MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
^national. 
SELF - INSTtJCTION. 
Many a mechanic and laboring man goes 
through life with very little knowledge ol 
the arts and sciences, except the one ho 
practices, and shut out from all the delights 
of intellectual existence. Ilia pleasures aro 
merely animal, his recreations of the lowest 
grade, his highest enjoyments those experi¬ 
enced in eating and sleeping. 
If a man neglects the cultivation of his 
intellect until the period of early manhood 
is past, or until the cares of a family, and 
other pressing duties of existence have mul¬ 
tiplied upon his hands, there is very little 
probability of the lost opportunities ever 
being retrieved. The dew of youth has 
then exhaled ; the acuteness of the intellect 
has become partially dulled; the retentive 
powers of the memory aro somewhat weak¬ 
ened; and what is more, the noble aspira¬ 
tions— the day-dreams of greatness, the 
spur of ambition, the earnest desire to rise 
—have all partially passed away. 
Ethical writers say “youth is the time to 
servo the Lord,” and it is equally true that 
it is also the time to servo one’s self; not in 
opposition to, or neglect of the former and 
higher service, but collateral and auxiliary 
thereto. Colleges, schools, professors, and 
distinguished instructors aro not absolutely 
necessary to the acquisition of knowledge. 
What we would especially impress upon 
the young mechanic and agriculturist, is 
the importance of self-instruction ; and as 
an illustration of triumphant success would 
cite the case of Eliiiu Burritt; who, as a 
laboring man and one in the performancoof 
a mechanical trade, has made himself one 
of the most distinguished linguists of the 
present or any other age. We are ourselves 
familiar with an instance where self-instruc¬ 
tion at least, in the outset, has led to less 
brilliant it is true, but still to very desirablo 
results. A young man engaged in a labori¬ 
ous mechanical employment was in the habit 
of studying a couple of hours every evening 
after the labors of the day were done. IIo 
had a small room to which he retired after 
supper and studied until half-past ton. His 
associates, for the two hours which he thus 
employed, were loitering away their time in 
stores or groceries. In this way, within a 
few brief years, ho had acquired a general 
knowledge of most subjects within the range 
of physical science, as well as of history.— 
Ho had studied carefully, treatises upon 
Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, and be¬ 
come familiar with the process of book¬ 
keeping by doublo entry. The feat which 
ho prided himself most upon was the mas¬ 
tery of Day's Algobra, almost unaided and 
alono. The teacher of a select school in 
town assisted him in one or two instances, 
but with these exceptions the acquisition 
was by liis own unaided efforts. “ I work¬ 
ed,” he told us, “ovory leisure moment of a 
whole week upon one problem in simple 
equations, and I solved it too, at last! I 
never felt moro elated at any one thing in 
the whole course of my life ! I threw the 
problem into every conceivable form of 
equation and when it camo out right at last 
I was half tempted to rush into the street 
with the exclamation of the ancient Philos¬ 
opher—Euroka ! Eureka !” 
The problem was as follows, and will un¬ 
doubtedly be recognized by many readers : 
“ A merchant supported himself three years for 
£50 a year; at the end of each year he added to 
his capital a third part of that which remained 
unexpended; and at the end of the three years 
he found that his original capital was doubled.— 
What was the original capital ?” 
The equation as formed by him was the 
one most analytical in its form, but certainly 
not the one easiest of solution. Letting a, 
b, and c, stand for tho successive thirds of 
unexpended capital, his formula was as 
follows : 
X —fO-j-a—50-|-b—50-f-o=2X. By substitut¬ 
ing the values of a, b, and c, in fractional terms 
of X and 50, it is readily seen that the equation 
will become greatly extended and somewhat dif¬ 
ficult to reduce, at least for a beginner. 
Having at length, by continued and per¬ 
severing effort, acquired what might be 
called a good practical education, but not 
sufficiently extensive to satisfy himself, ho 
abandoned his situation and devoted himself 
exclusively to literary pursuits, in which ho 
has ever since been engaged. But whether 
he had done that, or continued to tho end of 
his days a working mechanic, tho intel¬ 
lectual pro-eminence he has gained will be 
a source of infinite gratification to himself, 
and will command the respect of his fellow 
men. Let instances of this kind not bo lost 
upon others in like humble circumstances. 
Slow progress, but continuous and without 
cessation, will carry one a good way forward 
during tho period of a human life; and al¬ 
though it is better to begin early, it is never 
too late. 
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 
Prof. Silliman, while in Europe, called 
upon the veteran Humboldt — and, in his 
recently published volume, gives tho follow¬ 
ing interesting account of the interview : 
In fulfilment of an appointment, wo went 
at once, and were admitted by his faithful 
servant, the companion of many an arduous 
journey. Ilis mansion is a plain edifice, 
situated in a retired part of tho city ; and lie 
would not have boon now at home had not 
the king gone to Konigsburg; for his resi¬ 
dence is generally with tho king at Postdam, 
who keeps him hear his person, as his fath¬ 
er did before him, not only for his society 
and conversation, but, no doubt, also as a 
counsellor, wise from his many years and 
his large experience in the world. We 
passed through his library, which fills, on all 
sides, a room of considerable size: and he 
issued from a door on tho remote side of 
tho apartment, opening apparently from his 
private room. He met us with great kind¬ 
ness and perfect frankness, and with a 
pleasant rebuke for my having hesitated to 
call on him, (I had written a note, asking 
permission to call,) implying that ho was 
not ignorant of my efforts and position at 
home. I then introduced my son and Mr. 
Brush, and wo were at once placed perfect¬ 
ly at our ease. His bright countenance ex¬ 
presses great benevolence; and from tho 
fountain of his immense stores of knowledgo, 
a stream, almost constant, llowed for nearly 
an hour. He was not engrossing, but yield¬ 
ed to our promptings, whenever we suggest¬ 
ed an inquiry, or alluded to any particular 
topic; for wo did not wish to occupy the 
time with our own remarks any further than 
to draw him out. Ho has a perfect com¬ 
mand of tho best English, and speaks tho 
language quite agreeably. There is no 
stateliness or reserve about him ; and he is 
as affable as if he had no claims to superi¬ 
ority. His voico is exceedingly musical, and 
he is so animated and amiable that you feel 
at once as if you were an old friend. His 
person is not much above the middle size; 
he is not unlike in form to the late Colonel 
Trumbull. Ho stoops a little, but no ap¬ 
pearance of decrepitude ; his eyes are bril¬ 
liant, his complexion light: his features and 
person aro round, although not fat: his hair 
thin and white ; his mind very active, and 
his language brilliant, and sparkling with 
thoughts. He alluded in a fluttering man¬ 
ner to our progress in knowledge in the 
United States, and to tho effect which Tho 
American Journal of Science and Arts had 
produced in promoting it. Ho showed him¬ 
self perfectly acquainted with the progress 
of physical science and general improve¬ 
ment in our country, and particularly com¬ 
mended the labors of Colonel Fremont in 
the far West, of Prof. Bache in tho coast 
survey, and of Lieut. Maury, in navigation. 
Bringing out his maps, and tracing his lines 
without glasses, he pointed out a channel of 
communication across tho Isthmus of Darien, 
which he had observed and described moro 
than forty years ago, and to which his at¬ 
tention had been recalled by a paper of 
Capt. Fitzroy’s in The Journal of the Royal 
Geographical Society. Ho showed us that 
there aro no mountains in tho course he in¬ 
dicated, which is more southern than any of 
tho existing routes, and that it possessed 
several important advantages. I alluded to 
his brief visit in tho United States, in 1804, 
when ho traveled no further north than 
Philadelphia. Ho told us that ho passod 
three weeks at Monticello with the late Mr. 
Jefferson, who entertained him with an ex¬ 
traordinary project of his inventive but of¬ 
ten visionary mind, regarding tho ultimate 
division of the American continent into 
three great Republics, involving the con¬ 
quest of Mexico and of tho South American 
States. Ho discussed many topics regard¬ 
ing the United States. Tho discovery of 
gold in California furnished him an abund¬ 
ant thomo—our topography, climates, pro¬ 
ductions, institutions, and ovon political 
controversies, were all familiar to him. 
Baron Humboldt, although associated in¬ 
timately with kings, is evidently a friend to 
human liberty, and rejoices in the prosperi¬ 
ty of our country. He made some very in¬ 
teresting remarks on the present state of 
Europe, and on the impossibility of keep¬ 
ing down moral power by physical force.— 
In his library hung an excellent likeness of 
the King, and another of his own brother, 
tbo late William Humboldt, the eminent 
philogical and ethnological antiquary. 
We retired greatly gratified, and the more 
so, as a man in his 83d year might soon pass 
away. 
When we were about leaving Berlin, I ad¬ 
dressed a note to the Baron, expressing our 
great satisfaction at tho interview, bidding 
him farewell, and asking for his autograph. 
IIo readily replied, but instead of his signa¬ 
ture merely, he sent an interesting original 
letter, written on the occasion. * * 
It is proper to add. that at tho time of 
our visit, Baron Von Humboldt was engag¬ 
ed in tbo preparation of a new production 
on tho Outline Form of Mountain Peaks, in 
which ho was working up original observa¬ 
tions and drawings made during the course 
of his various wanderings. Ho assured us 
that the greater part of his literary labor 
was of necessity performed when others 
slept, as the hours of usual labor were with 
him consumed by tho demands of tho King. 
IIo added, that lie early made the discovery 
that ho could got on very well with 4 hours 
of sleep. This, as has often been remarked, 
accounts for his prodigious performances in 
literary labor. 
Such is tho modest and unassuming lan¬ 
guage and appearance of ono who has, in 
person, explored a larger portion of our 
globe than any other living traveler; of a 
philosopher, who has illustrated and enlarg¬ 
ed almost every department of human 
knowledge; general physics and chemistry, 
geology, natural history, philology, civil an¬ 
tiquities, and ethnography, have all been il¬ 
lustrated by him. 
He has endured the extreme vicissitudes 
of opposite climates, and seen mon, and an¬ 
imals and plants, under every phase and 
aspect. Ilis published works are a library. 
His faculties combine tho enthusiasm of 
poetry with tho severity of science; and 
from tho culminating point of four-score 
years and four, ho surveys all his vast la¬ 
bors, and the wide panorama of universal 
science, which, as probably his last labor, he 
is now presenting to his fellow-men by the 
reflection of that splendid intellectual mir¬ 
ror. his Kosmos—tho comprehensive Hel¬ 
lenism, which expressed both the universal 
and the beautiful. 
Such is the philosopher, who of ail living 
men belongs not so much to his country as 
to mankind, and who, w hen he departs, will 
leave no one who can fill his place. 
istuncal. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
CANADA. —No. II. 
BY J. CLEMENT. 
ORIGIN AND INCREASE OF POPULATION. 
Nearly three-fourths of tho peoplo of 
Canada aro natives of tho Province. Most 
of the emigrants are from England and 
Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and tho United 
States, though almost every nation of Europe 
has its representatives there. Tho follow¬ 
ing table shows the entire population by 
Origins. 
L. c. 
U. C. 
Total. 
( England and Wales. 
3 1230 
92099 
93926 
Scotland. 
14565 
75811 
96376 
Ireland. 
51499 
176267 
227766 
Canada. French Origin. . .. 
669528 
26117 
695945 
“ not of French origin.. 
125580 
526093 
651673 
United States. 
12492 
43732 
56214 
Nova Scotia and P. E. . . . 
574 
3785 
4259 
New Brunswick. 
490 
2634 
311 1 
Newfoundland. 
51 
79 
130 
c 
West Indies. 
47 
345 
392 
oc 
East Indies. 
4 
106 
1 10 
> 
Germany and Holland.. . . 
159 
9957 
10116 
rf 
France and Belgium. 
359 
1007 
1366 
A 
Italy and G“eece.. 
28 
15 
43 
Spain and Portugal. 
18 
57 
75 
Sweden and Norway. 
12 
29 
41 
Russia, Poland and Prussia 
8 
188 
396 
Switzerland. 
38 
209 
247 
Austria and Hungary. . .. 
2 
11 
13 
Guernsey. 
Jersey and other British 
118 
24 
142 
Islands. 
293 
131 
424 
Other places. 
830 
1351 
2181 
Born at Sea . 
10 
16,8 
178 
Ruth place not known. 
2446 
889 
3335 
Total Population. 
890261 
952004 1842265 
The population of African descent, 
is in- 
cludod in this abstract, though not separate- 
ly designated. The colored population of 
Upper Canada is between eight and nine 
hundred thousand. The increase has been 
very rapid during tho last three or four 
years, owing to the passage of the Fugitive 
Slave law and the stringent laws of Indi¬ 
ana, Illinois and some other States with 
reference to colored citizens. 
It will bo soon by the above table that 
something liko three fourths of tho inhabi¬ 
tants of Lower Canada, aro of French origin 
and natives of the Province; while of Upper 
Canada less than a thirtieth part aro of that 
stock. Between forty-three and torty-four 
thousand inhabitants of tho latter Province 
aro from tho United States, and their in¬ 
fluence is strongly felt. England. Scotland 
and Wales have each a large representation, 
and Ireland more than any other two coun¬ 
tries. Among tho Irish, however, aro but 
few influential minds. As a whole, they 
aro much like tho samo people in the Uni¬ 
ted Statos, illiterate and quarrelsome. They 
are not so generally Catholics as are the 
French in Lower Canada—many of them 
being Orangemen and fervent haters of 
papists —but they have as little enterprise 
as the French, neither of tho two classes 
being very “ progressive.” Tho French in 
Lower Canada cling to the customs which 
their grandfather’s great grandfathers 
brought from Europe ; and the Irish in Up 
per Canada, with rare exceptions, know n n 
more about rural architecture, and arboro- 
tums than tho Arabs, and they would no 
sooner think of planting a shade tree, than 
of committing suicide. Many of tho Eng¬ 
lish and Scotch exhibit a good degree of 
taste and a commendable spirit of enter¬ 
prise. They are the leaders of community, 
and give tono and caste to society. 
It may be interesting to American read¬ 
ers to know how tho population of tho Pro¬ 
vince stands as it regards religious tenets • 
and tho following table will afford tho in¬ 
formation : 
RELIGIONS. L. C. V. C. Total. 
Church of England. 45,402 223.190 269,592 
“ Rome. 746 906 167 695 914,501 
Free Presbyterian Church. 267 65,807 66.074 
Oilier Presbyterians. 29,221 80,799 110.020 
Wesleyan Methodists. 5,729 96,640 102,439 
Episcopal “ . 7 43 884 43 891 
New Connexion “ . 3.442 7.547 10,989 
Oilier “ 11,935 59,585 71.520 
Baptists. 4,493 45,333 49.846 
Lutherans. 18 12 099 12.107 
Congregationalists. 3,927 7,747 11 674 
Quakers. 163 7,460 7.423 
Bible Christians. 16 5.726 5,742 
Christian Church. 10 4,093 4,103 
Second Adventists. 1,369 663 2 032 
Protestants. 10,475 1,733 12,208 
Disciples. 2,064 2,064 
Jews. 348 103 351 
Menonists and Tunkers. 8,230 8,230 
Uuiversalists. 3,450 2,684 6,134 
Unitarians. 319 834 1,183 
Mormons. 12 247 259 
Creed not known. 390 6.744 7.134 
No Creed given. 4,521 35.749 42.261 
All other Creedsnot classed... 13.834 7 905 21.639 
Touching the matter of religion, it may 
bo proper to remark that Protestantism, is 
growing mush faster than Catholicism.— 
Thirty years ago the population of tho two 
Provinces was about 550,000, when less than 
ono third were Protestants. At tho close 
of 1853 it cannot bo much less than two 
millions, and at least ono million and fifty 
thousand are Protestants, making this 
branch of the Christian family now in tho 
ascendant. Its increase during the last 
thirty years has been at least 900,000 ; while 
the Catholics have not gained GOO,000—prob¬ 
ably not moro than 550,000. This change 
of position numerically of tho two great 
Christian branches, is not owing materially 
to change of religious sentiment, but to tho 
circumstance that, of late years, much the 
larger portion of emigrants to Canada, aro 
Protesiants. Most of the Irish and German 
Catholics who now leave Europe, seek a 
home in tho United States, and the same is 
true of tho majority who leave France. 
The annexed tablo shows tho progressive 
population ot the two Provinces, irrespec 
live of origin or religion : 
LOWER 
CANADA. 
i cats 
Pop. 
1676 
8,415 
1688 
11 249 
1700 
15.000 
1706 
20.000 
1714 
26,904 
1750 
65,000 
1784 
113,000 
1825 
423,630 
1827 
471,876 
1831 
511,922 
1844 
690,782 
1818 
779,»oo 
1850 
791,000 
1852 
890,261 
Our next and concluding article will bo 
upon the Prospects of Cauda. 
Early Teaching. — Scratch the green 
rind of a sapling, or wantonly twist it in the 
soil, and a scarred or crooked oak will tell 
of the act for centuries to como. How 
forcibly does this figure toach the necessity 
of giving right tendencies to tho minds and 
hearts of the young. 
There’s not a hearth, however rude, 
But hath some little flower 
To brighten up i.s solitude, 
And scent the evening hour. 
There’s not a heart, however rast 
By grief and sorrow down, 
But hath some memory of the past, 
To love and call its own. 
FOOTSTEPS OF ANGELS. 
BY n. W. LONGFELLOW. 
When the hours of day are numbered, 
And the voices of the night 
Wake the better soul that slumbered, 
To a holy calm delight— 
Ere the evening lamps are lighted 
And like phantoms grim and tall. 
Shadows from tho fitful fire-light 
Dance upon the parlor wall— 
Then the forms of the departed 
Enter at the open door; 
The beloved, the true-hearted, 
Come to visit me once more. 
Ah, the young and strong who cherished, 
Noble longings for the strife. 
By the roadside foil and perished, 
Weary with the march of life. 
They, the holy ones and weakly, 
Who the cross of suffering bore; 
Folded their pale hands so meekly. 
Spoke with us on earth no more. 
And with them the being beauteous, 
Who unto my youth was given, 
More than all things else to love me. 
And is now a saint in Heaven. 
With a slow and noiseless footstep 
Comes the messenger divine, 
Takes the vacant chair beside me. 
Lays her gentle hand in mine. 
And she sits and gazes at me, 
Wiih those deep and tender eyes, 
Like the stars so still and saint-like, 
Looking downward from the skies. 
Uttered not, yet comprehended, 
Is the spirit’s voiceless pray er; 
Soft rebukes, in blessings ended, 
Breathing from her lip of air. 
O, though oft depressed and lonely, 
All my tears are laid aside, 
If I but remember only 
Such as these have lived and died. 
[Translated from the German for the Rural.} 
THE ARCH OF PEACE. 
There thou standest between heaven and 
earth, thou beautiful arch of peace ! Thou 
many-colored sign of tho covenant, to-day 
t.3o same as thousands of years before !— 
When Noah went out of the ark of safety, 
and stood alono upon the purified earth, his 
first action was that of building an altar and 
offering sacrifices to tbo Lord. The Al¬ 
mighty answered him through the arch of 
peace, saying, “I have set my bow in tho 
clouds; it shall bo tbo token of the covo- 
nant between me and tho earth.” 
Look at its origin! The heavenly liiyht 
of tho sun is reflected in tho drops of the 
rain. Tho water is tho earthly element, 
that comes to light in tho rain. Thus our 
sinful, earthly nature comes to light in tho 
tears of repentance. But the light of the 
overlasting Sun of righteousness is refract¬ 
ed in them, and behold, the belief of a rec¬ 
onciliation standing in the heart, liko the 
glorious arch of poaco in the sky. 
Look at its constituent parts! When the 
pure light of heaven is refracted in the 
earthly water, it beams in seven colors.— 
Thus sevenfold is the joy of a believing 
heart. Of tho seven colors, three stand 
forth in bold relief; tbo blue and red on tho 
two sides of tho arch, tho green in the mid- 
dlo. Are not theso Fidelity and Love and 
Hope ? And when Fidelity and Hope touch 
each other, is there not joy ? And when 
Love and Hope flow together, is thoro not 
peace ? 
Look on its form! The arch of peace 
joins heaven and earth. And is not Reli¬ 
gion the chain, wherewith God unites with 
man ? But that bow joins heaven and earth 
by standing on the earth and reaching into 
the air,—and have we not recognized our 
holiet as in that holy meditation which rises 
from our faulty heart to our Father in 
heaven ? 
How finely we may view tho heavens 
through that arch of peace ! Liko a heav¬ 
enly gato he stands and invites us. Wel¬ 
come thou beautiful and resplendent, gate of 
heaven ! Now our eyes begin to open, and 
wo believo. But our belief, liko unto thoo, 
j arches up to tho holy gato of entrance, 
and ono day wo shall, through our faith, en¬ 
ter the everlasting homo. t. 
RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS. 
It is an oasier thing at all times to pleaso 
God than to please men, because God is 
pleased with what is in every man’s power 
to exerciso, viz., simplicity and sincerity ; 
whereas, men to bo pleased, often require a 
display of talents and address, which fall to 
tho share of very few, and which, after all, 
will not perhaps secure favor, in conse¬ 
quence of ihe caprice which so frequently 
influences the judgments of mankind. 
“ To give knowledge of salvation unto His 
people by [in] the remission of their sins.” 
Luke i. 77. It would appear from theso 
words, that man attains the knowledge of. 
salvation, or saving knowledge, only so far 
as he experiences a remission of putting 
away of evils from his heart and life, through 
the Divino power. 
There is too much cause to believe that 
many render their salvation hazardous by a 
careless confidence in its security; in other 
words, they might bo saved beyond a doubt, 
if they were more doubtful about being 
saved. 
