Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-12

Soda or something sia,i;ar; uaj We have Leca luo
often bewtiesrd bv NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TO trust their
nonscnscai definitions Of matter in general, which
* not, ms they suggest, he found in any particular
body, but in all the Substances around us. Mr. Iie-
rnpah Is inr making us reirogradc with himself to
tne times oil old, whcf the sublime speculations of
Epicuius &c. who derived all things from Kind
oil mniier, were the only science recognised. We
think the Royal Society Showed their good in
rejecting these baseless rroblcus, and we would a,!-
vase MIR herapai, II he should again feel INCLINED
To exercise himself la systen,-buling, To i,y frs,
sure foundation, without which even mathematics
are false and vain.
ID is refreshing the mind 10 trn from IIerapatli'e
useless reveiics To the practical inventions which are
nov 80 numerous. Among these, we may mention
the great Improvements making in the construction
oil cham bridges; IN which Captain Brown the invrn-
tor of the chain cable has been so successful. One
great advantage of such bridges is their cheapncss
and another, that they can lie constructed over a
width al water where bridges Of masonry could not
be attempted.
Since the discovery vi iodine, there has been
nothing deserving Of much notice in this science
oui experiments arc, indeed, sufficiently numerous,
ana many oil then, have formerly obtained high dis
hncuons for discovery hut their lahos seem to lie
much more triting than they were II few years
ago. The rage for minute and uninport;nt dsiinc-
tons, and for 10 designate these has wide
~ Injected those who DESTROYS OF fine the
con'agon having most probaly passed 10 them from
our natural historians. We have, in this spirit.
Uses q the oxcrcment OF scrpeut, by Mr.. Edmund
Davy, and al the urine of Ceyon freq, by DIR. j.
Divy; and we have the French chemists analysing
opium, and licabane, AMI liea,lonna, and hemlock,
ana discovering neio substances, which were, for the
most part, formerly known under different aspects,
and different names. metaphysical sysem--a lit
tic more inteigible than MIR. llerapath's hut oh
scured by symbols, has long been forming v Daltor
beHeins, Thomson, and others but though il is sup
ported 10y the greatest names, think its utility very
questionable, even If IL demonstrated 10 he ac
curaely true. The new discovery Of the connection
between electricity ahd magnetism has induced some
cnem,st. TO apply the magnet TO analysis; and we
altering the present view of the decomposition If
water, which was the gnal bas, of our established
system
METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS
these studies are now become exceedingly TN
iishlonablc, and IL would consequently he contrary
10 ah we Know "i heman nature To expect much pro-
gress 10 lie made IN them. The publication, however,
OF tue lectures OF the late Dr. Brown has surprised
most unexpectedly with not only great originality but
what IS o nucif greater NOM cnt with more clear
ness OF thinking aud more utility of applications than
we had ever contemplated. DIR. Brown has fear
cssy pulled down furmr, systems but lie has no less
ueNtefoisy rebuilt simple and Wonderful to saw
an 'n'eIs'"ln and practical system of metaphysics.
RE mas SHOWN most clearly, tina, the dreams of Dr.
hsn, though advocated by the superficial eoquence
OF Dr. Stewart are haseless and vain and OF course
that MIR Stewart elements, however exiravagantl,
praised by the friendly critics of the north, contain
nothing which not borrowed from DR. Reid.
though d.. Reid had absolutely nothing worth hor,
r"win: his chief work being iu!l of gross m,stahrs
and misconceptions. Yet what is more common han
~ near Mr. Stewart called the greatesi neai.lysi-
ciin ana nioTalis of The age , The theory uf Nh
Alison, concerning beauty and suiilimy has also
,"hsn hsiorc the sweeping pen Of DR.. Brown, though
ne n''s nor degnc,i 10 hint at the existence o!
nus profound and original thinker, as he has been
most uti'cronsiy called Ly his friend Mir. Jeffrey
Our readers may rcrulloc that DR.. Brown first OBJ
,inrd distinction, lay his mastery remarks ON the
Aoonomia oi Darwin, md IN this matutcr work we
Ia L. o
but fanctu theory
We have before us ;he second part of the Disser-
laion on the Eis:ory of Metaphysics, by hlr Stew
az u''iSheo IN ,'ic Supplement-, TO the Encyc!op;c
wa D''anhica It Is, Ike tic other part, rather
u'o"s and prosIng and loalcd with notes The sweep
'hss oil his commonplace book, which lie fund il
was beyond ms ingenuity 10 Intervene with his text
lie has cautiously astaincd from giving any sketch
q! the improvements introduced bV Dr. RtiL-(or
these, As well as his own la,ors would have lwin
uiru INTO insigniicace, after the complete exposure
",i h,s lretcnsions by d.. Brown. He has reluctant
admitted, however, that DR.. Reid was very inuer-
iecuy acquainted with the metaphysics OF hs own
age we may appear TO some TO have done injus-
ice To- Mr.. Stewart we reiort the accusation on
ms friends, who have lauded n, as n profound phi
I1sophcr' TO which character lie has evidently no
claim. We chceriu!ly accord 10 him, however the
nicri. oil being pleasing writer.
- TDUcATIoH.
l ne new syStcm OF education introduced Inv Eell
and Lancaster, is said To he rapidly extending in al
most every part of the civilized world We have TO
record one mos, marked exception 10 this-its com
peie naiWe 4" Scotland This very striking fac, has
we have reason TO believe, been indusrIously con-
cea'rd from the English public 10y the friends of the
system but we pledge ourselves fnr its truth The
opuicht ana public spirited merchants ui Glasgow
erected Tour very large schools in those paris of the
cny and suburbs where they seemed mos, be want
Ell and NJ first they crowded! bur SO little sd
iisactioh did they give, though conducted y most
ane teachers from parent schools in London that in
one or TWO Years they were totally deserted, and have
now been converted TO other purposes One is let
Tor q Methodist chapel, aud one we believe
SUI fingers on, but under change of system -
In Ayr, Aberdeen, and LeilIi there are three sill
,ansnidy Kept up bu, those in Edinburgh Pals
ley, &C. both public and private, have been If we
mistake nor, wholly abandoned. What has been the
Cause oil tii" Simply IL appears us, that the orir
M scots system, followed III The parochia schools is
more ciicient because II requires more time from he
pHpH we may lay il down, indeed, as inconroyer.
tbe, that what is soon learned is generily AS snon
forgotten ana systems of education which pretend
10 accomplish pupils IN laf the usual time are and
must ne gross impOs'tIons, and contrary to the known
principles oil human nature. The system of Bell or
W Lancaster, however, Is admirable fOr teaching the
apnaDei, the accidencc and the first four rules of
aritlimeiic but there conceive IFS utility stons
ahd must lie supplied by one less mechanical We
""niu teteioTe advocate most strcnuOi,ly the snp-
port OF these schools and il indicates 4 growing s
r'i oil civilization that they so rapidly increasing
whefe schools were formerly unk nown but we
nnNioisly look forward 10 the period when the popu
atIon OF Europe will he sufficient, advanced ~ in.
formation aud Improvement to see--as the popuace
IN Scotland have secT--that ibis npplauded system
can carry pupils but a hide way Leyond mere elc-
meniary knowledge. r.
In tie Hgh-sreet Of Edinburgh the system Of tuition
Dy monitors - partially adopted las always been
OF ess prdctised IN SeoilanG we'll the system
", c"''i'''on Nv ttNlne places