76 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
^2S 
meliorate the condition of our fellow-creatures, and to promote the ge¬ 
neral improvement ot mankind. For, in endeavoring to promote such 
objects, we meet with as great a difficulty in the moral as in the intellec¬ 
tual condition of mankind. The principles of selfishness, pride, ambition, 
andenvy,and similar dispositions, create obstacles in the way of scientific 
and philanthropic improvements, tenfold greater than any which arise 
from pecuniary resources or physical impediments. But were such prin¬ 
ciples undermined, and a spirit of good-will and affection pervading the 
mass of society, the machinery of the moral world would move onward 
with smoothness and harmony; and mankind, acting in unison, and every 
one cheerfully contributing to the good of the whole, would accomplish 
objects, and beneficial transformations on the physical and moral condi¬ 
tion of society, far superior to any thing that has hitherto been realized. 
To what has been now stated, with regard to the influence of know¬ 
ledge on moral conduct, it may, perhaps, be objected, that many in¬ 
stances occur of men of genius and learning indulging in dissolute and 
immoral habits, and that the higher classes of society, who have received 
a better education than the lower, are nearly as immoral in their conduct. 
In replying to such an objection we have to consider, in the first place, 
what is the nature of the education such persons have received. Most 
of the higher class have received a grammer-school education, and, per¬ 
haps, attended a few sessions at an academy or a university. There can¬ 
not, however, be reckoned above one in ten who pursues his studies 
with avidity, and enters into the spirit of the instructions communicated 
at such seminaries; as it is well known to every one acquainted with the 
general practice of such students in colieges and academies, that a goodly 
number of them, spend their time as much in folly and dissipation, as in 
serious study. But, although they had acquired a competent acquaint¬ 
ance with the different branches to which their attention was directed, 
what is the amount of their acquisitions? A knowledge of the Greek 
and Latin Classics, and of pagan mythology, in the acquisition of which 
five years are generally spent at the grammar-school, and two at the uni¬ 
versity—and the elements of logic, ethics, and mathematical philosophy. 
But such departments of knowledge, in the way in which they have been 
generally taught, have no necessary connexion with religion and moral 
conduct. On the contrary, by keeping the principles of Christianity 
carefully out of view, and even insinuating objections against them, some 
professors of these sci -nceshave promoted the cause of infide it/, and conss - 
quently impedr d the progress of g 'nuine morality. What aid can be expect- 
ed to morality horn a mere grammar-school education, when the acquisi¬ 
tion of words and phrases, and the absurd notions and impure practices 
connected with Roman and Grecian idolatry, form the prominent objects 
of attention, and when, as too frequently happens, no instructions in 
Christianity are communicated, and not even the forms of religion attend¬ 
ed to in many of those seminaries? The mere acquisition of languages 
is not the acquisition of useful knowledge: they are, at best, but the 
means of knowledge; and although we would not discourage any one, 
who has it in his power, from prosecuting such studies, yet it is from 
other and more important branches of study that we expect assistance in 
the cause of moral improvement. 
With regard to men of learning and genius, we have likewise to inquire 
into the nature and tendency of their literary pursuits, before we can as¬ 
certain that they are calculated to prevent the influence of immoral pro¬ 
pensities and passions. Persons are designated men of learning, who have 
made proficiency in the knowledge of the Greek, Latin, French, German 
and olher languages—who are skilled in mythology, antiquities, ciiticism 
and metaphysics, or who are profound students in geometry, algebra, flux¬ 
ions, and other branches of the mathematics. But it is easy to perceive, 
that a man may be a profound linguist, grammarian, politician or antiqua¬ 
rian, and yet not distinguished for virtuous conduct; for such departments 
of learning have no direct bearing upon moral principle or conduct. On 
the contrary, when prosecuted exclusively, to the neglect of the more 
substantial parts of kno wledge, and under the influence of certain opi¬ 
nions and prejudices, they have a tendency to withdraw the attention 
from the great objects of religion, and consequently from the most power¬ 
ful motives which excite to moral action. We have likewise to inquire 
whether such persons have made the. Christian revelation one great object 
of their study and attention, and whether they are frequently employed in 
serious contemplations of the perfections of the Creator, as displayed in 
the economy of the universe If such studies he altogether ovetlooked, 
we need not wonder that such characters should frequently slide into the 
paths of infidelity and dissipation; since they neglect an attention to those 
departments of knowledge which alone can guide them in the paths of 
rectitude. We may as soon expect to gather “grapes from thorns, or 
figs from thistles,” as to expect pure moiality from those, however high 
they may stand in literary acquirements, who either neglect or oppose the 
great truths of religion. We do not mean, however, to insinuate, that the 
subjects alluded to above are either trivial or unworthy of being prosecut¬ 
ed. On the contrary, we are persuaded, that there is not a subject which 
has ever come under human investigation, when prosecuted with proper 
views, and in connexion with other parts of knowledge, but may be ren¬ 
dered subservient, in some way or another, both to the intellectual and 
the moral improvement of man. But when we speak of diffusing useful 
knowledge among the mass of mankind, we do not so much allude to the 
capacity of being able to translate from one language into another, of 
knowing the sentiments of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the cha¬ 
racter and squabbles of their gods and goddesses, or to the laculty of distin¬ 
guishing ancient coins, fiagments of vases, or pieces of armour—as to the 
facts of history, science and revelation, particularly in their bearing upon 
ihe religious views and the moral conduct of mankind. And if the attention 
of the great body of the people were directed lo such subjects, from proper 
principles and motives, and were they exhibited to their view in a lucid 
and interesting manner, there cannot be the >mallest doubt, that lhe in¬ 
terests of virtue and of pure and undefiled religion would he thereby pro¬ 
moted to ah extent far beyond what has ever yet been realized .—Dick 
THE CULTIVATOR—AUG. 1835. 
_ TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THS MINP . 
EFFECTS OF THE WINTER. 
The cold of last winter is known to have been unpreeedently se¬ 
vere. It was not, however, until recently that we were enabled 
fully to appreciate the injury which it had caused to trees and plants, 
in open situations, which usually withstand our winters. The fol¬ 
lowing memoranda of its effects upon trees and plants in our 
grounds, may not be without interest to some of our readers. 
The peach, and Isabella and Catawba grapes, exposed to the 
weather, were either destroyed or materially injured. The pear, 
plum, cherry, (particularly the duke cherries) were not materially- 
injured, though some were killed. The spice bush (laurus benzoin) 
an indigenous shrub, the alianthus glandulusa (tree of heaven) 
common eatalpa (C. syringifolia,) the paper mulberry, (brousso- 
netia papyriferia) the Chinese mulberry (morus multicaulis) arid the 
Engii-h hawthorn (cratssgus oxyacanthus) were generally killed 
to the ground, or to the surface of the snow. The weeping and 
curled leaved willows (salix babylonica and S. crispa) were serious¬ 
ly injured, the latter particularly. Eight or ten feet of the tops of 
three thrifty black walnuts (juglans nigra) and the entire branches 
of a Madeira nut. (juglans regia) of 12 years growth in our garden, 
w ere destroyed; and Michigan and Ayreshire roses, and some other 
climbing varieties, in an exposed situation, as also the scarlet 
monthly honeysuckle (caprifolium sempervirens) were mostly kil¬ 
led to tiie ground. 
SILK COMPANIES. 
The doubts which we expressed in a former number, as to the 
ultimate utility of companies for producing silk, have been animad¬ 
verted upon by some of our cotemporaries. Our opinion was per¬ 
haps expressed without due consideration, and may have been found¬ 
ed in misconception of their tendency. Yet we confess we have 
seen nothing, in reply, to satisfy us of our error. The raising of 
the mulbprry, and the feeding of the silk worm, is emphatically a 
business of the farm—of the cottage,—a simple labor, in which 
females and children, who do not essentially aid in supporting a fa¬ 
mily, inay turn their services to profit. It admits of no division of 
labor—requires no costly machinery, and involves, comparatively, 
no expense. Every family, of the most limited means, can raise 
the mulberry, and produce cocoons, as well as a company of asso¬ 
ciated capitalists; and in this way, the business may give employ¬ 
ment and bread to thousands who would never seek for either, and 
if they did might not obtain them, in the employ of a company. 
The great desideratum is to secure, to those in the middle and low¬ 
er walks of life, in regard to property, the means of helping them¬ 
selves. It is well known, that by the introduction of manufactories, 
concentrating great capital and influence, most of the household 
manufactures, in cotton, woo'len and linen, which gave a whole¬ 
some and salutary employment to the female sex, have gone out of 
use. We want a substitute for the family, and that the silk busi¬ 
ness promised. It is also well known, or may be known, that the 
manufacturers of woollens have clubbed their wits and their capi¬ 
tal, to lessen the profits of the American woo) grower, by forcing 
greit quantities of the foreign article into our market. In 1831 it 
proved rather an unfortunate speculation for them; but in the cur¬ 
rent year, llieir prospects are more flattering. They have m ide up 
a purse of some 70,000 dollars, and sent their agents abroad to pur¬ 
chase foreign wool, not exactly for their own use, but. to speculate 
upon in the market. They have become mercantile speculators, to 
the prejudice of the wool growers, whose aid they invoked, and 
