Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-06-04

early ST. uggles tor progress, Of the so
cial customs, the governments and in
! 'eliectual accomplishments of those
people, but we so know that theil
cities, their art works and their great
! libraries were the works of enighten
ment. But ot all the ancient world
the Egyptians led in the struggle foi
mans advancement. From them
came the light of the centuries; the
great law-giver Of the Hebrews, the
learned of Greece, the savants Of Rome
alike drew their inspiration from the
banks of the Nile
"Suddenly, this ancient light was
snuiied out and the word relapsed into
moral and intellectual darkness.
/ Nandai hands soWed with salt the fer
| tile fields, and in one common sepul-
cher buried substantially all that had
been gained in culture and intelli-
gencp. Governments were dissolved,
rapacity preyed upon industry, there
was neither law nor right. save that of
might, and the dark ages, with their
superstiiious and benighted igno-
rance, long held their fatal sway over
! the mind of man. But among the
ashes Of the general desolation, the
living sparks were preserved. Wher-
ever Christianity advanced her con-
queriuy standard, religious houses be-
came the radiating points for what in
iellectual light was left; but, it has
been said of those ages. that the only
education was that of the 'cloister and
the castle-in one was made he young
monk aud in the other, the young
knight"
There was another seat OF learning,
of which we seldom hear and to which
due credit has not been given-that es-
tabIishcd by the MoslelI.s in Spain
An au hority so high as DR.. Draper
says that Christian writers have con-
cealed, rs far as POSSIBLE ignored, the
scientific obligation and literary debt
of Europe to them, and he expresses
the belief that the truth cannot much
longer be concealed Let Us render
unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars" but "unto Mohammed the
things that are Mohammed's." While
it is true that the followers of the
Prophet, in the beginning OF their
conquest destroyed all books but the
koran--because those which taught
the same were useless and those con-
tanning anything else were false--it is
also true, that after the conquest OF
Spain they established there the II igh-
est culture then known. 1T is said
that CordGva, at the climax OF its
glory, was the largest and most splen-
did city of the world. While London
was eivelopcd in darkness, It's streets
were brilliantly lighted, and while
those of Paris were pools of mud, its
were paved and clean. Coppce says,
that while to the MoSiem Capitol stu
dents we've crowding from all parts of
the worif to cultivate poetry, to study
the sciences, to be instructed in divIn-
iry or the law, in Christian Europe
kings repudiated learning as unworthy
the crown and warlike mobiles rejected
it as unworthy the sword TO sup
pose either could read was AN insult,
rs ni-taking him for a priest. So late
a, the 18th century, Philippe la Bel,
the eXterminator of the Tempiars,
signed his name with his mark nearly
was reading his books in his library of
of each on its fly leaves.
"But the human intellect will not
long remain in bondage. We will not
to euumerate its many reverses in its
determined march to higher plains.
| How, in the distant centuries, light
I first penetrated the darkened mind of
the feudni lord; how, IN wave succeeds
wave, class after class was reached
! how the cloister WAS followed by
schools, first for the ruling classes and
finally for all, until mankind is
brought to It's present high estate, is
rather the province of a history of lit
crature than Il duty OF this hour.
sit is not egotism to claim ours as
the most enlightened period Of the
worlds history. But let us not con
cude we aie perfect. The race is not
/ finished battle still continues.
Our eyes have been opened, but our n
,ellec.ual atmosphere is still haZy.
"Not only may we improve our stat
u-, iut it is our duty as citizens, its pa
triotS, as phllantropists, to he con-
cerned in the future. The children oi
1 .o-day will shortly rule the world. ~
their parents first, aud their teachers
next, prepare them for the exercise OF
their sovereignty, SO it will le dis
charged. We build great ships, stretch
bands Of steei from ocean to ocean
draw from heaven Its most sacred fires
and most subtle elements, but let III
not forget that the power which con
truls all this intricate nechanism is
that immortal part of our nature, and
that rs the mind is cultivated, so our
enterprises prosper. 1t is the essence
of our hein9, the restless, active agent
that makes of the lump of clay n power
in the world. 1t never rests--if not
engaged in the discovery of the Roet-
gen ray, it will be, in the improvement,
of The primitive bow and arrow. IT.