Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-10-27
FROM THE BALANCE.
4 philosophical Deduction fran, the Doctrine
Of Materaksm.
TcoNcLUDED.]

lCONCLUDED,
A NEW idea In philosophers cranum is
like new wine, that ierments and mast have
vent, or it will burst the frail vessel ba contains
it and TO this powerful cause it is owing, that
am constrained, as it were, to ob,ru&e myself
upon the pubic, Notwithstanding the folemn re.
monstance and severe rebuke of nv venerable
old friend. In the mean time, wish it to be
we'll understood, that, whatever of an authors
vanity, whatever OF aspiring ambition after itera-
fy fame, had formerly possessed and infatuated
my mind, it has all been given to the winds
that looking around me on every SIDE, | feel my.
self lost IN an immense crowd of philosophers, all
running the same race, all vielng with each
other for the Aaqu,tl e,ozva ! and that I make
this publication principally TO relieve my head of
the burden of pondrrous ideas, and without any
interested views Of patent privilege, of univer-
sity honours or pecunary rewards But to the
point
There is a well known political phenomenon,
Of an awtully portentuous nature, that has FIRE
qucntly bsffed the theories of seeming wisdom
aid the plans OF benevolence. The thing is
Jh Sin tree republican governments, during the
usual upIoar of party agitations and violent con-
hiets, IT has been rways found that Craft, hypo-
crisy and dark destructive ambition, have got the
ascendancy over integ rity ard patriotism. His.
tory both ancient and modern bears solemn tes-
tmony to the truth Of this fact yet it has ne
yer been accounted for on the noble principles of
modern philosophy. Theologians and other su.
perstitious classes of people have imputed 1t to
human deprsvity but this solution of the eng
ma is inadiusssbe. by reason that in the late
glorious " march of sent;ment,'' the notion of
human depravty is entirely exploded. Be it
mine TO explore new tfacf, by phosaphicaly
accounting for the aforementioned phenomenon,
from the doctrine of materialisr.
Modern philosophers, to the unspeakable relief
of guilt.haunted mortals, havel ogicaily annlhi-
lated the phantons called spirits, and have abun-
dainty proved that men are neither more nor less
than mere Jumps OF matter, differing in size and
spec nc gravity, and curlously organized While
considering and admlring this sublime philosophy,
the offspring of genuine iliumlnatism, the lucky
thought struck he, that combining it with the
laws OF 6 aviation, 1t would completely solve the
political problem in question. 1t canno, have
escaped the notice even OF the lowest class Of
philosophers, that lighter matter has an urtorm
tendency 70 rise above that which is more pon-
derouS. Air thar by being heated becomeslight
er than It's neighbouring fluid, instantly rises, and
proudly mounts nigh in the atmosphere. When
any two kinds of liquid, Of different specific
gravity, are poured together into vessel, the
ilghtesr rises to che top. Whenever the sea is
violently agitated, the froth or foam CALAMITY
rides above Tie heavier bodies of waters. These
laws are operations of nature, regarding fluids or
liquids, have been steady and uniform at all times
and in all places.
am aware that critics may Object, thar as nan
is nelther liquid nor fluid, but a sOld, no con-
cluslons can be fairly drawn from the premises,
which, even on the principle of materalisn, viii
be applicable to the human species; sensible Too
that there is some weight in this objection,
candidly yield the point, and proceed to consider
the laws of gravitation, respecting solid subssan-
ces. Even in .jSlids, when they are shaken to-
gethcr, there natural tendency for the highest
bodies to take. the highest position. It must be
known to farmers in particular manner, that
mixing together wheat, partly blighted and partly
soand, and shaking the mixture in seye, the
blighted kernels will rise above the Others. On
the same principle, if measure were in part filled
with cents and guineas promiscuously thrown to-
gether, and were violently shaken for long time,
the cents, being lightess, would ascend and over
top the gold. These instances, and hundred
others which might be mentioned, do, conceive
directly apply to the case in hand.