The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-12-07


for in every object Of pursuit. unconnected with
happiness we cannot wish for any thing.
think you cannot help admitting this, but l
expect you to tell me that at least this unccasing
and universal desire OF happiness is n selfish and
unworthy motive of action. lfyou say 50, in truth
my friend, you have never attentycly traced your
own feelings on the subject
can at once convince you of this fact You
know, doubtless, among your friends, some en-
lightened philanthropc character, who seems to
forget his own interest to make those around
him happy, and who tastes happiness himself,
only as he attains this benevolent oblcct.-fou
do not call him AN egotist, surely; or asclbe his
conduct to selfish or unworthy motivesf Yet
ask him ifhe derives no pleasure from the course
he pursues Ask him, If any other course would
afford him half as much Ask him if he could be
contentcd or happy while pursuing any other
You know what his answer would be. And now
let me ask you: do you esteem him the less 6e-
cause he is seeking FIR huppincss al he mh,fs, and
has found il i'll reciprocation OF Kind feelings
and good Offices Would YOU hold him to be
more virtuous or more d Interested ifhe could
make others happy and Eei no happiness himself
if he could scatter enjoyment around him, yet
look ON with stoical indifference, or misanthro-
pic dissatisfaction You know you would not.
still you will ask INC, have not men, actuatcd
BY motives very different from these, made great
sacrifices at the expense OF their happiness l
reply, all We can in truth say OF them IS, that |
they preferred one sort of happiness TO another
Ask martyr expiring in torments, because he
would not say what he could not tlnnk--nsk irm
if he considers it more desirable to live n disscm-
bier or to die victim: he would tell you, that
his present situation was sufficient answer to
the question. And would il he, in tho eyes of
the world, any enhancement Of his virtue that he
felt differently, ami naMougM q Efs # 4iSinntd
ton really m0re pieaSam Man u sPecay dtafh?
Surely not.
Or suppose you had inquired Of one Of the
Spartans who accompanied Ieonldas on his cclc-
brated expedition, what motive could induce
him to meet the certain death before him, when
a timely flight would save lis life you can casly
suppose what his answer would be. He wonii
be surprised at your qucston;-"Whcn IT is 50
easy" he would probably Ask YOU, "to csca?r
the wretchcdness Of 4 life ot intalny, who woud
not do it!' Now lc; the most enthusiastic adn-
rcr Of the stern virtue Of Leoni,las say, whether
such an admission that the desire Of happiness
impclled him and his lhilc band ~ l'hernopyl,r,
would diminish one particle Of the admiration
their conduct inspires
On the other hand, it is cdualv true that this
great main spring Of action actua,cs the tgntlst
and the murderer They have been unfortunate
" induced to take 50 slurt-sg ltcd view 1fthcir
own happiness rs to believe II can be obtained
through the misery or death eft their icllow-bc
ing, With such abclllt, the lrsirc ot happiness,
which nature has given them, an1 which no
power can alter or suspend tor a moRlcnt, urg
cs them to the most criminal ac'lons. That
which under fortunate circumstances would
have excited the be-. feelings and produced
the noblcst actions ot which cur nature is
pable, degencrates, under the hlighting in!lu-
cnce of ignorance into 4 fertile source OF crime
and misery
Man, then, whether cgotist or phil,nt!lyoph;st,
patriot or murderer, fool or sage, desires happi-
nesS GloRe.
Let us now inquire docs man always acf &C,
cording to his desires In other words: CQn man
act contrary to his viii or wishes
You think YOU cam Let INC prove 70 YOU that
you are mistaken.
An effect cannot be produced without cause
adequate 10 its production. Man, therefore,
cannot act without motive sufficient 20 induce
action. What is this mot,vcs It is that wish Or
desire Of change which prcccdcs an action 81 I'M
nsd0tciY AS to be scarcely prcc"ptible 10 tho
mind before the effect commences it is, IN fact,
the prcdouinating inclination during the instant
prey ious to an action. When YOU say that You
frequently consider yourself obliged To act CON
trary to your inclination and that you do 50 act,
you cannot mean that YOU act contrary 10 the
NlIi iiHlHcuIltcIN I)IOCcCNslllb NDHT AttnH' ! "
that would be 20 say IN cFcd is some rims 'ie
co7trary of Hnt which its c0lse pror'n0s. No,
YOU only mca: 10 SAY that particular circun'tan.
ces or feelings (for instance a sense OF llutoj
changed what would 0thcrlrtSc have been lou,
prevalent inclination, and thus changed thc r.
feet which would then have rcsul;ed from it..
Tell me the prevalent inclination Of yorr niud.
the instant b fore partic llar action and VII
ell you what the action must be.
Now YOU viii probably ask nc whether NJ v-
er do any thing nn'ciNiagiyP admit that occt-
'ionally make use ottins expression, aud believe
it IS one by whici many persons may be msicci
and deceived, a yer, little reflection, hoWe>c cr,
will convince us, that when we do employ it, it
is never in a literal sense.
Take an instance. An Arab relates his story
TO European. "a neiglbouring tribe sacked
and burnt out tents, drove Of our herds and car
ricd away every article ofvalue possessed, No
thing was lef, me but the horse on which rode,
who then for the fourth time saved my life, when
escape seemed impossible. lie was noble an
imal for ten years he shared my dwelling. he
had been reared with my children; and never
was human being more attached to his friend,
than to that animal. But soon saw my family
reduced to starvation, and-I sold him" "iou
sold him." said the European, ''an animal that 50
often saved your life !" "I did could | sec my
children starve before my eyes Yet Allah knows
hom n'ciMngiy | did it."
vlba Avn, p,N,1y.. fha.1 rNl4ttr