick Henry's oratory, were talents for freedom. Cloistered in @ non- progressive monarchy they might never have developed those rare and priceless qualities. When Ericsson constructed the monitor in one hundred days he was not seeking pecu- niary reward nor world wide reputation, but was putting forth his inborn genius to save the Atlantic coast; and he saved it.
 As the atom of matter imparts to it's neighbor and derives from it's neighbor the support necessary to it's development, per msnenoe and perfection, SO American neces- sity and American genius, incentive and prediction and ful6llment depend upon each other and support each other, the second be- ing great as the first is great.
 The kinds of American genius, though governed by homogeneous forces and tending in the same direction, move in separate lines of progress.
 In literature, that later fruit of a nations history, we have accomplished much, and re; membering that no European country could boaet of great literary works for centuries after its birth, and that our literary excel- lence during the nineteenth century has rivaled the best, we entertain EO fears for
 Americs's literary greatness. From politi- cal standpoint our progressive spirit has already hrsathed new life into the occident.
 Oar inventors have revolutionizsd the fcTces of civilization. Beginning with Full tons boat, activity has never played until now Edison's photograph is crowning suc- cess. The world delights to pay to America's gcnius, and well 1t may, for from 1t have flowed universal blessings.
 So may American genius not narrow, but liberal, not selfish but patriotic, not blind but far seeing, not onesidad but multiform, not initiative but inimitable, in the future as in the past safely guide our course among the nations and never cease to pour out its copi- ous wealth upon all.
 "rhe Wonders Of the IHeavcns''-Miss
 Mary A. Hartwell,s Essay, With she
 valodicsoxy Addresses.
 "The heavens declare the glory of God" In all the writings of King David we cannot find nobler nor more inspiring thought. And yet his conception of the wonders of the heavens must have been far inferior to ours. In his time astronomy wasan unknown sci- ence. Centuries passed before there lived such men as Thales and Pythagorss, whose names are celebrated among early astrono- mers. In these recent times, therefore, how much greater should be our knowledge of the heavens as we'll as our realization of the power of their creator! If then David, in Q moment of exaltation, could give utterance to so sublime thought, what ought to be our feelings when we look into the depths of the starlit skyi What object in the heavens first attracts the attention of an observer who watches the evening skyi
 The moon. And whyf Because she is the nearest of all the heavenly bodies and in her fullness greets us with the most conspicuous presence. Still, even her distance from us may seem to the most thoughtful observer to be inconprehensible. As we watch her movements for season we note a wise pros vision of the creator. In the summer even. ings, when we least need her light. she runs low in the heavens; while in the long nights of winter she passes much nearer the zenith This may seem triAipR thing to us, but not SO to the inhabitants of the polar regions. Wonderful provision this for their comfort and pleasure in It's relief from the tedious. ness of the long polar night. As we leave the moon in our thought we naturally turn to the sun, our greatest luminary, whose distance from us Is still more incon- ceivable. Great as this distance may seem to be, 1t is used in ass employ the foot or the yard in estimating some trifling fraction of our longest distance upon the earth. While watching the sky for successive evenings we notice that certain stars change their positions with reference to those about them. These are the planets, or wanderers, thus named to distinguish them from the fixed stars. But why do tho planets seem to move, while the stars remain fixed Simply because they are vastly nearer to us. Let us now start on an imaginary journey outward from the sun. We pass first the wing-footed Mercury; then Venus, the most brilliant planet in the heavens; the Earth comes next, followed by Mars. Here let us note an interesting fact. Scientists who have studied the composition of Mars tell us that this planet is the most similar to the Earth; and that if human beings inhabit any other planet it is undoubtedly Mars. But who can tell wheth- CT or not human beings dwell on other spheresi We know this, however, that If they do, the conditions which support life must be far different from those of our vvor1J. hv,k vat nk I{vr,;k