Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-04-18


llgious systems of heather sects and people.
The Mancheans school of Pagan philoso-
ply, amongst the Oriental nations, talk of a
good principle and bad; the savages of
North-America, tell us, of the good and bad
man, meaning the author of happiness, and
the author of evil
But there need be little said on this great
point, seeing tits a principle so well estab-
lished and believed
mat the devil has some fixed habitation,
on the face of this earth, appears, from the
expression I'm the text, ''where Satan's seat
Is" but our consolation is, that it cannot he
in this noighborhood, for in that case, he
would be at too great distance from the
centre OF his vast dominions; being OH the
very verge of the settled globe, mean Of
close settlement and population. Some of
the great cities in the heart of Europe or
Asa, must be more convenient for his OPP
erations
but 1t will be asked, how then comes it 10
pass that we find traces of his acting here
Gan he reach his magic wand to us or does
ne make excursions now and thenl In this
case 1t would behove him, to be perpetualy
on loot; running to and from the outskirts,
10 influence the thoughts and prompt the
conduct of men. No: take il he is not
ease, and is not always on the pad; how then,
1T will be asked, can he manage his concerns
Doubtless by the intervention of subordinate
devils, and in this point, as in all others, the
Christian system is consistent with reason;
tor though the Manchean doctrine, and the
ideas OF barbarous nations admit a devil,
yet they do not supply us with plurality,
and enable us to account for the ubiquity of
catholicism.
1t may therefore be set down as certain,
that though this neighborhood cannot be
the seat, or pandemonium of Satan himself,
yet IT may be the residence of some inten-
dant, or sub-devil
This has always been my private opinion,
and have taken great pains, by repeated
observations to examine the kind of devil he
Is. For knowing what manner of spirit he
was OF, could the more successfully apply
myself to counterfeit him. No astronomer
ever held his tube more constantly to the
heavens, to ascertain the movements of the
heavenly bodies, than have applied nv
eyes and ears to determine the particular
powers o. this demon; and this do not say
out of spiritual pride, and vanity of religious
zeal, but to found the probability and truth Of
what shall assert on the subject
The way | have taken was to ascertain
that vice which is particularly predominant
amongstaas, whether it is of generous and
bold nature, or mean and sneaking in its
quality, for the offspring usually bears the
features of the parent; the work manship be-
speaks the artificer. have found this vice
to be tale-bearing.
This is a vice which shcws no genius and
requires no wit. 1t is low, vulgar, and
cowardly iniquity, and designates the devil
hot &c
cies. Some little insignificant cur that could
find no employment at the court or pande-
monIum of the great devil, or the more
important parts of the emp ire, but was
dispatched to this quarter as a remote
situation.
1t will be said that all vices are equally
internal, and therefore all equally magnifi-
cent. No: for amongst the infcrnalia there
are the malora and mnora peccatta, the
greater and the lesser sins; aud noble devil
will naturally choose to exhibit his talents in
some splendid way. But ours is a mean
creature: he attempts nothing great. He
exercises himself solely in the lowest acts of
mischief, this of tate-bearing particularly
1t is incident to this vice that it is only the
most worthless and meanest persons that are
capable of it, and with whom none but a
little dirty devil would choose to have any
thing to do. As an ass hoof from its cold
ness, is said to be the receptacle of poison,
so the most ignorant and low-thoughted
mortals are most proper for the entrance and
impulse of creeping reptile, that could not
agItate more excellent machine.
But what this devil wants in talents, he
makes up in assiduity. Not word is said
by one of another, but il is taken up, carried
around, like the brand in the play Of Jacks
alive and alive like to be; the tale-bearer
AFRAID that it will die in his possession. If
the word is ofno account, it is changed; the
inference substituted for itself, the construc-
ton Of the word applied in the place Of the
original expression. II the manner would
qualify or explain, it is suppressed. The
incident that gave rise to it left out. Their
own words that introduced the conversation
omitted. The question made by the tale
bearer, did you hear thisl and do you know
that wholly passed by. This is demon,
who, where he has no ground at all, will