re the great discoveries in
science and philosophy matured in quietness and obscurity. The thinker
hears afar the sound of strife and the agitation of parties warring
for power. He knows the follies and errors that agitate mankind, but
he is withheld from entering the strife, for he has a more important
work to accomplish--a work for the future. It is to such work that the
JOURNAL OF MAN is devoted; laying the foundation of that philosophy in
which future thinkers shall find the principles of social
reorganization. It does not join in the strife of contending parties,
nor does it recognize any existing party as entirely free from error.
It gives its care to new and growing truths, knowing that, as Carlyle
says, "The weak thing weaker than a child becomes strong one day if it
be a true thing."

HOW NOT TO DO IT.--The Seybert commission having made a splendid
failure to find interesting and valuable facts where other
investigators have succeeded, their blundering ignorance is now
assisted by newspaper mendacity. The _New York Times_, of Aug. 22,
concludes an extremely stupid article on this subject, by the
following paragraph, which, if the writer gave any indications of
intelligence, would be set down as a pure specimen of mendacity, but
is more probably a specimen of indolent ignorance:

"If Spiritualists could furnish one clearly-proved case of a
spirit from the other world, seen and tested by those now living
on the earth, there would be some sense and reason in their
claims to be heard; but until they do, the great mass of
intelligent people will refuse to listen, and rightly, too."

There must be an immense mass of the same kind of lazy ignorance in
the community, when such stuff is tolerated in a newspaper. The
contents of daily newspapers show that they expect more patronage from
the debased and ignorant classes than from the intelligent and
honorable.

ROBBERY OF PUBLIC LANDS.--The report of Surveyor General Geo. W.
Julian, of Colorado, shows that of the patented and unpatented lands
referred to, aggregating 8,694,965 acres, it will be safe to estimate
that at least one-half have been illegally devoted to private uses
under invalid grants, or unauthorized surveys.

He thinks it would not be extravagance to say that these land
claimants, with their enormous interests, have exercised a shaping
influence upon Congress. Congress has approved 47 out of 49 of these
claims. In this connect