Our Inquiry Meeting: No. 7

uur wik to nignt. Jsatan, will be about 1 acts, ind ïhe best method of acquiring them - a verr lober suhject of inquiry and discussion, but a very iweful one. Facts ore the groundworl; nnd inaterinU for all argument: and the moro facta you know on every subject, tlie beller. Except in tho regions oí poetry and romance, no man can beconie preemicent without an accurate knowJedge of fuc's of eonie kind and other things bing equr.J, he wití fuivo the best cápacity, judgment an.l succcss, whoso knowlcdgoof important facis is tho greatoaf. You tcunt we should come down to pirticuïars, instesdof seneraüzin;; ? We will do soa: once, You say you wish to acquire trst a thorough knowledge of Poliiical Econotny, so that you can hnveall its principies in your mind and bo nblc to meet any opponent, in any placo, in wri'ing or spcaking, on politica} subjects. This, to be sure is a graat undertaking: and it is r.ot to bo done, as we said last week, in a month, or a year: bui for all that, to the full etent of your f iculties, it can be donef But whero eholl we find tbo factaaud principies relating to thia subject ? 1 am told the greatest poli nV.I speaker in your viilago isa lawyer, who carefully files away the speeches of Congressmen nnd ethers, and when occaeiorr requires, reprodoces euch of them assuits his purpose and canse. In thia way he alvtnya sustains himself rcpectab!y. Bot if you would be an independont thinker, you must go deeper than that- to the fountain head. Send n Jolhr to the bookstore, and buy a standard work oti the science you wish tosttidy. Forinstance. Adam Smiih in England, Say in France, and Wayland in our owu country havo all writion weH on Polnical Economy. A late writcr, is usually to be preferr;:d. lh, yu say that you hare vo dollar, ;md thjt ycucan Iorrow a work on the subject of iftiéadi Ah. that wilJ uever dul It 3 wcH enonyii ;o borrow a volumo wJiidi you wt-li u, rcad (meo ; but a work thac you luiend to aludy, and will hnve oecasmü to refrr te a !boii3ai)(J times, should bc your owu. If you have no dollar, go to work andget one. Woik for your ncighbor n duy in hayintr, or if you cimnot get it without, chop cordwwod for hini. Duu't bo in a hurry. Begin right, if it takes yoa a weck ora month longer to get siarted. rs'ext, carefully determine with yourself how much tim you cao best bestow on your favoriie study, end what ))art uf ihe day or evening you Ciin best appropriato to that purpose, Some pcoplo say they kaco no timo for study; and with such it is generalJy true, because all their momentsor5 spent in domg somethin elso, or in shcer idicness. You must take time lor inttllectual purposes. The samo persons tnat complain of want of time for readiug or sludy, tind plenty of time Cor hunting, nrhing, riding, isiting, or any other purpose wliich thcy have o uch at hcart. They take timo for all these pursuüs. Ii may be laid down ns a univesnl rule, suhject to excep'Jon on panifular diys, that every man and woinan might spcad at least one hour overy day in mental improvctnent, without tt all neglecting their otiier dutioa. Find which of ilw tweniy-foar hours you can best devote to th3 purpose, and every diy uso il diligently iu pursuing the study in hand. Endeavor, f possible, tobe alom:. Proiound ihotight requiroa ihe full posaossion and exercise of all the powers of the mind; and the less you aro ínicrrupted, thobetter. Should yoi be sick. or cirieJofl'on a jonmeyr ot othorwise hiudcred in your sludy for somo i Juys, do not let thst make die lenst diiierence ■ with you, but return to it again when opportunit ty offers, as ihough no interruptioii hndoccnrred. i A caution on this point is the more neecssary, bountisc young persons, after enterin with tfrdr , .)ti pliins of improvcment, are very Hable tobe ! casily discouraged by miy obsincl; uhicli throws hem otF ihe track thcy Iq marked out Ut ihcmselves. This will ncver do. It is a grent lesson in life not to lc orercam-. and nistmud hjitttlc things. Every substantial business man is obligcd to lenrn this lesson; and you may Wn to learn ii ir. refcrcacc to your mental i.nproveir.ent. One t'iing more: if you hae leisure, do not ■Iisust yourself with your study by poring over your book for hours,lill your mind is entirely ia;igued and worn out. Ilaiher set apart aueh a itíngth of time for stuJy, or tho re.iding of en many pages each (by; and then go to somo othir employment, or take a book on somo otbet ■subject. The mindcunnot dwe'l very Uw:: oq ne subject wiihoui fntiguo: and in tbc cootho ; i life tune, it will aucotnplish th niest l .. l canon on a regular sysie-n, Wiih prcrjr a-ana1'áonsof e.xfisp ind rat. O Priace Aioort lu. mgnaa uia Cw, pf) piedle, ,rïA S