Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-03-25


rae delivered hrs lecture. and il wa, rrra;,-.,
:, s, MN as young man OF much n,n,.s ''.0's
~ know he was esteemed a mar N -
from ms lecture. his friends and 4 w. -
hfinay established in that opinion. n .es
sure was different IN character from th-,. -
Pieseora y, 10 as much ss il was p,o,,, u.2'
physsca. tie dealt with principles ,,,or. =
with facts, yet his principles were ,r.~ .aaa
experience. The subject was ,sfn,o.,s ma y
ereSs,' IRON which the ques,icn--aWa.t,se-
man, acting as the worker OF his o,v, 49, 1e.''e
shall move onward; or, since there !. sss.1a{
DIE course, fall in,o old and ss,,n, ~ 's'1'
whlca, hike the windings in o wood v-;,if sa alS
nifn BACK 70 point from whence be s,,.,.5sss
In the DISCUSSION at the question. he - :,
experience we have had from all r,.n-... - /,
society and Government. a. bis da,a m
ierred particularly TO the Grecian and ~. y
isepublcs--having reference TO ,he,r 800
principles He showed tina, the pr;n,; .Gi,'a
warfare was viewed hy them as ,hs 49, q
dation OF strength; and proved il n h. . 'Vua'
~ the weakest but the most dansa,,,, ~. Oe'
pie upon which any Government co,,id p.,uc1'
TO stand War must have for It's obirr,s ,,,,.s
and Justlcr--noi conquest; otherwise i've ~
iors wiil vanquish themselves. This w.,a
Illustrated BY the downfall OF the Roman r.. u
pirc IN these words-"Nought renamed 81
the monster conquest to gorge upon ana ~
herce Cravings Of its lust could only b 60,
by ieeding on the body il had nnuri.hes !,
The elemen, Of her destruction was imnI,r,..
IN her infant Government; il grew win ~,
growth, and finally became powerful enon,h
70 prove her ruin. We have no reason n =
liere otherwise than that her advancement s,s
improvement would have proved certain, hal
the happiness o. the people and the advance.
men' I'D arts and sciences been the end az h..
government. lie showed that wherever bn
man Progress has been fo,led. or s,avc1 H.,
the cause is eriden, from the experience =,
have OF the Of the contests between ,rp,b a.
error, reason and prejudice, and while sasa
contests were carried On by physical s,rene,b
their continuance was ecstacy to human ~
gress and yet they were the means Of prame.
ting u: Although progress might be s.sys5
i could not be stopped. Men, however con-
sidered. were no, the creatures of impulse :
Every man has Inling principle OF action
Every principle Of action can be referred 10
system. He then brough, in the two rpa
system.of Utility and Theory and in conner.
ION with them pointed out the distinction h.
tween true and false philosophy. He exhibits
a clear and concise view of BAcoN'. refe,,.
ton OF mere theory, and pointed out commas,
individual and reciprocal prejudiccs. togelbe,
with the influence Of false teachers and yisoa.
airy philosophers as constituting the foundados
OF all error. Error was the enemy ofimpro,p
ment, and the source Of error was either IA.
uonal, empirical, or su2erslitious phiosoph,
all of which were false. The system Of philo,
ophy which he assumed as true, was that
which was founded on facts, such as BAoos's
and argued that where results were not ptop
erly deducibe from facts they were TO Be re-
ected. His argument was, "Naiure has 6x
I'd laws; investigation is based on those laws
and any result contrary TO these laws is ne
,essarily rejected as mere speculation"
lie then brought in the system OF utility
he ruling passion Of our age, and illus,rad
is incfiiciency by caricaturc OF iis practice
by the caricaiure he clearly exhibited the sp5
I which operates now in almost all 10 promR
he question-What shall il profit ?--nnd .
lct from the necessary conclusion The eys
sience Of this principle of Utility although not
, guarantee Of continued improvement. is IN
evidence Of the tendency 10 improve. Ye, loo
much Utility will over shoot the mark; TOO
much theory will exhaust itself The forme,
is practical the latter visionary the formers
in every day life; the latter dwes
in the imagination. Influences clearly to Be
referred 10 one ofthese systems govern all men,
under all circumstances.
He stated that the effect OF these principle,
upon government was the point bearing moa
J,raofi,, ,,rop tho uueef,nr, of tho ,,l,,,n.t.
end Of human improvement because govern
ment carries into effect the objects Of socaIor
ganization. A government might be too piac
Iicals as the Roman Commonwealth. II r.
garded the attainment Of power, and the means
of attainment, as the end of social organic
ton. But it wanted a conservative principe
10 guard against intestine division. And no
government could resist The shock when kin
dred blood was shed by kindred hands.
So government too theoretical will fail as
The former All despotisms are the offspring
Of theory. They assume that king can DO
no wrong that some men are born superiorr
others Of the same race; that might is right
&c. sc. All such theories are the enemies q
he progress Of society. All bonds like these
must be sundered Government must keep
pace with society.
Seeing that government might fail in being
loo practical, or too theoretical, he believed
here was middle course and that true free
dom would be the result ola progress spring
ing from this middle course. which freedom
would be the end Of human progress. He
closed his lecture by referring 10 the great dis
,ovcries Of the present day as the result of tbs
course, and pointing them out as the indices Of
he end.
Might we offer one criticism on Mr.. HoGr,
eciure, as true aud disinterested friend We
would say chat he ra'its Reason todotoo much.
This one fact gave to the lecture want d
,erspicuity, and opened large field of debata
lie ground. We offer this criticism. with al
aspect for his lecture. and with horest frienG
hip FOR himself, simply because we belfn
ha; there are weighty and serious principes
obtained in it. The lecture itself was an in.
enuous mind, and exhibited subtle mind