44 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



the instability of our institutions, since, without force to 

 support them, they are more firm than the monarchical 

 establishments are with all their military array 



TO MR. WILLIAM MACLURE. 



NEW HAVEN, April 18, 1825. 



I AGREE with you substantially as to the im- 

 portance and efficacy of knowledge, and the baneful effects 

 of ignorance, but in the idea of knowledge I include that 

 of our duties as moral and accountable beings, in which I 

 trust you will agree with me, and therefore I presume that 

 when you speak of speculative opinions on politics and 

 religion as the greatest bar to civilization, you rather refer 

 to the abuse too often made of a good thing than to the 

 employment of one intrinsically bad. Correct speculative 

 views in politics are most likely to lead to correct practice, 

 and it is the same with religion. A bad or false system of 

 either will almost necessarily lead to bad practical conse- 

 quences, but a true and correct view will most probably 

 lead to happy results. It is possible that our opinions on 

 some of these subjects may differ, but we agree on so many 

 important ones that I cannot doubt we shall mutually 

 grant to each other the liberty to differ, where we actually 

 entertain different views. Everything is going on very 

 happily in this country, in our political and literary and 

 social institutions, and I trust you will find that during the 

 years that have passed since you last left us, we have made 

 considerable advances. Wishing you a safe passage and 

 happy arrival, 



I remain, dear sir, very truly yours. 



TO MR. WILLIAM M ACL TIM,. 



NEW HAVEN, April 13, 1829. 



YOUR kindness and uniformly cool and consid- 

 erate attention to the subjects suggested by your friends 

 will, I doubt not, pardon my alluding again to a subject 



