Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1837-11-25


request Of The Society.
All will agree to the truth of the proposition.
that happiness is the great object ofan human
pursuIt--ihat arts, sciences, and literature are
useful only far as they contribute To this great
end The difficulty Is IN the question, IN what
does happiness consist The answers have been
varous-soine philosophers SAY that happiness
consists IN health, fortune and cultivated mind
others IN knowledge, truth and virtue. Paley
says that happiness consists in the exercise OF the
social affections, as husband, wife, children, KIN
dred and friends; IN DOM good to others; IA
the pursuit OF great engagements and important
undertakings, aud in health. Ii will be uuntces-
Sary to notice all the various the mes which have
been advanced on this subject. They all con
tain something true; but With all due Difference
to the opinions OF others ne do moi think that
they contain all the truth. Our views may be
drawn from the following remarks.
The world which we inhabh, and all things
therein organized and ,norganlzed have been en-
dowedby the Creator with hxed properties and
as consequence, they possess an invariabe
mode of action. The general law is that like
causes, under like circumstances will always
produce like effects, Physical and Clerical i0lrs
result from the action of lnorganlzed or dead
matter; vital or organic Iars from the action of
organized or living matter, and intellectual and
! moral laws from the operation of the moral and
intellectual faculties. The human body Is COM
posed OF an aggregate Of parts termed organs,
| each OF which possesses some pecu'larty Of con-
strdcton and each i, concerned IN the perform
ance of a particular function. Digestion, circu-
latlon respiration aud secretion, and all functions
performed by particular organs: digestion by the
stomach; respiration by the lungs and mediation
by the heart and bood-yessels. These several
processes are governed by fixed laws from which
consistently with health, there can be but neon
siderable devlationS. Physical, chemical and Vi.
tai laws all exist in the human body bu, the
former controlled by the latter, and act in ODE
dience to them.
But there arc also intellectual and moral laws
whch-though the point has been fruitful
source OF controversy, are as lnvarIabe in their
operation IA the laws that govern the Illuminate
masses around US. Man possesses the same
number Of intellectual and moral faculties in ev-
cry stage OF society; the faculties bear the same
relation to each other. and to external objects
are governed by the same laws whatever may be
| the state Of CIV iza.ion. The same springs OF
| action; as hope, fear, love, the desire of power,
| the desire Of gain; contribute powerful motions
of action, in the rudest and most nncuyaled, as
| well as in the nost civilized and christian ma
tons. II is true, that as the uncultvaled savage
becomes transformed into the civilized and chris
tan man by education; principles of human ma
| ture are brought into acton, constituting a. II
were new motives of action, which until then
had remained inactive. TO eucidate tins sub.
ject, it will be necessary to remark, that two elias
SEES of faculties are clearly recognized IN The NOR
| al constitution of man. The one class is common
| to man and animals, tie other is peculiar to man,
and constitutes his proper human nature. The
! Scriptures make this division OF our moral ma
| ture; they are denomlnated The flesh and spirit
| or animal aud spiritual part of uan. ! he tunc-
lions OF our animal nature, though necessary were
designed by the Creator to be obedlen, TO The Pc
cullarly human nature; the first are exclusively
selfish in their action, the latter dslnterested
and seek the happiness Of society in general.
Th, selfish part Of man has exercised an I'M
mense influence in the world. il has IN fact gov
erned almost the entire movements OF society.-
Look over the face oil soCiely at presenl, exam
Inc into the condition OF the most heightened ma
| tons aud what is the result! Let The conup-
ton, the Intrigue the seitlshness, which we every
where behold give answer 10 the question. |
do not say that there aie no good, pIous ard en-
hghlened men in The world, lheie are many such.
All that wish to say. Is that The springs that 90
| vern society, are, aud have always been IN II
great measure selfish, that the aggregate Of vr-
tue and intelligence IL the world, Is insufficient to
| gvyeIn the movements ot soclety rettc-
tion humbliBg 10 The boosted cvlHzaton OF our
age here forces itself upon our mind.
so long as nations are governed by motives Of
setshneSs Ia their dealings with each other, so
long as they direct their whole resource and en-
ergIcs to the destruction instead Of the moral ele-
vatlon aud enlightenment oi onf race, We mdy
boast oi All enlightened age bun calm detection
must convince Us, thai, though man is greatly
Improved, he Is yei perfectly cWIiized' 1T
deed we are forced to the conviclun, from the
truths contained IN The sacred w,Illngs, from an
examination oi Lnans nature, and from The present
condition o. society, that perfect civil zailon Is
yel tar IN advance ot The present age. Maty Oh
stacles must yet be encoulitc ed, many difficult
lies must yet be overcome before society viii
reach that degree oI moral purity and intellectual
einnelict, which constitutes perfect cvilIza0n.
lhls State iliay at present be imagined, but not
ieallzed-lt can IN iacl be but dIniy seen, though
the dark VISTA oil future generations. When Wis.,
dom. aid truth, aud justce shall reign instead Of
the brute nature o man. @he,, the pure spirit Of
christianity shall be understood by society IN gen,
eral, and acled updn then will civilization be
complete, aud hot until lheu viii mail be happy.
We are prepared from the foregoing 10 under
stand the cause d happiness and nnlapplness Of
good and ul--good aud happiness must result
from obedience 10 the established laws o hatIie;
Organic, tnural aud intellectual; evil and uuhaP-
pliiess iTyul violation VI the laws Physical
eyA results from violation Of the physical laws
Oreat.ic evils irunl violation Of the organic laws;
and mural evil from a ytualln uf the moral laws.