Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-07-19

brain is divided supposed, there are no exter-
nal marks by which tho position of the boundary
lines ofthose divisions can be ascertained 1t is
apity, for Phrenology's sake, that mans skull
was not arranged like hy's eye, or terrapins
back-in series of inclined planes, or fiat sur
faces with angular joints. The Phrenologists
might then have argued their tenets with more
plausbility. Third,-Phrcnoogist have no
means ofknowing but that some of the compart-
mcnts, (if any there be) may be underneath,
rather than by the side Of others; so that (alas y
the faculties they accommodate may forever re-
main unknown, for such faculties could have no
"bump."
THIRD OHJEcrIoH.--The faculties Of the hu-
man mind, as set dopn by the Phrenologists,
exhibit the scheme of playful and grotesque
fancy, rathepsthan the deductions of science,
draDn from patient observation, on the nature
Of the mental phenomena. The scheme is bur-
lcsquc on mental science. Any man of common
ingenuity, and pretty well acquainted with
Foundations and Combinations" and the
"schemes" of lottery vendors, could, in half an
hour, get up schedule of Mental and Moral Phi
losophy, as rational as that of Gall, Spurzheim,
& Co. individual peculiarities of character,
disposition or taste, that may have arisen from a
thousand incidental causes, are, by this scheme,
marked as distinct, Independent and original
faculties Of the human mind l will illustrate
this position.-"Combativsne which being in.
tcrpretcd means Courage" and observation-disclosures"
or the disposition to destroy" are marked as be-
ing original and distinct faculties. Messrs. G.
s. a. Co. why did you not, by the same cogent
reasoning by which you mako out these peculiar
tiles of character entitled to rank in dignity as
original faculties, provide in your wisdom, a so
eel habitaion" also, for hatred2 1t certainly has
place in human disposition and action. 1t is as
distinct in its nature, and therefore had as strong
claims to your attention as either of the above
mentioned principles of action you have admit
ted in your scheme as original faculties Why
did you not do the same good Office for malice,
for contempt, or at least for fricndship9 What.
not give place in your scheme for tho old fash
toned sentiment of friendship Has it been JOS
tied out of existence latterly by 'secretivcness,"
and acquisitiveness"-or, after providing for the
more noisy 'propensties," had you not left lot
big enough on your plat of the human craneum,
to put it ont suspect the latter was the case.
will add few words Mr.. Editor, on another
branch of the scheme. Among the ''it,llectu. /
faculties" are placed individuality" Tor The per.
ception Of "singlc existenccs, without inouiring
into their uses, ")-"form," "coloring" and $40.
cality." Now have been in the habit of suppo-
sing sir that when your eye was once fairly open.
cd, you perceived not only tho "indviduaI exis.
tences," before you, but also, with little of what
common sense calls attcntion-their "Form. y
'cooring," and "locality." But we have noso 10
learn that the capacity to perceive the sc three
latter incidents of external objects, really require
three distinct and original mental faculties! So
three more 'bumps" are put down.
But another faculty is ''size." Its Office is TO
inform us of dimensions, distances, and pcrpcn-
dicularity." Permit mo to say that dimensions.
distances, and perpcndicularity," are not objects
OF perception at all. The eye porceivos merely
the risuat angle subtended by an external object
The "dstanco" of an object is entirely matter
Judgment, arising from the distinctness of the
perception of the object, and of its minute parts
and tho position and appearance of surrounding
objects. Take away these aids to the judgment,
and we could no easier "pcrccive" tho distance of
neighboring terrestrial object, than we can
''perceivo the distance of the sun and moon-
when we have inferred the distance by the means
mentioned we next infer the "size" or "dimen.
sions." live enormously suppose two objects at
the same distance from our eye, we instantly sup
pose them OF the same "sise," if they subtend the
same cisual angle-but the moment we learn ac.
curately their comparative distance, we that mo.
ment correct our judgment of their size accord
ingly. The inference of "perpendicuarity is
quite as much matter of experience, as that of
distance or dimension. This point needs no H.
lustration. / regret therefore that the learned
gentlemen have not omitted their 'sperceptivc
faculty" of'size" and left our means of obt,in.
ing knowledge of dimensions, distances, and
perpendicularity," Qhoy forgot "horizontaty,'y
to be distributed in due proportions, among their
reflective faculties" of comparison" "causali.
ty" and ''inference." But perhaps they would
then have been at a loss how to have filed the
extra slump" BY similar course of reasoning
think the exceedingly unphilosophical arrange
mcnt of their other faculties, '-order, number,
time, tune, language, &c. may be plainly shown
have designed in these remarks, to touch on
ly on two or three of tho many views which the
theme suggests. Ifthcy shall induce any whose
eye they may chance to meet, (and who may not
be familiar with the authors names,) to open tho
volumes of Locke, Reid, Stewart, and Brown,
or even the more humble volumes of Abercrom.
bic shall DO satisfied they will there find, if
some dross, yet more fine gold.
| X. z.
Constantine, July 8, 1897.