Year: 1876

Communicated.

 RUssELLvILLE, Ark, March 27.

 Editor DEMOCRAT: Since tho columns of your valuable paper are always open for communities ticns, your correspondent takes pleasure in advancing such sug gestions as will tend to elevate the moral tene of society and give q clearer comprehenslon of oul wants and necessities in an edu- cational line. There is no subject which deserves more considcra. tion than tine simple one of mental culture. Certainly our i'll sue cess towards securing more re- fined and cultivated state of socie. ty, as we'll as holding the real rank in Agricultural pursuits, can readily be attributed to the fact of there being no we'll form. ed institutions of learning in the country. This fact IS not more clearly demonstrated than in the early history of our country as we'll as that of the distant west. The wild savage who once roam ed through our forests with as little concern as the herds of the field, perceived none of the beau ties of our level plains and the vast fields of mineral wealth which snderlay our mountain peaks. Their narrow, contracted minds conceived nothing more to be manufactured from these dense forests, than the simple article of bow and arrow. The vast wealth of this continent was no more to them than a barren desert. The beautiful snow, the loftiest peaks of the Rocky mountains, the green fields of our fertile prairies, all combined afforded not even so much attraction, as the wild deer of the plain.

 Why are these facts thus true? Because their race is an inferior one in point of intellect to ours? It will not do for an intelligent people to concede this as being literally true. Their minds are certainly very susceptible of a very high degree of cultivation. No, it wifi not do to conceal facts from an enlightened and iDtelli- gent people. The great forests, the gold fields of California, with all the treasures of this vast con tinent, would have remained in obscurity even up to the present day, but for intelligence having un- earthed these hidden resources and revealed to the rapu gaze of the admirer all their beauties. Mental development is the only treasure that will forever sustain our pride and our advancement in the science of agriculture and lit erature. Just in proportion to our intelligence, just in that pro portion will our country improve and prosper. The one idea of planting beans, cabbage and Gu cumbers in the moon has so long since exploded that intelligence only gives it a place with ancient mythology. The shrinkage of meat or pork killed in the decline of the moon has caused many Q poor fellow to go hungry, when in telligence would have taught him to consider the state of the wealth CT. These ideas of dogmatism have no root in this enlightened age, and tho sooner our minds be- gin to feed upon something of an intelligent character, the sooner will there be beans, peas, and cu- cumbers. planted in the ground, and fewer empty stomachs to complain of hard times. Then come to the front and educate your children, and stop growing about the little tax you have to pay.

 Look to your day schools, as a preparatory department to a high erplace in the field of agricultu- ral science. Look to your Sun day schools as a blow in the field that cleans the weeds and grass out of the corn and leaves it to grow and expand to it's fullness of perfection, Work to encourage those who are willing to nurse your children in the branches of intellectual and moral culture. Throw down your prcjudices against public schools, because they costyou few dollars. Give