FARMERS' REGISTER— FARMERS AND MECHANICS. 



437 



was generally for a very short time. But a faint 

 mark of the tracks often remained visible for some 

 time after. Their apparent length varied from 

 five or six diameters of the full moon at its rising, 

 to perhaps one fifth the visible arch of the sky. Bui 

 I repeat that these estimates must be far from ac- 

 curate. Sometimes a flashing and far more bril- 

 liant burst of light, like the explosion of a rocket, 

 would take place during the course of the longer 

 streams. In these cases, the resemblance was 

 striking between these liglits and so many sky 

 rockets, if the latter could be supposed to fly down- 

 ward, and always in straight lines. I mentioned 

 that a faint line of light would sometimes remain 

 awhile, to mark the course of the more brilliant 

 track of the meteor. The most remarkable effect 

 of this kind observed was this : — A long stream 

 in the south was accompanied by one of the strong- 

 est bursts or explosions of light, and left a faint 

 line, which from straight, gradually became crook- 

 ed, first with two angular bends, and finally 

 assumed the form of the letter S, very distinctly, 

 though irregularly traced. A friend whom I had 

 called up, was dressing when the flash took place, 

 and which, though not visible through his windows, 

 was very perceptible to him by tlie general illumi- 

 nation it ditTused through the apartment. When 

 he joined me in the yard, the figure of the S was 

 still visible to us both, and our different suppositions 

 of the lapse of time between the bright explosion, 

 and tiie last distinct remains of its train, agreed in 

 making it to be not less than two minutes. I 

 thought it longer. No sound was heard of any 

 kind. The lights disappeared gradually with the 

 stars, and apparently from the same cause, the ap- 

 proaching light of the sun. Of course this would 

 first conceal entirely the smallest, and lessen the 

 appearance of the greatest, until none would re- 

 main visible. Therefore, there is no reason to 

 think that the meteors ceased to be produced, when 

 they ceased to be visible. If I can rely on tlie re- 

 ports made by some of my negroes, this beautiful 

 scene had been observed for some hours before I 

 knew of it — and indeed, one says, that he saw its 

 commencement before he went to sleep, perhaps 

 before midnight. 



I have never before had a good view of even a 

 single shooting star, though my eye has often 

 caught an indistinct glimpse of their lines of light. 

 In this case, in half an hour, I must have seen 

 several thousands : and by looking towards any 

 point in the heavens for a very short time, one at 

 least, would be seen to start into existence, rush 

 through its course, and vanish. 



These lights were nothing in appearance like 

 lightning, except in the flashes or explosions. 

 Bright as they were, they seemed of a white or 

 silver splendor, like that of the moon rather than 

 the glaring yellow of the sun. It was a clear star 

 lit morning. The weather had been very warm 

 the previous day, with appearance of rain — but a 

 brisk west wind had cleared awa}' the clouds, and 

 cooled the temperature. The earth was but slightly 

 frozen in the places most exposed to cold this 

 morning. The wind was from the west at sunrise, 

 but was not noticed earlier in the morning. 



E. K. 



FARMERS AND MECHANICS. 



From the Portland Gazette. 



An opinion both dangerous and pernicious to the 

 farmers and mechanics of our country is prevailing 

 among the majority of them. They imagine that 

 literature, science, and' general information are 

 unnecessary to them ; and that if they are acquainted 

 with the commonest rules of arithmetic, reading, 

 writing, and the trade to which they are called, 

 they liave all the acquirements their business de- 

 mands. What have we to do, say they, with po- 

 lite literature and history, with the deeper branch- 

 es of mathematics, the art of composition, elo- 

 quence, &c. They have nothing to do with our 

 profession, we are to get our bread by the sweat 

 of the brow ; and we leave these branches of edu- 

 cation to the ministers, the doctors, and lawyers 

 of the land. 



Now as long as sentiments like these prevail 

 among mechanics and the laboring classes of the 

 community, so long will tliey be doomed to an in- 

 tellectual and political slavery of the better educa- 

 ted classes ; so long they are doomed to be stripped 

 of their power, and to be ridden by ambitious and 

 designing men. When they are really convinced 

 that knowledge is power, and that the educated 

 part of society gives laws to the rest, tliey will 

 wake from the stupor, and bestir themselves to 

 get this power into their own hands. It is not the 

 wealthy that rule in our legislative councils, in po- 

 litics, in town meetings, and every day concerns 

 of life ; it is not the aristocratic part of the com- 

 munity that have sway over the rest ; but it is the 

 educated, the active, the intelligent, who are the 

 Emperors and Kings of our country, men of su- 

 perior intelligence, who feel the power within 

 them, and who exert it to sway the rest. 



As matters are now arranged in our country, 

 the lawyers are the only men of whom we have to 

 complain ; they get into all the seats of power — 

 give law s to the community, and then set about 

 executing them ; they are invested with both the 

 legislative and executive power, the abilities to 

 make what laws they please ; and the power to 

 execute them as they please ; they frame our laws, 

 sit in our councils, are our judges, our presidents, 

 our governors, our selectmen, our overseers ; they 

 creep into every seat of power; from the lowest 

 grade, till they reach the last goal of their am- 

 bition in the highest ofiice in the gift of the people. 

 The question now arises, from wiiat source do they 

 derive this immense power ? Is it from the supe- 

 rior talents of the profession, from the superior 

 worth, or superior wealth? We think not. This 

 profession is undoubtedly the most intelligent por- 

 tion of the community ; and to this source may be 

 traced all its influence over society in general. 

 Divinesand physicians are equally intelligent; but 

 their avocations do not lead them to mingle so much 

 in the busuiess, the uproar, and the excitement of 

 the world, and as they are less active, they con- 

 sequently have less influence. Lawyers are not 

 only the most intelligent part of the community, 

 who mingle in the affiiirs of the world, but they 

 are far the most active — they exert themselves 

 the most in order to obtain the most influence. 



Farmers might have this power; yea, much 

 more, for the feelings of the majority of the world 

 are on their side: they have an interest too, in 

 propping up themselves, in building up their own 



