The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-21
spECULATIoNS ON THE rEpCEpTivE
POHER or VEGETABLES.
Y THOMAS prRcivAL, NJ. D. F. R. s.


From tie Memoirs the LITERARY and Phiisj5-
plieal Soeie!; a: NanrbeGer.
-Theie are idle, phiiofoshic dreams
Full Nature teens with iife.-
75ayes's Spring, SEE. 6. line 1867
IN all our enquiries into truth, whe, her natu-
raj or moral. it is nccsnary to take into previN
Gus confederation, the kind of evidence which
the fubiea admits Cf; and the degree or il,
which is fiifficient to afford fatsfattion to the
mind. DemonRrative evidence is aSfolu.e, and
without graduation; but probable evidence at.
cends, by regular acps, from the loweR pre-
fumpton to the hishs 4 moral certainty. A fin
gle prefumption is, indeed, of little weight, but
ferries of zach imperfect proofs may produce
the fulleR conviction. The nrensth of belief,
however, may ofteu be- greater, than is proper
tonate TO the force and number ofthcie proofs,
either Individually or collectively conidcred
For, as uncertainty is always painful TO the I'M
elerhanding, very Eight evidence, if the iubicSf
be capable Of Fro other, fometimes amounts to
crcdibili'y. This every philosopher experien-
ces in his refearches into nature; and The OBJ
fervation may ferve as apology for the fol-
lowing len d'e,br;t; in which fliall attempt TO
fl,ew, b. the ieverai analogies Of organization,
life, inftu6t, ipontaniety, and ielf-motion, that
plants, like animals, are endued with the pow
ers both of perception and enjoyment.
I. Vegetables bear 10 near 4 multitude 70 AMI
mails in their trutture, that botani!ts have dcri-
we'd from, anatomy and pathology, a!nnof all the
terms employed in the defcription of them.
tree or hrnh, they inform Us, conhts of crticle,
CUTS, and cellular membrane of vetIels vari-
oufiy difpoftcl, and adapted to the tranfnifion
Of different fluids; aud of a ligneous or bony
fubtance, covering ard defending pith or
marrow. Such organization evidently belongs
not to inanimate matter; and when we obferve,
in vegetables, that if is connected with, or in
ftrumental to the powers of growth, of felf-
prefervation, of motion, and of feminal increafe
we cannot hefitate to aicrihe to them living
principle. And by, admitting this attribute,
we advance ftep higher in the analogy we are
purifying. For the idea of life naturally implies
fome degree OF percc ptivitv and wherever ger
ception ref;des, greater or efS capacity for en-
joyment fecns to be its necefiary adjunct. In
definite and low, therefore, as this capacity may
be, i'm each Jingle herb or tree, vet, when we
confider the amazing extent OF the vegetable
kingdom, g" from the cedar of Lebanon to the
hyfIop upon the WALL" the aggregate of happi-
nef, produced by it, will be found to exceed
our mott enlarged conceptions. i, is prejudice
only, which reftrains or fupprel1es the delight
full emotions reluting from the belief of fuch
tliffuGon of good. And becaufe the trainers of
fyfems have invented arrangements and divi.i-
ons Of the works OF Cod, to aid the mind in the
purfuits OF icience, we implicitly admit IS rea-
lily, what is merely artificial and adopt dit-
;ihcaions without proof OF any eiientiaI differ
ence.-LabideS ereieant /; z,egsia5iia ey-ejcmt G.
viS'nat animalia crslra1t, Oi0'G,f Ell /entiirf.
This climax, or Linuaus, is coIformable to the
doctrines of Ariitode, Piiny, Jungius s. others !;
bat none Of thcfe great men have a1duced fIf-
ticient evidence TO fupport the negative charac-
teriitics, if | may 70 exprcis myfclf, on which
the three kingdoms of nature are here eftab!iili-
ed. That a graduation fubGfts, in the fcale of
beings, is clearly manifeft but the higher adj
vances we make i'll phyfical knowledge, the
nearer will the degrees be feen to approach each
other. And it is no very extravagant conjec-
ture TO fnppoie, that, in fome future period,
perceptivity may be difcovered TO extend, even
beyond the limits now aligned TO vegetable life.
Coralines, madrepores, millepores and fpunges,
were formerly conhdsred as fofiil bodies but
the experiments of Count Mariigh evinced, that
they are endued with life, and led him to clafs
them with the maritime plants. And the OBJ
fervation of Ellis, Juiiieu, and Peyfonei, have
Gnce RATED them 10 the rank of animals.f The
detection of error, in long eftablilhed opinions
concerning one branch of natural knowledge,
juaiies the flfpcion of its exiftence in others,
which are nearly allied to it and it will ap-
pear, from the proiecution of our enquiry into
err ofvcgetables, that the iufpicion is not with
out foundation.
II. Infintt is propenfty, or movement to
feek, without deliberaton, what is agreeable to
the particular nature, actuated by it and TO
avoid what is iDcon2ruous Or burtful. 1t is
practical power, which requires no previous
knowledge or experience and which purfues
prcient future good, without any definite
ideas or foreiight and often with very fain.
degrees of confcioufnef7. The calf, when il
firft comes into the world, applies to the tcats
of the gov, utterly Ignorant of The tate, or nu-
tritions quality of the milk, and confeGuently,
with no views, either TO fenlual qualification or
fupport and the duckling, which has been
Matched under hen. at dihance from water,
dfcovers conftart reitlefsnefs and impotence;
and is obierye1 to pra6life all the motions of
fwimming, though granger to its future de-
Ggnation, and TO the element, for which IFS
''oiiy feathers, and web-like feet, are formed.
Inftinets analogous to thefe, operate with e.
quail energy on the vegetable tribe. a feed
contains germ, or plant in miniature, and
radieie, or little root, intended by nature to
fppIy it with nourilIment. If the feed be
TOWN IN An isverted petition, fll eacf part pur-
fues its proper direction. The SiRszuLa turns