Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-06-09

whether Brevster she inventos Of the kaleides- 9,
coe) has not bssa - we'll rewarded foe hi insen-
uir, ~ the Snowman Of sights, &c., has bees for :
his
But let 10 sxamine his claim 10 the discovery ii
at no right mode Of interpreting language: ~Foe p
the seaside existence itself, I refer him to his
senses. as alone able to communicate the nforma-
uno:-words bein9.unabe TO perform the function
Of the senses" This truth 10 coeval with Adam
bu We will 60 back two hundred years only:l
Locke says, but when any term stands for . SIM I
P'. idea, that = man has never yet had in his {
mind, II is impossible by aay words to make known
ats meaning to him."-s.Simple ideas, Is has been
shown. are only to he got Nv those impressions
objects themselves make on minds, ~ the pro- {
per inlcts appointed 10 each SORT thew are r
not received this way, all the words in the world
made use Of to explain define any Of their !.
rames, will never 10 able to produces in W. the
Iea it stands for" My author again: '.verbal
designations are an inadequate means Of estimn-
ting tho variety and number Of natural exisiences."
For instance we have given a name the shape
of pane OF glass; but strike the pane violently
with hammer, and how many unnamed shapes
will the fragments assumed Yet the author says, |
''the generality Of language is irrcmediable !
defect in its structure;'' for were a separate name
to be invented for every modification Of matter,
''langunZe would be too vO!umnous for utility, and
perhaps Tor our memory" Now let Us hear Locke:
'sthe multiplication Of words would have perpcxed
their use, had every particular thing mood Of a
inconvenience, language had yet a farther inn
provement in the use Of general terms, &c
1.-THE far greatest part Of words that make all
languages, are general terms; which has not been
the effect of chance, but OF reason and necessi-
~" have quoted our author as saying ''that
the whole universe can be non.inally analysed
into sights, sounds tastes feels, smells, internal
feelings, thought, and words" Here is = cOun-
terpart from Locke: 1--WE having, rs has been
, proved ideas at all, but v hat originally come
r. k,e.~
feel within ourselves, from the inward workings
Of our own spirits, Of which conscious to
ourselves within.'' The Treatise, speaking Of
/ the sun, moon and stars: I'VE suppose that We
o can their tangibility superstition which IA
, wolves the absurdity that we can feel with our
sight" The author must surely have a mcagre
sdea Of sagacitv; and had We not been able
J, 10 determine the truth for ourselves. we should
h not have lacked instruction of an earlier date
4 Locke speaks Of the nconv ertiblc offices Of the
:, senses, in the following quotation as well as IN
oiher places: "For to hope to produce ara idea "f
l. light color by q sound, however formed, rs 10
d expect sounds should be visb colors audible
and make the do the Office Of all the other
senses. which is all one rs to say, that We might
+, taste, smell and see by the cars"
y How many pages does our author devote 10 the
y inculcation Of the preccpt, which he appears tO
D. claim his own! and yet, what - all he writes
m but paraphrase Of these expressions Of Locke
"but the only sure way OF making known the
SlgOIncAtlcn VI the name al any StWplc ue0 u Ov
u presenting his senses that subject which may
produce il in his mind, and make him actual,
. have the idea that word stands for."-"Now these
. leading qualities best made known by show
)" ing. and can hardly he madc known otherwise
g For tic shape OF a horse wary will he bu
NJ r,,Iv No ;mperfectly imprinted on the mind b.
ri words; tho sight Of the animals doth it tho,
sand time. etter; and the idea Of the pariicula
70 Of gold is not to be got by any descr'p'io
- Of it, but only by the frequent exercise OF ="
{" ewes about it," &c.
ID | might extend This collation. much further, bu
., for the sake Of brevity, shall limit myself to tn
:. quotations already made. In drawing parable
y have confined self TO Locke; because Re's
m Stewart, Abcrcrombie and other modern ,nataphy'
icians, are but slightly different versions Of til
d original story by him who
,e Made the whole internal world his own
IL There is very little indeed in this Treatis
when Invested of its verbage,,hat IS not subs'a
tally to be found in some part or other OF u
." Essay concerning the Human Cndersiand'n,
all more especially in those chapters relating to u
, =. Specification, imperfecton and abuse OF word
The V ery illustrations Of the Treatise seem to |
"e borrowed from the Essay. do not mean by hi
nd- charge the author under review with psgiarsT
for can easily conceive, how one, who has bet
,;lv thoroughly conversant with the writings OF a
other will sometimes unwittingsy adopt not on
his illustrations, but his very language. AZ q
use same time, do not know that this apology
but tho writer be justly made; for had nc be
and familiar with Inc Essay, nc Wouiu never ""sc
nj; legged, rs he has, that Locke "k"ew no alter
tire but TO select whether the feel IS the real
ternal or the sight He selected the feel and e.
30 ceeding philosophers have obeycd his decision
ers, think the subjoined instances from the Ess'
ious sufficient TO convince any one, that Locke taui
the contrary: sswhst l write this, have by
paper affecting my eyes, that idea produced IN
mind which. Whatever object causes, call VIII
nder by which know that that quality or acc'd
c.. doth really exist and hath being without
made And Of this the greatest assurance can posi-
h., have, and which my faculties can attain, 70
testimony Of my eyes, which are the proper
sole Judges Of, this thing" &c.-"Our senses
lde- many bear witness to the truth OF each
cost hers report concerning the existence OF sensi
ar. things without u.s. So also, says this celebra
philosopher, does the eye tako cognzsnce ofhg'
'''~' well as the touch.
no" When I proposed limiting my parallellin.
the authors the above comparisons, thou
him had embraced all the claims Of the 'Freafis
originality; but there Is one more discover.
r. which lie LAYS claim: I shall notice this IN an
es o. or paper in which shall terminate this ser,t
st'iy essays. ~
h the