Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-08
NtrDttu0MU G1atDtM.
FRIDAY MORNING.. MAY g, ls2o.
.Messrs. Campbell and Owen.

III controversy''that all the Religions of the world
were founded in the ignorance of mankind that they
arc opposed tothe never changing laws ofour nature
that they the only of uicc ds,on and
ryand that they the only bar to the formation Of
society OF rrtue, ofnteiigence and of charity, ii
most extended sense" He has also heard va pre-
sumethat the gauntlet thus boldly thrown down, was
taken up by the Rev Archibald Campbell, Divine OF
the Presbyterian Church. The challenge and its
ccptance created great sensation in Ohio, and formal
preparation was made for the meeting of the comba
tdn.s This took place at Cincinnati, Monday tho,
18th of April, and the debate continued nine days.
Seven modcrators were appointed to preside, Ste.
nographcr attended to take down the argument and
daily audience of 1900 persons, many Of them from
distance, witnessed the encounter
The Cincinnati Chronicle from which We gather
these particulars, to consider Mr.. Owen us
having been demolished, and TINT nine ten;hs of the
audience, considered his exhibition failure" The
gcst of MIR. Owens augmentation, may be derived
from the following 'tw.,lve fundamental laws Tor
gelps) of human nature" he calls them.
That At his birth is ignorant of thing relative
his organization, and that he has been permitted
create the slightest part of Of his natural propsscs c
ties or qualities, physical or mental.
That two infants birth have ye, been known pos
precisely the while tue physical mental,
and moral differences between all infants, formed without
their knowledge q will
B That each individual is placed, BIRTH without his
knowledge consent within circumstances which, acting
his peculiar organization, impress the general
Circumstances the infant child and Yet that the
influence of those circumstances is degree mod;f-
cd by the peculiar natural organization of each individual
a. IGa no infant has the power OF deciding nj ~hat period
time. or IN what part OF the world, he shall into
tence of whom he shall be BORN in wha particular religion
shall bc trained tn believe by what other Inc
shall be surrounded from birth To death.
That each individual so created that whcn he
may be made TO receive impressions produce either
ideas false notions and enccia injurious habits and
retain them with great cRacity.
g. That zach individual created that believe
urcong to the strongest impressions that b made his
feelings aud other faculties while h belief in depends
Z Tina, each Individuals tina, he like ,a,
sations individual rsan za,ou and he must dislike thai,
which CRATES in him unpleasant dissseeaIe sensations
fwh!c he cannot discover previous to experience what those
sensations shall Re
That each Individual ocIcaud that the sensations made
upon his organization, although pleasant and delightful their
commencement AMI for DURATION generally become,
continued beyond certain period without change diasrecabe
and pand While on The contrary, when too rapid change
of sensations made his isspatc
and otherwise njucs his physical intellectual and moral pow
g. That the highest eah, greatest progressive improve
ncn's and the mnsi permanent happiness Individual
physical intellectual and moral faculties powers from IN
fancy TO maturity and al these Of his being
ony called into action at their proper PERIOD and temporarily
exercised according TO the strength and capacity of the
cor character, when his birth been
pounded of the most inferior propensi'es faculties and qualities
Iced fom birth to death, amidst the vicious
cu'Estarces
the individual is made 10 po,sc=, and IN scnuir
medium character, when his original has been crr
a''d superior and when The circumstances which hin,
nom niIih To death ouce continued
impressions Or when his organization has
Jor materials and the crc,rnE;sucrs which nc has bcrn
laced om buth death character 10 procce S,p,
rr impress omy Or hen there been some of
cood qualities IN the ori,inal and [ "
has also been plsce through life varied chromosomes IF
ana fVN his last Compound has becn hitherto
- That tire individual is most superior Of HE sr
cF VIXEN ms original organization has been compounded of
ihc hest proportions Of the best ingredients of which
nature is formed aud wlc, the circumstance, winch roI
@ from birth To death Of character produce only
laws, .t;;nns add customs IN which he is placed arc ali -;
unison with his naiuro "
On the controversy the Chronicle submits the fol.
lowing observations:
How hr these twelve "dvnc laws or 'acms' as Mr. Owen
Is Fc'e TO al thtn prove that all the religions the world
oundtI ~ tc ignorance OF mankind, and of
ni the existing vice and misery, is for reader "a, te,e,rc
nc "uo Oh mem scenes to consider their pertncncy tho
Jeol matter ~ deDhc 80 great, that he read heu arc
informed, vclvcs times the audience They constituted
indeed the sum and Substance or tic philosophers argument
nn, mc Pcrcd with expressions of the nnkeSt fdcty and
Tue most dangerous hercscs morals they repeated from
day TO day. with aguing nsipdy; and applied v,hom,
nPcdon ~ every Stage ana condition ri the debate IL will
be perces"d that these "wcvc gems" which, until rcd
by the forty y"rs labor of their scovcor had lain buried for
Wo thousand years arc little more than the substance Of Ger.
tam lectures on the "SOci1 System" Of gaUelogyaps which
nave already been pronounced 10y Mr. Owen in all the grc,,
cues rom I"1on to New Orleans That he has succeeded
~ sing their truth upon single Of his hearers
.I,,l I5 t"pl ucn 70 a'n; and SO lar from having
caSneh, sustained, ocTahc extent the ce
r' positions in is challenge, cevc spcakjr fine
opuons Of icnis Of his audience when I've saw Tia,
greater failure las seldom been tnesssd on any All
admit TINT the talent, the skill IN debate and the wcioht az
proof were The side of Mr. Cawp Those vino lcIievr
this philosopher NJ circumstances" and Observation-Disclosures y,
DC great man. appear 20 he sadly Disappointed many ,bo
inclined to hrs Theory ofsocal compacs have rciapse into
state of sanity while the disciples ofnfdcy have either o
shaken ia their filth provoked la their cause should have
been 50 seriously injured by mismanagcmcnt and blences
so Ear as regards the truth this discussion has bec
Fortunate bu, sn far as respects The peculiar views NJ tine
challenger, unfortunate We have already questioned the sin
cey Of Mt Owens expectation that his CHALLENGE would Inc
accepted The reason for giving IT, is obvious enough His
new system was falling into dscpu,chs Doctrines zero
WsDhrg io Tal upon the public eartose who had been
'ncnanen by hs theories wcre dus,cd with their praca
'in-and New Harmony striking we can hardly ssv
gn'ng memorial n tie cgcgous folly of hs Utopi, schemes
10 sustain hrs character moral elorner and crafty his
ambition tyr noorey, became important 10 keen alive rnbl
interest 9po tho subject Ths challenge was therefore rvpn
Nv New orleans ect aud repubcd add pcrverei in
W. meaning ioI similar purpose in LonoH. Mr. Owens real
On Do ir no. -. 49,.