Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-06-04

by any one who will consider what these
passions are in their nature, will be found
nothing TO the purpose Of this objections;
and that the principles and passions in the
mind Of Man, primarily and most directly
lead TO right behavior, with regard to 9TH
ers as we'll as himself, and only seconda-
rily and accidentally TO what is evil.''
1t would seem, then, that Fourer's no.
ton Of the nature Of evil ard of virtue, is
not unsanctioned by the highest authorities
of Christendom.
Two remarks, however, are necessary
to complete understanding Of his doctrine
OF obedience TO the Passions
The first is, that all the societies which
have as yet existence upoi. the earth, being
lncoherent and disorganized, were subver-
slve and false societies, and that the Pas
slons Of Man are subycrtcd with them;
hence, that compression and restraint are
absolutely needed to prevent the race from
degeneratlng into Il still lower degree OF
depreciation and Suffering. In proportion
to the extent of that subvers sion, is the need
OF more rigorous laws and restraints; but
as society approaches more organic state,
the severity Of its discipline may be relax
ed until finally, having attained Social llar
mony, men may be left to their native Al
fractions, which are their only true guides,
ever-present and permanent revelations in
the soul Of the Will of God.
Our second remark IS that owing TO this
fact Of the accidental and permanent, or
the false and true dcstinies Of society the
dictates OF morality are of two kinds: rcla-
tive and absolute. There are certain duties
which are duties for all men of all ages or
nations und under ali circumstances, such
as the duties OF Truth, Justice, Love. and
Devotion to our Heavenly Father; these
are absolute obi cations; for the complete
performance Of which, we are to seek all
the aids that our pos. ton requires, from the
energy Of our own wills, and from the grace
of God. There are other duties, which are
duties ptionaly under given conditions
and for the production Of particular results,
such as sell denial, modification, rcslgna-
ton, the endurance Of suffering, Hastings,
conte ntment, &c. They are duties because
in incoherent society they aid in controlling
subvervise passions, that would otherwise
develop themselves TO the injury Of their
possessors and others. Another reason is
that 1t would only be vain and irritating to
indulge desires for the qualification of which
society had made no provision-the love OF
wealth, for instance, which we are com
manded TO restrain, because it would only
become torment in societies where 1t is
impossible for seven Fights of the people 10
have wealth.
That the present state Of society is no,
its permanent state, aad that the compress
sion OF the passions is not permanent du
ty, is evident from the consideration thai
such compression is not now effectual, bu
only partial and temporary and must con.
tinue to be Of that character No indvidu.
al has ever succeeded in the attempt at a
direct subduing and suppression Of his pas
slons. They are active and living forces,
that Will manifest their existence in one
way or another like the internal fires Of the
earth, which, smothered in one place, spec
Oily break out in another, generally made
more inteuse by the feeble effort of resist
ance. The only method Of eradicating a
vice Of the passions, is not suppression but
substitution, j. e. by changing the mode Of
their activity. DR.. Chalmers, the celebra-
ted scotch Presbyterian preacher, has an ex-
ceilent sermon on ''the eXpusve power of
new aflection,"-a phrase that recognises
the truth, that the best way of getting rid
of an old affection, is to get new one, CT,
in other words TO change the object o. the
affection. A heal,hful activity of all the
faculties Of our nature, which can only be
procured in the Harmonic Order, is bet
ter preservative against vice than all the
saws and commands of all the moralis,s from
Confucius to Joe Smith. Only to the ex-
tent IN which the means for such an act:vi-
ty has been presented by Society. have its
manners and morals improved This is a
pregnant fact.
That the present state Of society is utter
ly and abominably false, and needs a tho
rough organic renovation, is further evident
since il imposes n restraint upon the prac-
tice Of the absolute duties of life, almost as
rigid and grievous us that which it lays
upon the indiscriminate indulgence Of the
subservive passions. Ii is almost matter
of doubt, whether the world would be more
disturbed and injured by the unbounded
freedom Of all the passions, or by the uG-
fliching assertion of all the virtues. Sup
| pose lllut L ruin anu JUSliCe Ncie III OUCc
applied to the existing ways and relations
of mankind! Could there be a more fatal
su2position? What universal uproar and
distress among the plots of public men, the
frauds Of merchants, the tricks of politicians,
the innumerable businesses of industry, OF
Legislation, of the press, of The pulpit, among
secret dislikes and destinations III families
between man and wife. parents and chill
dren, the receptions Of Love, the ignoble
conventions Of pol,tene.s and law upon
which society rests. Or, let Justice be done
among men, and what devastations, what
exposures, what overturnings, what hor-
rors, would be the wild and cruel result!
War, peslilence, and famine are hardly
more dangerous 10 the physical welfare Of
our societies., ;han Truth, Justice, and Lii
berry, would be, il there were some Su
preme Power, capable and ready 10 put
them into instant action. Society itself adj
mts this danger, every time it bristles so
| fiercely against some poor starveing. Gin
discreet, imprudeni, implacticable F" refor-
mar ,rho oould onl,, p7rEa , faehla emil;