Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-10-04

cry thing would be as it might be because
il happened to be so. and not that there
was any cause or reason Why it should be
so.
Every action and event is in itself good,
contemplated only in connection with lis
Immediate cause. else it is not good that
every cause should produce its legitimate
effect. But it may be said the cause was
wrong. one that ought not TO have been
put in operation. Those who make this
!objection should remember that what is a
cause of succeeding effect. is but the effect
Of antecedant causes, and so on ad injfni-
tum.
The doctrine Of cause and effect will
hold good without exception applied to
mind as well as when applied to organic
and inorganic matter. Mind acts only as
it is acted upon. It moves only in the d.
rection in which it is im2elled by the mo-
tive power. and with energy and velocity
proportioned to that power. ltnever wills,
nor determines to do. nor refrains from do
ing certain thing without motive to
such determination. For almost every
action there can be reason or cause as
signed, and it would be unreasonable TO
suppose there is no adequate cause for a
certain course of conduct because all the
motives are not apparent to US, and do not
seem to be sufficient to produce in US the
same action. We may be differently con-
stituted, and always have lived under diff
ferent influences, and have been surround
ed BY different circumstances.
| This doctrine is almost universally adj
mitted and acted upon. Yet when it is
said man is wholly the creature of cir
cumstanees, 1t startles. But let the same
idea be presented in a differentform, and by
using a.much greater number Of words,
and it will be assented to as correct. On
what other ground can we account for The
fact that those who are born and bred In
an intelligent community do not frequent
ly without any apparent cause sink to a
level with the Greenlanders If the
christian does not believe that circum-
stances form the character. why does he
fear to have his child under any other
than Christian influence? If he did not
hold to this doctrine. he would as soon ed
ucate his child in community of Mo-
hammedans or Inidels, as among Christ
ians. A protestant would not expect his
child 10 grow up in the belief of his religion
ifplaced among Catholics, at the age Of
three or FIVE years.
A child born in this country. with
good mental and moral and physical or
ganization, and placed, at the age of two
years, in Hindoostan, would grow up in
the customs and habits and religion of the
Hindoos. But owing 10 causes which
acted on hin before his transportation, he
will be superior to the natives through life.
Yet he will be vastly inferior to another
man born here, with constitution in no
particular as good as his own, and brought
up in only tolerable circumstances. II
both had lived together, the former would
have been greatly superior TO the latter.
This superiority would be owing to cir
cumstances or causes over which he had
no control, for they were in operation be-
tore he came to years of discretion, and
even before he existed.
4 | think it can be shown that every one
does what he thinks best al the time, Ut
! der the influence of motives that act upon
, him. AS far as he has compared, and cal
culated and judged what The effects of q
certain course OF contemplated conduc
will be, he comes to the conclusion that i
is right for him to pursue it. Every oae'.
, experience will confirm this, though al
will acknowledge they have done wrong
and perhaps will say they knew such !
: course to be wrong at the time, bat tho
il best on the whole TO pursue it. Every
4 criminal feels it is wrong that he shoult
> be punished for the effects, (crimes) that b
has produced: and if there is pur
4
ishment to be inflicted, it would seem NOR
: just to punish The motor than the movet
) the cause rather than The effect. Thi
o course would do away with all arbitrar
o rewards and punishments, aad lead me
4 to remove the causes of crime, instead {
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