Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-09-08

in heaven. where moths cannot corrupt nor
thieves break in and steal, and where their
treasure is there shall their hearts be also.
f..
From the Connecticut Loufant.
MONITOR.
ON sELF-CoMMAND.
6 Nav govern my passions with absolute
sway,
And GROW wiser and better as life wears a.
way
SOME old philosopher, forget who,
defined man TO be 6 a being that looks be-
fre him. and back" That is, creature
vino possesses the powers both OF foretho' t
and reflection. All this he has: yet is he
driven about, TO and fro, as it were at ran
dom. like a vessel without a ruelder. He
has reason, vet he acts not reasonably. lie
mower of reflection has he, vet does 1t not
make him practically wise. Memory tells
him huw that thing, or the other, he has
found already bitter as death: yet the same
thing he rursnes and embraces again. His
own reason says 20 him, There's thr trfcl-
tice! One step further, and thou arr iost
vet, with eyes open, he PRESSES forward !,
and pluuges down 1t:
How many thousands, yea millions of
human ing, are in the condition descrIb.
cd by the poet:
C zee the right, approve it too;
Condemn the wrong, and yet tie wrong pur-
sue"
Where les this disorder? In the heart.
We reason from the head but act from
the heart. The eye Of intellect sees clear
what ought TO be done. But the family OF
passions, q most clamorous Drawing tribe,
Use up in opposition aud violation yields
10 these insurgents. Thus is it even with
some men OF great parts and splendid abiIl-
ties. Rv reason that they have no self
commend, their very talents prove mis-
fortune 10 themselves, to their friends, and
to the community at large.
1t is seJccommand, that gives one Of the
nobIest distinctions to a human being
$ He that yuleth his own spirit, is bstter
than the mighty" He is a co,queror IN
deed, who has spbdued his own unruy
passions and appe'res; who resolute'y re.
peIs and varqujshes even ",he sin that most
easily btssls him" He is fire. indeed,
whose will is filtered by no vice; who
seeadfas,ly obeys the light that God has civ.
en- him, & has The resolution firmly Gxs and
clinched, thar his heart shall not rcproach
him SO long rs he lives Hais the wisess,
if not the greatest, Of commanders, who
strictly and uniformly maintains self-com-
mand. Whereas, without considerable
degree of sr!f.comnaud, though one had
vas, knowledge. added % vast wealth, he
is, notwithstanding, but pititul little crea-
,ure in the sale of rational beings. a
mind strong in understanding, but weak to
resist the impulse of passion and appetite
is, ON the whole, debased and feeble
mind.
Il is out OF Cur power to alter the struc-
lure of our bodies: we mus, take them as
they be, Tor better or for worse. We can
not change our complications, or fashion our
own features. We cannot add 10 our sta
tu-e, or make even single hair OF our
head white Or black. But it is not a!toge-
Their so with the mind. We can, with the
divine helps afforded US, improve and me-
liorate that. We can keep our passions
and appetites in subordination to our under
standings. And in this necessary and no.
bic exercise should every one be employed,
day by day, who wishes to be wise, or. ex.
poets to bc happy.