Newfoundland Mercantile Journal, 1821-03-22, no. 362

              NE W FOUND LAND
ftiltxtmttlt 3ournal.
No .363.
SAINT JOHNS,  THURSDAY, March 22, 1821.
(One Guinea per ami.)
m.
IS
CWriowf Resmrks on the
PHYSICAL *no MORAL Hl-TORY wens
HUMAN SPECIES
Alto m
(^neothns soilA 8%vr«mnding Agency.
BtL,S boyne,
Letter No. XIII.
D-oaFmiEND,
In my last I offered some remark* on
Sensation and Assoaafiou, as faculties of
tbe Mind *, we will now proceed in ronrae
to eonsid.tr ibe remainder, which make up
tbe sum of Hu-nan Intelligence,
Imagination and Menvtry are faculties,
by which we either gain iiossession of ideas :
in a difcrent ot-datr to that in which ihey '
naturally pa-asset. Or we regain ihem in the •
exact form in wttich they occurred.     The -
former faculty p%wtesin the soul a world of
hs own; it eawbaace* every subject   of
kuman koowMga, and ptesenu an  ii.fi.nte j
flasd, where the/aney i-oaios in poe-aesstoo
ofele taoat diseasific-d -acenery     The face ;
.onhimrs ts*s*spotntw here  meUi-norphotaed, a
'P.i i raj.ua-rcxia of ideal   e*wenc.-i    Sports
be.ore  the  Muse,   end the   universe is
aaiMOa-ed to an tsaclunied  theatre,  where
aerial a'tributes seem to asseroe  tangible
•xisleuce.
•' IrMzfrtat'ttMi bodies tnrlh
* The* (oral offrls-siga >inktw**»,a|*s» PnA'o sen
¥ TorastlasTo aa .hsaa»s*v and a*a«M te astry taothint;
1 I I.as 1 aaaasssTataaaiiiaatalaiaaaaMir      ~i '    '    "-*•*-
vanishes from before ns. We are all apt
involuntarily to "listen with credulity to the
whispers of Fancy, and pursue with eager-
new the phantoms of Hope," till reason end
experience in the sequel unveil the delu9'on.
Youth is the season of imagination ; the
Understanding gains upon it as we advance
in life, and balances and crops the exuberance of its branches In the conduct °f
life, we should endeavour to prevent >*s
gaining an independence on the Understanding. Dr. Johnson remarks " Perhans
if we speak with rigorous exactm-ss, no human mind it in it* right state. There is
no man whose Imagination does not sometimes predominate over bis reason, who
can regulate his attention wholly by his
will, and whose ideas will come and go at
his command No man will be found in
whose mind airy notions do not sometimes
tyrannize, and force him to bope or fear
beyond the limits of sober probability.
Alt ponder of Fancy over Reason is a degree of Insanity "
But the rati ma I, the moderate culture of
this faculty, extends ibe sphere o- our
innuceut eojoymcnis The contemplation
of the beauties of Nature and of An,
affords an inexhaustible fund of delightful
occupation to the enquiring mind. The
pleising    and   instructing    fictions which
the inlets, and the mind a mcr* Tabula rasa,
upon which is successively recorded, all
the figures and circumstances, which the
Senses announce a? different periods. Mr.
Locke compares il to a dark closet, wiih
only a little ojieping to let in external
resemblances • be says, " would tho pictures, coming into such a dark room, but
stay there, and lie ao ord- rly as (o be found
upon occasion, it would very much resemble the Understanding of a !V1 an, in reference to all objects of sight, and the ideas of
them." Sensible impressions are therefore
the Keys ot all our Knowledge. Had lite
mind any innate faculty of instituting the
perception of truth, ifien all human information would be an homogeneous uniform
mass of intelligence universally distribute.,,
and bearing a common stamp. Men
would agree upon all the leu ling points,
for, as I said before. Universality and
Uniformity, are inseparable attribute* of
all instinctive faculties ; iwu-jreas. on tlie
contrary, we find die greatest diveisity iu
the sentiments and opinions of men, upou
the most commou-place and familiar circumstances.
The child is fed by its mother, it associates pleasurable I .-clings wim the person ot
the mother who feeds it ; it dues the same
wiih ihe nurse, and. if fed by tier, will pre-
have been invented in all  ages, have  in-    fer the nurse to the mother at first, but tne
creased  human happiness  by adding   to I fondness and attentions ofthe parent soon
hum.ui mnrals.    Sympathy, Bettevolerice, j ******% the child ; «it Jaiams io associate
he aooiat virtues, are m u-li oftener J pWsatfisag sensations with her, and   is early
I
IinagitTss-nTon it not a simple faculty of
a mind ; It is a complex power made
ap of several ot hers, as Conception, Abstraction, Taste. Sec it forams tbe bast's of
the poet's genius, and is the ground-work
of all the Fine Arts. The painter and the
poet build ail th**ir ■>« for nances upon the
vividness, and fertility of the Imagination,
which, with a cultiv*t--d «aste, forms the
particular ga-nius. Without Taste, tlie
bare Imagination would be a-confused outline of our conceptions;' these qualities
must, therefore, always go together to
produce genius and invention in the' Fine
Arts. An I mat*-iiiation well regulated and
controoled, seems to couititote a great
share of the happiness of the Human mind.
It is one of the advantages o a liberal
education, to detach Our att-mion from
mere objects of ssjnse, and direct it to the
•'eg. ii ices of intellectual pursuits. It is the
Parent of that fine sensibility, which excites
uy-'-iMthy for the distresses of the unfortunate, and a benevolent satisfaction at tbe
prosperity of virtuous merit. It is the
spring of many noble emotions, and the
naive soil of Chivalry, and Heroic t-nler-
■nxe. It ^ives us a relish for the bean-
tie-* of Nature and of Art, that affords the
Mind stall rimes internal resources, that
enrich and elevate it to a world of its own.
A ttaaaof a well-trained order of thoughts,
can never feel that tedious vacuum, that
cb<lls anditumbs the faculties of Ihe vulgar
Blind. Mr. Degald Stewart observes,
44 tbst the apparent cotdnees and setfishoess
of mankind may be traced in a great met-
sure to a want of attention, and a want of j
Imagination." All the social virtues in
•»ery man bear perhaps ■ direct raiio H>
Vie warmth and fervor ofthe Imagination |
It is a Mst active prindole, and tbe main I
•pring of taenia", progress. It U*che* aw j
to view the actual ■tale of things, and not j
to rest satisfied with uniformity and dullness, but stimulates, us eegerljr to pursue ,
•on"** good, some excellent*, which it
vindly pa-ants to us, and appears to place ■
within our nmeh.
Tbsexessi or overHr*dut,**enc« of this I
****** ofrtjo, however, begets Eothusissm,
"•d aaaads us into mistakes and disappoint- ,
***■*» ; it pa^ssmu apparently to our grasp '
■jost ttsKeioos fruit, bet when we bold out
"Whand to crop tbem, it is to axpsrience
** *«• of TsTtntt-Jat-**-the ieeting good
«A« tsavaV'*»*« o£a ssfatstm iie*-s*sgit*swt*oes than I tata-gtst, tha* ttSe pi-frnt is the chief BOurce
of a sound Understanding.     Men of great
intellect do not always possess a
share of this live'y faculty; some remain
mere depositaries of collected ideas and
experiments, while others launch out into
ihe bold regions of discovc*ry, and display
extraordinary efforts of invention—as
Akenside says,
•4 But some to higher hopM,
** We*Te» Hf-.in'd j sotav* within a finer mould
44 "•'tie* wrought, and tempered with a purrr flame)
—   the*«a* rhe 9u*a* Ominpoieiu
and instrument of all its happiness and
comfort ; its pains are soothed, and all its
little wants relieved by the kindness of this
constant protector ; a degree of necessary
authority to check the natural aberrations of
iu little mind becomes ao additional stamp;
and thus the filial affection is generated, a
very complex feeling, compounded of love,
gratitude, complacency, and fear. Fraternal, parental, and conjugal affections, all
spring up in a similar manner. Friendships
are the result of associated circumstances of
44 The world's banaonious volume, there* to read > disposition,  habit, &c.;   hence   we  find
••ThetraaiSOTplrfhinMelf." 80me  of ^  8tfonge3l affections   of the
Iroagination  usually   presents  us witb I human   mind  are  complex feelings, the
some imagery ofthe future , her prophetic • necessary   result   of associated   acquired
visions seldom fail to be highly coloured
with all the brilliant tints of good  fortune
and happiness ; ibis givs-s birth to Hope,
the favourite and cheerful companion of
H'iman Nature, without which the picture
of Human Life affords but ■ dreary horizon ; it cheers and. animates us on every
occasion, excites to Labour and Industry,
and nr-nmotes incessantly Health. Virtue,
and Happiness; and. if combined with a
ct-it iin degree of sound judgment and" dis-
creiioti, it places us in a greai  tn—euto be-
sensations. Our knowledge of the most
important truths have an acquired origin.
Tbe knowledge of a Supreme Being is a
deliberative act of judgment ; it is a conclusion drawn from ihe surrounding scene
of Nature; it is not an innate truth, but a
Demonstrate a Posteriori. The same
reasoning extends to all tbe subjects and
circumstances of surrounding life; the Immortality of tbe Soul, the doctrine of
Future Retribution, are acquired truths,
to which  mankind are led  by a regular
•nd the reach of Fortune;   it blunts  tbe ! train of reasoning.    At must, therefore, be
yoi
edge of Evil, it forms the anchor of our Religion, and bears us upon its buoyant wings
to a distant, but more kindred shore.
*** Hope* ssprinps rirmal in the* Human breast,
44 Man never U, but always te be blest."
TA« Understanding, of the faculty by
which we contemplate truth, and combine
and compare ideas, is tbst which roost materially disiiiu'iiishsss and elevates Man. a-
bove the rest of Animated Nature Knowledge is tbe subject matter of tbe Understanding ; it is the perception of Truth,
and the assemblage or associated ideas,
combined with this perception.
Much discussion has taken place concerning tbe origin of K^wtedge; some
have contended tbat it is derived from
certain inherent qualities In the mind itself,
by which it possesses an innate perception
ofthe coalescence or incongruity of particular ideas. Others suppose that ill our
Knowledge ia acquired by experience,
through lira medium of the* Senses ; that
no idea is innate, bet that every troth is
the result of an operation of tbe miod, in
ajombieing, separating, or compawing SU
fefent ideas; that thi 8enee», tberefore, art
allowed, that all men are throughout life
very much the sport of early impressions ;
we associate certain pleasant feelings with
our first impressions, which serve much to
retain and strengthen them, and from
which they are seldom completely separated in after life. It is ibis which snakes
man so much a creature of lime and place.
His mind is in i nfancy a mere Carte blanche,
upon which is to be gradually and successively imprinted all the ideas and truths of
after life ; consequently the future mental
character has a reference to those sensations
and impressions given to it in early life.
He becomes the slave of local habits,
and the creature of accidental circumstances.
The Moral character of Man is tbe ■re-
Stilt of accident and chance ; be is almost
a factitious animal, like a block of Marble
exposed to the varying chisel ofthe statuary. Education is the great Parent of Humanity—*
*• As the* twig is bajnl'the Irate  U indined,"
Man brings aaothing with lia into this
world ; he is i-rtoulded and formed -accord-
ing to tha arsjfiml tuodtri tf ds*.*^.
in which be happens accidentally to be situated As I remarked beioie, the same
soul ihat devoutly bends at Lore-itu, would
have been a pious pilgrim at Mecca, or a
fervent ailorer on the banks of the Gauges.
Every different shade ol character is ihe result of education and early irstruction ;
whence the great importance ol attention to
the principles of Human education, in order to divest it of ihose errors and imperfec-
tionrs, that generate so many absurdi-ies,
and pervert so amazngly the reasuning far
culties. Implicit creuulity on one hand]
unlimited scepticism on ihe other, are ihe
extremes avhich every individual has to
guard diligently against in the journey of
life. Mr, Uug.ild Stewart oh-erws. ** the
great part of the lilt- ofa philosopher mu-t
neces.-arily be directed, not so much to the
the acquiitition of new knowledge, us to unlearn ih-. errors to which be had been
taught io give an implicit assent, be'ore
llbedtwn of reason and tcfiVciioo." S»o
^aiiong is the force of early impression on
the mind, (hat although the understanding
may, by greut efforts disengage itself from
the tramm-ts, yet the imagination will often
still remain entangled in the net-work of
youthful itistrti, ion, and krep thexniod unsettled and tossed about between lh*« extreme- of truth and error This is of'en
illustrated by a reference to the Catholic
••ystpm, which is mi.tposed to be more
difficultly shak''n °ff •••*■'• **ny other, bul
which when on-e thrown aside, leaves
behind tt only nn .mlted* iswpTieisrrtT.- -'Phe
many cer.inontes and accessary circumstances winch 'his sys'em takes uo. the romantic veil ol superstition which envelopes it,
seize all young minds with coisiderable
force, an.i attach *-t strongly to their
imaginations. Miss ()"-ensi>n elegantly
expresses herself in the lot lowing eulogy :
44 Whai a religion is this! how finely
does it liar-no-iize with the weakness of
our Nature, how seducingly it spcuks to
the Senses, how forcibly it works on the
Passions, how strongly it seizes the Imagination; h»w iiiu-ri-siing its forms, how
graceful lis ceromonies. how awful its rite**: ■
what a cultivating, what a pii*ture**que
Faith! >vho would not become its proselyte,
were it not for the stern onposi-ion of
Reason, the cold suggestions of Philosophy !•'
This system artfully lays hold ofthe I na
gination, and often retains its 1 sfluenre there
wh-n the powers of the Understanding
have long exploded it.
Ail Human Knowledge is the result of
education, of habit, and circumstance of
time and place. The ideas are thu effects
of sensible impressions on tbe external organs ; a sue*cession of these ideas is continually passing through the mind during vi-
gilence ; and it has been supposed this succession is equable, like tbe pulse in a state
of health, and that as an acceleration of the
pulse produces Fever, so an increase in the
velocity of our ideas constitutes Inssnity.
It has been justly calculated thai the duration of life bears no reference lo, and ought
not philosophically to be eatimated by, the
movements of the Celestial Bodies, but by
this succession of ideas in the mind: whence
the life of man is to be ttneauared by the
number of ideas which pass through ihe
mind in tbe course of bis existence; so that
as I had occasion to remark before, two
men may continue the same number of
years in the world, and yet oee may have
livid twice as long as the other, from
having bad twice the number of ideas
passing through his mind in tbe time.
Absolute duration, it is contended, has
no positive eiistenea in Nature. To tbe
all-perfect Intelligence, sucxessive duration
cannot be applied; il is an attribute of our
minds, where tbe regular sticcession of our
ideMgiveausasetiseof it.
It has been much argued whather
ConaciousiaOsa be ever interrupted- : The
Spintualatw njanrtam that the trperaiion of
the soul is uninterrupted, in as rnech  sj it
exists |'f rfeci-y distinct from Matter. The
i Materialists, on the contrary, contend tbat
! Thought is occasionally suspended, being
' only tbe result ol a perfect organization of
; Miuu-r.
i      Language is the great instrument of all
! Intellectual operation; it facilitates reasoning,  by  presenting symbols   ol universal
ideas.    We learn to associate ideas  with
particular words, and ul last come  to uso
those words,  almost  without reference   to
i the nature of ibe thing expressed.      King,
' government, church, a\cc. are w.-rds which
denote very aggregate aud complex   ideas ;
< hence these wonts are nt*ee-.sary   symbols,
■ wiuioui which the mind would find it very
| difficult to acquire or communicate knowledge.     They serve to record our own
ideas, wnii-li without some similar external
sign   to call   tbem   forth,   would   bc-ome
shut up in the mind, an-1   very difficult to
be unfolded      Deaf at.d dumb persons may
I iicqure r**rtain ideas  of the cimgroil)   or
I incongruity of particular obj-,*'s ; bu;   for
I want   of   fixed   nigus   of u,i-v-.9 ,l«,    are
I n.-tvssarily   very sl.»w   in  t-ou.Sitting   and
, cunnaring.    It is th • s me s- tM-iing u>- a
qniii-ity without the jis-t 1 u-e of arumm-d-
col figures ; a particul.n   ry, h-r  denntva h
whole quantity, the ratine] rets   iu  <m     -
feet knowledge of that quantity,   upon   <Ucj
associated symbol, which diis cypher   --.e'-
Bents.    The letter M  serves  tbe minii   in
fot ming an. idea of a  number, of «:'.h.
takto by itself, it  cannot  have  any  "Being
like a just comprehension ; it  rests on  'his
associated sign, antl easily goes on to larger
quantities       We speak   in common   di*.
j course confident'v afi.i justly of tht>u«ands
I an-l  mifions, whhout  the    possibility  of
j comprehending a   very small portion   of
I those numbers.    Savage»s who  are  defict-
j ent iu »h» use ot nu-nbers caunoi make tb-j
I most  trifl *g  calculations.      In   America,
1 some tribescould go no further  than  three
J or fis-e, and  expressed all beyond figura-
1 lively, as the htirs of their  beads,  or  tliv
sand on ihe shores.    Without tbe  use of
words or signs, all our thoughts must have
j extended  only to   individuals, we never
• could hnve reached general terms or coin-
. olex relations.    By use, words  at  length
affect our minds to . _,,* full extent of practical utility,  within-, raising i-negm of ihe
things   expres-.-ii;   in    conversation    we
seldom -est  to analyze the  meaning, of
view   the imagery of the many gene<sl
terms we employ.
The Potsion* of tbe human mind have
been sup osed by many to be original
emotions implanted in our nature, which
grow out of-otne peculiarity iu the constitution, and mark 'he individual cbarcrter
j through life. This is however .111 opinion
• wh-s-h seems to favour the doctrine of
, Fiia'ism and Necessity. It supposes the
affa*s-iions of the mind to be the re>ui of
mere mechanism; it wonldinfe-.ih.it die
Supreme Intel'igence has prc'iibited the
exercise of reason and choice, aid left
"every thing to .flow from tbe fixed a 'd
unalterable decees of pre eiermned
ordinances. It seems more philosophical
and congenial to our sentiments of ju-iica
and moral right, to suppose that the Great
First Cause has decreed our volition to be
.atlarge.
Our Passions all spring from simple
sensations, of which they are aggregates,
united by association ; ihey are etcited by
ibe ple-MSures and pains and sensible objects of external life. They are, therefore,
only complex combinations of these simple
impressions; and, *aU*cordmg to tbe accidental union of partieular sensations aad
aistotiatioos in early life, is the character of
tbe child moulded in one particular stamp.
All associated feelings and emotions soon
t-eaa-fM habitual, ami in general take root