Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1839-01-05
From the Lay State Democrat.
TRUTH, DEMOCRACY.

/
Reason is that faculty which raises man above
the brute creation. 1t is the ruling and govern
| inc mower Of the human race. Whoever attempts
| 10 s,biec, this noble faculty Of our species to
any othei principle, either Ignorantly or wlIluIly
strives TO subdue, enSlave, and brutaze the minG'
It is the province ofreason to scrutnize' to take
nothing for granted, carefully TO examine all ties.
timony and facts, to look on every side OF all sub
jccts, TO 60 step by Sep, but never to take
s.ec i; Inc dark, to begin at the bottom oil every
subject, to inqure into, investigate and weigh all
things TO seek truth fort truths sake And the
pleasure and happiness which we ieel on inc DIS
coyery of thruths out to lead every rational belhg
TO the conclusion, that we are so constituted as To
love truth and haze lalsehood. And when we
discover that truth is the parent OF virtue and hap
puess. and falsehood of vice ard misery, that
they follow each other as cause and elect, we
nre sure we cannot over.eStlmate the Importance
of truth. For every evil is based on some pre-
vallng fasehood which passes for TRUTH and every
benefit and advantage We ENJOY, has It's own on
gin in some established truth. Before reason
discovered the true solar system, we superSIu-
ously believed the earth was as flat as atrencher,
and faIschood and ignorance wanted 10 destroy
the good man who reasoned TO enllghten us and
relieve the world from the evils the superstition
and fear which sprung from this established leg
alized error. And much of the healing art the
whole science of surgery, Is based on the 'relh IN
relatlonto the circulation Of the blood; and al
most all the adyantagns oil foreign commerce,
even the discovery of the New World Original
ted from the truth Of the polarity OF the needle.
Whoever employs his reason IN The discovery OF
new truths. however unlmportant IT may at first
seem, besides being rewarded in the pleasure ex-
renced in the discovery Of truth. ought to have
sg? sspv2e kHa ne an hS has T
lcgalized lalsehood that passes tor truth, always
draws around il magical circle, filled with all
those whose interest, ignorance, aud folly, forever
prompt to keep up the deception so that reason
often finds il dangerous TO expose ialsehood and
established truth Both Calico and Servetus,
he discoveries ofthe solar system and the circu-
ation of blood to avoid persecution, were obliged
TO recant their discoveries, and acknowledge
themselves to be in error But the good man
follows truth for the enjoyment which truth alone
affords. Whenever she is embraced by the
multitude, he has the additional satisfaction of
participating. with others in the happiness, com
fort, abundance, and equality, which she alone
can give, But if she is obliged to stem the cur
rent of popular opinion--if she leads TO poverty
persecution, aud death, still she always affords u
consolation, reward and happiness, more than
equivalent to all the deprvalons, enmltlos, and
| persecution WHICH we endure on her account
For as a beautiful landscape, noble specimen of
architecture, n fragrant flower, savoury dish, el-
feet the sense, and excite feelings oGpeasure and
attachment for such objects, so every step which
reason takes in the investigation Of truth produces
within rs peasurabe sensations, and acts upon
the Intellect, perhaps upon the brain, in the same
way as those sensible truths or beauties, which
we love on account of the pleasure which they
produce through the eye, the ear, or the taste.
We love democracy as truth. We love it
because it is easonable-because it is rational
We love 1t because we know that its practical ci-
Iects produced 1.-THE greatest good of the greatest
number" We love it because wo know that its
principles are sound and eternal-and because,
though evil and good repot--though panic, pane,
and reyulsion-though clouds may lower, and the
opposing power loudly threaten, still we are con.
scious OF lis purity and the integrity Of our pur.
pose and are the while sustained by the assur.
Ancc, always true, that the storm will soon be
over, and tho new and brighter prospects will
follow. Such has always been the fortune, OF
dcmocracy--such will il ever be,