The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-01-04

ana tne Hiosl pTolounu thoughts can be iulg
ly developed, and permanently fixed {
There are languages which have no ex-
preston for objects which are not perceiy-
ed by the external senses, such a. the soul,
or God. There are some which have mo-
term equivalent to the yorb 10 be, or the
substantive toonld. But il metaphysical
knowledge oFpcers (, be denied to th,s
great majority q: ire human race, all ma
tons, even The most savage, belieyo in the
eXistarce of some invisible beings possess.
ed of power superior to man. The various
manners in which nations manifest this
sentiment, constitute so many different re-
hgions--the external acts which are the re-
suit ofsuch religious belief, form modes Of
,corShip.
lie then proceeds 20 class the different
sects of religion, intcrspcrsed with moral
and philosophical remarks, and when he
arrives at Judaism, says
Through so many ingenious errors, or
fanciiiu ard absurd dreams, celestial truth
was opening up in silence the right paths
An obscure and inconsiderable nation ac-
knowledged the absolute unity of the di-
vinity rs the basis of their religious faith.
Judaism, sonlc of whose rites and ccremo-
MES resemble those Of the Persian Magi.
and of the Egyptian Priests, is now divided
into two principal sects4nsmcly, that of
the Karaites, who acknowledge as divine
only the books of the Old Testament and
that of the Rabbinsts, who attribute an
authority almost divine to the collection
known under the name ofthe Talmud
ChristianiiBior the introduction ofwhich
the Jewish scrptl'.cs and the Jewish polity
paved the way, sprung up in the bosom ol'
Judaism, and although in consequence of
corrupting its pure doctrines, by minging
with them the principles of the platonie
philosophy, and cncumbcring its few and
simple rites by the inventions ofhuman fan
cy, it became soon divided into an infnity
OF sects and systems, it now sheds its be.
nignant and liberal influence over the most
civilized countries, and in all quarters Of
the world.
Languages ard religious crecds arc the
ties Of moral society, which often survive
the fall of ciUa and political soc'etg but it is
the latter which determines tho boundaries
of states and empires, which it is the pro-
vince of political geography to describe.
lie then presents TO his readers spiri-
tod detail of the different forms of govern
ment, and finally arrives at the article Of
national industry, of which he thus speaks
in terms peculiarly applicable to these rls-
ing states.
In the second rank, amongst the clements
of the national resources, should be placed
commercial and manufacturing industry.
! IL was this which accumulated on the rock
ofTyre, on the barren coasts OF Atticn, and
on the fiat sandy shores OF Alexandria, the
treasures Of the ancient world aad it was
this which, in modern tunes, raised Venice
and Holland TO greatness. Hero political
geography should consider the situation oil
the coasts of a country, the number and nn-
ture ofits ports, and the state Of It's great
roads and canals circumstances, all Of
which directly influence the progress and
prosperity of national industry.
| The intellectual state of society closes
this heightened eiew of the various aspects
under which riaiions may be contemplated.
DO they po iscss an accumulated store Of
discoveries Of genius, and of the observa-
tons OF " isdomi DO they cherish, in the
sublime and beautiful effusions Of poetry,
the eX preston Of the noblest sentiments Of
hum unity and patriotism? Do men ofsci-
en':e and literature occupy the honorable
Tank TO which they are entitled These are
Iqgsstions which require to be satisfactorily
solved before we can determine the pro-
gress which anotion has made in cyliza-
ton and morals.
a civilized nation is that which has ar
ranged It's knowledge in the form Of scien-
ces which has elevated the mechanical to
B the rank Of the fine arts which, TO express
the yarious sentiments Of the human heart
has created the "Belles Isottres !" which is
possessed of fixed system oflcgislation,of
policy, and of war, calculated not only for
existing circumstances, but for ages to
T come---a nation in which Christianity, un