516 [ASSEMBLT 



Again, let us glance for a moment at the ^-common sense" rule 

 •0 often held up as the surest guide in our benighted calling. 

 In the first place, can any gentleman in the ranks of its advocates 

 (and'thej are ma'ny,very many^) tell me what is common bcnse 1 

 and how is it applied to the accomplishment of the various ne- 

 cessities of life, and particularly to the farmer's wants'? Not but I 

 am a strenuous advocate for this same common sense, but I am 

 still more earnest in my desire that we should all Aderstand how 

 this brilliant is cut which radiates so much light, and possesses 

 these wonderful powers of attraction, for I fear, like its brother 

 brilliant, '^ practical men," very much depends upon the setting. 



In the transactions of the ordinary business of life, few of us 

 have been so little observant as not to have noticed the various 

 grades of aptitude ex'hil ited by our fellow beings, each in his par- 

 ticular calling. That I may, however, be Letter understood, and 

 arrive at my point sooner, I will confine myself to the various ope- 

 rations of the farmer. Take the woodman; what constitutes his 

 skill, and how has he become possessed of it? To the first you, of 

 course, will answer — a man perfectly used to the use of the axe. 

 Now how has he become possessed of it ? You, to stand to your 

 doctrine, reply — why, common sense teaches him that. But gen- 

 tlemen, pause a moment and ask yourself, has this man been labor- 

 ing any length of time to acquire this amount of skill in the use of 

 his tool, or did he occur as some geological specimen ? Doubtless 

 you will all answer with me, that this man, being naturally endow- 

 ed with reason, applied to it a severe,and peculiar training through 

 a period of years, by which he acquired a sound degree of judgment 

 on this point; mark you, by his study or labor he acquired the exer- 

 cise to perfection of one peculiar art, and that this common sense 

 which we all value so highly was nothing more or less than a cufti- 

 vated reason or enlightened understanding — a principle by which 

 we are enlightened on the most abstract truths. It follows therefore, 

 that this common sense will aid no uneducated man a jot fur- 

 ther than his experience extends. Permit me to quote a 

 passage from a celebrated divine on this subject — ^' By common 

 sense is meant, I apprehend, (when the term is used with any dis- 

 tinct meaning, ) an exercise of the judgment, unaided by any art 

 or system of rules; such an exercise as we must necessarily employ 



