The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-04-29

OF David HUme, where the protested Oh
ieei of enquiry was truth, ii was rational to
supposy that the candid investigator, dis
cardiog all improper preferences. aud par
tial views, would have willingly awaited
hascIfo r all the lights, IN relation to TIM
subject that he proposed 10 discuss, which
had been generally recognised as authors
tatise aud that common courtesy, 10 say
nothing of common Justice, w-,nld have
prompted him, al least, 10 read, ere he ven
tured TO condemn any work wbich had
been appealed to as peculiarly pertinent
and decisive. But what shall we think Of
the candor and impariialfy Of IT" when
We SCI him, In the first stage of his mqdis
gusing anal :, teal task, declaring that he
never saw the life of Hume, by DIR. A..
Smith :" and that, on this occasion, he
does not wish 10 see il for the simple
lmosi truly sol reason that it is said ii was
written by his friend DIR. Adam Smith -
Thus the testimony of man, whose mo-
raj purity eleyates him above the suspicion
OF wilff misrepresentation; as the acknow-
lodged superiority of bis mind exempted
him lrOm=hll liability 10 common mlsappre-
hension, Is 10 be contemptuously rejected
without examination /; aud wherefore he
cause, forsoolh, he was friendly To the ndi-
yidnm Of whose life he processes to give n
faithful and impartial account Oh
shame, where isihy blush !" Postcrity a
lone, !" maintains, can discharge with
temper and impartiaity, the difficult func-
ton of deciding on the intrinsic merit, as
we'll AS on the tendency Of his (Hume's)
productions.
This position am not disposed to con.
troyert The writings Of Hume remain
with us aud the doctrines which they in
culcate, being abstract in their nature, aud
| SO independent OF time an circumstance,
| are as fit objects of examination and juds
mept at this day, as hey could have been
at any previous period. But postrrity,
when they sit in judgmenton the character
| of an ancestor, whose career was run IN o.
| ther days, must, il they would rightiuily
decide, have recourse To cotcmporaneoas
statements, for facts npon which 20 pro-
coed and If 80, are bound IN common JUS
tice, 10 give all sucl, statements, and those
more especially that rest on the authority
nf names dear to fame" whether they
support or initiate against prrconcciyed
notions on the points TO which they refer
| a fair and deliberate consideration. Bat
"T," however, after having charged Mr.
| Hume with an ign0ble thirst after popular
ity, as evidenced by the chagru and morti-
fication, which he is aledged to have maui
tested on the failure of his first literary at
tenpts after having lamented the prostl-
tuition of his noble powers 10 " base (sab-
! stllute pernicious) purposes )" after having
deprecated bis unbounded thirst ooh no
bic ambition y for literary distinction; attel
having uestioncd his equaumlty of tenn
per, and philosophical firmnegs" because
like Voltaire, GIbbon and others, he con-
tempatcd retiring from the world for the
purpose of pursuing, without interruptions
his speculative enquiries in short, " I, y
after having leyellcd these, and many 9th
or blows at his personal character, romI1ls
asserts, that =" this character is after all o
but little importance" This assertion /,
asaurcdly trl4, ftaken IN reference to the
character Of his writings, considered il
themselves. Neither the virtues uor vices
OF man can affect the truth, ~ intrinsic
value of his opinions. But when these
opinions are made the grounds ofattack, moi
only upon the wisdom, but the morality OF
their author, the consideration of the per-
sona character becomes primarily impor.
tant. confess, however, that | do not
comprehend the justice nor policy ofreftr.
ring speculative errors OF the head, to the
/ depravity of the heart /; aud Of aftrihuting
TO Il writer, base intentions for every latent
miSchc.that may be involved in his deduc
tons. Such ilIiberality of construction
independently Of the palpable injustice il
Involves, has an evident tendency to check
that noble and adventurous spirit of cnqui-
ry, 10 which, however, il may have ied ms
into occasional error, we are indebted foi
all that we are.
believe that David Hume, in prosecll.
ting his metaphysical speculatons, had nc
particular reference To the pernicous ten
denotes with which they were fraught.--
| Having entered upon track of enquiry
which he firmly believed would conduct
him to the temple of truth, no collateral
considerations could induce him to turn
aside from ii, aud fall in with what he
deemed the irrational preposscseions and
| prcludices of mankind. Like unto q
mathematician, who, when he would dis
cover the proportion he Investigates, strips
his equation of all CO cifeicnts, and 9TH
er quantities, hat only perplex without con.
shutting it, he wished to disrobc his subiec,
of eXtrinsic aud adventurous conside.
rations, that he might contemplate it, as a
geumetrcian would his diagram, in all thu
nakcdness aud solitude of metaphysical
abstraction. Naked, undisguised, unac-
commodating truth, not the injury of man
kind, nor perhaps their good, only SO far
as il might be supposed promoted by thu
ascertainment of truth, was the object o.
his pneumatU'ogcal labors.
These remarks, if properly weighed
may assist us in approaching the following
quotation by ct" from the New Edn-