Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-05-02
Conversation Spirit of Contradic-
ton.
BY MATTHEW CAREY,

l ny MATTHEW CAHEh,
A~thor "Philosophy Of Common Sense"
So much of the most valuable enjoyment o
national beings depends on conversation, tina
II may be worth while TO devote little att1n
ton 10 the subject.
IT is to be regretted that some vices and I'm
perlectlons, which at first blush, do not appeal
/, OF much consequence, as eflectually, in many
instances, mar our happinds, as crimes oil nc
small magnitude. 1t would be sufficient Illus
lratlon OF this idea, to state, that may be rem
Il dered as miserable by an outrage offered me
by rude man, who violates my feelings eX
u tremey, us by the loss sustain from person
who takes an undue advantage Of me, or who
tricks me fraudulently out Of my property
But 1t is not with view to this point that
have laid down tho position. For the present,
: confine myself entirely to the almost unlver-
sal, but highly rcprehensible, custom, OF wan
ton and petulent contradiction in conversation,
which so frequently engenders Srlle, animosl-
ty, revenge, and not unfrequently boodshed.
In company when fact is stated, or an
opinion is offered, it amole always happens
that certain portion Of the'hoarers, instead Of
rejecting whether they may not without i'm
propriety or a violation of veracty, assent to
the opinion, or admit the fact, torture their inn
aglnatlons to find out any improbablllty in the
latter, or exception to the former. The first is
by far the most unjustiiable; and, if the fact
be stated on the authority of the narrator, it is
/ a violation of the fundamental rules of decency
and polieness, amounting absolutely to dec
laration that the speaker lies. This procedure
lis SO truly shocking, that no person who had
the smallest pretensonS to the character of
gentleman, will be guilty Of il. OF a man ac-
customed to act thus, we may say with Horace:
"Hic niger eSt-hnne, IN, Romano, caoeto"
On the subject of opinions advanced the
case is somewhat different. Contradiction here
is not by any means SO offensive or ungentle-
manly. But even in this case much impropri-
ely ofconduct and gross errors prevail. There
are many persons, highly estimable in eyeryI
other point OF view, who, when a position is adj
vanced, which in nineteen cases out of twenty
is perfectly correct, overlook the nineteen ca
ses, which, according to the rules of politeness,
not only admit, bat imperiously demand assent.
lhey advance the solitary exception, and, ON
that, hazard fiat and unqualified contradiction.
l ne speaker IS reduced to the very unpleasant
alternative, either Of abandoning in silence the
ground he has taken, and thus yielding an easy
triumph to his ungentlemanly opponent, or
Else OF entering into long and tedious a4gu
nent to support his opinion. he adopt the
after plan, 1t produces a similar effort on the
opposite side. The consequences is TOO lre.
Iuently irritation and anger between the par
les. And thus is often banished the harmony
'f an entire circle.
II Is unnecessary to state how Numerically
opposite tins conduct is to the character and
conduct of gentleman. venture to assert
That urbanlty requires US frequently to pass
over IN silence opinions which we have reason
10 believe entirely erroneous; for if we are toI
every thing hoor advanced nI
company, which we diSbeieve, it destroys the
Chief pleasure OF social intercourse, and chan
ges conversation into disputation and conton-
ton. | would not, however, be understood toI
mean, that we should pretend assent, when curl
would be in hostility with our
words. This Would be stimulation and decep-
IIon, and on the man who should practice it'll
would afhX the stamp of degradation.
The COMING CRAsH.--Auention is due toI
the following warning from the New Haven
Register.
ANOTHER STORM GATHERING. can
be more evident than the near approach of an
other bank explosion. The rapid increase of
paper money, by means Of the issue Of small
bills, and the creation of new manufactures
ofcurrency, under the free banking laws, brings
q fearful toreboding to every cautious and Oh.
serving man. The banks of the State of New
York have Increased their circulation between
the LIST of January 1888, and the list January
1889, $6,940,O0O. If the rest of the banks oil
the United States have added to their circula
Lion IN the same proportion the whole increase
will be 1854 1000 in one wear The hank
oil New York, in view of this {
rapid expansion, taken in connection with the
enormous importatons foreign merchandise.
have very properly sounded the alarm to the
country They say, "The tendency of an ex. {
'esslye importation of merchandise from a.
broad, OF the extensive operations in works of
Internal improvement, and ola large increase
't banking facilities at home, must be to initiate
he currency; and it is to be feared that Gle.
nents OF this description may already be COM
,lhlhg, which are ultimately destined to prof.
luce many OF the embarrassments from which {
We nave SO recently suffered.n- Annual Re- K
'orts.) Mr. Calhoun, the sagacous statesman .
It the South, has spoken more plaslv an +
his subject. He says, "who is there so blind a
S not to see the fearful expansion oftbo bonk' n
ng system at this timer The tendency of the
ines ines is to convert all property into credit, and
Il credit through the agency of banks, into :.
urrencyi and can there be any so ignorant of u
nc nature OF currency, and ofthe limits bevond y
men 1t cannot with safety 90, as not to see y y
re consequence? The system cannot 90 on, n
must come TO an end. An explosion. great II