The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-04 00:00:00

But particles of matter not only form unions, or, in
other words, not only have their likes, but they have
also their dislikes, technically called attraction and re-
pulsion. So that no sooner do two particles, or, if you
will, two bodies, come within a given distance, so as
to be capable of acting on each other, than they in-
stantly repel or attract each other. A love or a hatred,
eternal and irreconcileable, manifests itself. Hence the
North Pole of the Magnet repels the South, and
nothing but an external force greater than that of
themselves can bring these two repulsive bodies
together. This experiment the child often tries
and may try with impunity, because these bodies do
not create any danger to the living subject that brings
them into contact. But this is not the case with many
other bodies, for danger and death may immediately
ensue if one foolishly bring into contact two bodies
which have an antipathy towards each other. Hence
the many accidents, as these laws are often but igno-
rantly called. Hence the deaths of which we frequently
hear. Fire and water, fire and gunpowder, and the
different kinds of air or gas, either on the surface or
in the bowels of the earth, produce terrible explosions,
and woe to the living animals existing within the sphere
of their activity.
But there is another quality or disposition which
some bodies display, particularly worthy of notice here,
that is the capability of communicating their virtue or
virtues, or qualities, or dispositions, to other bodies.
The loadstone, as we have already remarked, displays
this quality in a high degree. Such indeed are some of
the facts on the sympathies of matter often called
inert—facts which lie on the surface of the consi-
deration of the laws of material sympathy. Our
word inert, however, whick means inactive, sluggish—
probably coming from in and sfyov, "against work," is
very improperly applied ; for we do see that mat-
ter is not very inactive. In short, it evidently displays
qualities approximating and analogous to those of ani-
mals, and is always maintaining a position, and held in
that position by a fixed and invariable influence.
After these observations on the sympathies of mate-
rial beings or matter, be it now remarked that natural
philosophers, as that class of men who devote them-
selves to the study of matter and its laws are generally
called, have wisely noticed the laws of the attractions
and repulsions of matter—a conduct which has led to
the most important and valuable results, to the greatest
discoveries. These men never attempt to oppose, or
counteract, or change the laws of matter when once
discovered, which if they did would, they see, be as
unphilosophical, and even impious, as it would be use-
less and pregnant with danger; because they know that
the most melancholy disasters have resulted, and do still
result, from ignorance of these laws. It may now cer-
tainly be observed that what is wisdom in philosophical
principles applied to matter, cannot be foolishness when
applied to mind, existing in and acting, as is evident to
the most ignorant, through the medium of matter. Both
mind and matter are subject to laws equally binding—
equally irresistible. We all know, at least we say we
know, that matter cannot feel ; but we know also that,
whether it feels or not, it does make a stout, sometimes
a terrible resistance, when we attempt to make it form
poet ic
connectallyions, or unions, or marriages, which, to speak
, it abhors.
But, be it now observed, that I assume the existence
of sympathies in Man, because I never knew one who de-
nied them. We love and we hate ;we like and we
dislike : or, it may be, we exist in that state which we
call indifferent. It is, therefore, needless to prove
what none can philosophically contradict. These are
laws of the constitution of elan which are not built on
ignorance or bigotry. We cannot love what is not
loveable, nor hate what is not hateable. The thing is
impossible. Ignorant and deformed existences, under
the name of men, may from a mistaken interest, op-
pose these truths or laws, but they, by so doing, will
prove themselves to be at least not philosophers. Shall we
then listen to those individuals, who swear that they will
make every and any being harmonize ? The thing is a
monstrous absurdity. The great, the good, the just Crea-
tor, has attached to a certain combination of organs—
including propensities, sentiments, and intellect, certain
fixed and invariable laws, which no power on earth can
alter or modify. In other words, the possession of any
combination of organs has a definite and mathematical
result or consequence. It never can be expected that
the Creator will counteract his own laws, which he in
great wisdom and goodness formed at the beginning.
He is without variableness or the least shadow of
change. Nevertheless, be it remarked, that there may
be providences, which though we call particular, may
be only parts of the great whole, the wheels of
which are beyond the ken of any human penetration.
It is certain, however, that we cannot believe in contra-
dictions. This is a law of the constitution of man. No
one can oppose this law, and no one wishes to oppose it.
In short, laws arc given for the regulation of the con-
stitution of man ; and it is as much our duty as our in-
terest to discover and obey these laws, not to find fault
with them. This is truly divine theology. A certain
combination of organs become, from their very nature
and existence, likeable or dislikeable. These combina-
tions, wherever they move diffuse like aromatic herbs-
though the atmosphere of all animals, corresponding
results, or qualities, or consequences. Of this the very
dog is sensible. Hence Southey—
Who should lament for him within whose heart
Love had no place, nor natural charity.?
The parlour spaniel when she heard his step
Rose slowly from the hearth and stole aside
With creeping pace : she never raised her eyes
To woo kind words from him, or laid her head
Upraised upon his knee with fond'ling whine.
Let me, for illustration, further remark, still keeping
in view the light from heaven, common-sense, that
bodies reflect the same colour as that of which they
are composed. Hence a body of a green shade reflects
a green colour ; a blue a blue colour ; a yellow a yellow.
So it is with man. He reflects from his eyes and face
and mannersand tones, and his whole organization, the
very same sort, the very identical kind of animal, moral,
religious, and intellectual light as that of which
his whole organic existence is composed, modified
of course by the previous existences of his progenitors.
All the various reflections of men are, like the physical
diseases of the body, infectious and contagious ; and
just in proportion to our combination and sensibility