The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-04-20

his morals, and deadened them to the sense
of honour and sympathy. There is long
train Of events from his youth until now,
which, no doubt, have vitiatcd his mind; and
last of all, the want Of money. Had he pos
sessed 4 thousand dollars in his pocket that
morning, there is no reason to conclude he
would have committed the fatal deed. What
then, but the circumstance of his wanting
money was the cause of the murder. Had
he been educated priest, and received
sufficient salary to support him self, then he
would have been paid for being good ex-
ample to others, worthy of imitation The
circumstances in which ne was placed, did
they compel him to commit the deed? No
doubt they did.
1t is evident we all act from necessity. 1t
IS because want food and rament, that
toll for them. 1t is because l would be pun
shed, were to SO and rob my neighbour,
who has plenty, that do not do it. 1t is be-
cause can procure a better living at my
present occupation, than can be convinced
could at any other, that follow it. Am
not then from necessity what ! am? Had
been born all Indian, and educated accord
! ingly, would take up my -, to live by
them No, l would have taken the rifle or
bow and arrow. What then is more evident
than this, that we act from necessity? An
eminent Philosopher thus illustrates his o.
pinion concerning free will.
1 A Lst.nrv ff cqp-,on * r,llyinir close by
your ears. Are you ii liberty to hear, or not to
hear ii
I B Unquestionaby, 7 Cannot but hearit.
A Would you have those cannon to carry off
yon head, and your wtes and your daughters,
who arc walking with you
! B What question is that IN my sober sens
cs it is impossible should will any such thing
| II cannot be.
4. We'll you necessarily hear the explosion Of
! those cannon, anl you necessarily are against you
and your family being cut ofi'by the cannon shot,
as you are taking the air; you have not the pow
main here.
| b. Nothing more evident.
A. Accordingly you have come thirty PAGES
to be out Of the cannon shot
! B. That again is clear
A. In what then consists your liberty If not
in the power which your body has made use Of,
TO do what your volition by an absolute ncces-
sity required.
The subject is continued, but from this lit
tie extract, it is visibly seen that we act from
necessity.
1t has been strongly argued against the
doctrine of Necessity, that it perverts good
morals. The very contrary is the fact; and
it is this which induced me to lake up the
pen. 1t is impossible that any doctrine,
which is true, can be hurtful to morality !;
but the abuse of them may. The doctrine
of Free Will, teaches us that man has a
complete controul over his formation ofchar-
acter and actions, as stated i'll the above
named pamphlet. Hence when a man does
evil, he must be punished to remove the e.
vii. In the doctrine of necessity, it teaches
us to remove the cause. Thus when man
! gets drunk, to mend him one way, we whip
or scorn him; in the other, we spill the Ii
4 QuDI dllN ~ 10 CNltCHl SillIu 10 thN
and most effectual. We may compare this
authoritative man with his free will, to man
who having few horses in his stable, takes
one of them to ride a few miles on road
where there is quantity of loose stenes.
He rides along, without guiding the poor ami
NAL past thcm-he stumbles. and his rider
whips him for it. Presently the horse stum-
/ bles again over some stones, and taking the
guilt to himself, throws his rider, who shoots
him, (and returns for another horse, which
may or may not be equally unfortunate)
when he ought to have removed the loose
stones out of the horses path; or else condol-
ed the poor beast on his first stumbling, and
endeavoured to guide him better in future.
/ The author ofthe aforenamed pamphlet,
saws, in page %, :" Belief is an involuntary
form of the mind, a position or state into
which it forms itself when it receives certain
impressions, over which we have small con-
trout hence we are unaccountable for be
lief" Here he overturns what he had pre-
viously stated, concerning his free agency