Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-02-18
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THE UNKNOWN SENSES.

natural Sense. | see several animals who
live an entire and perfect life, some with
out sight, others without hearing who
knows whether to US also one, two, or
three. or many other senses may not be
wanting? For if any one be wanting, our
examination cannot discover the defect.
IT'S the privilege of the senses to be the
utmost limit of our discovery. There is
nothing beyond them that can assist US
in exploration, not so much as one sense
in the discovery of another.
1t is impossible to make man natural
~ blind, conceive that he does not see,
impossible to make him desire sight, or to
be sensible of his defect. For which rea
son, we ought not to derive any assurance
from the souls being contented and sat-
isfied with those we have: considering
that it cannot be sensible herein of its in
trinity and mperfection. if there be any
such thing. It is impossible to say any
thing to this blind man, either by argu-
ment or similitude, that can possesses his
Imagination with any apprehension oflight
color, or sight. There nothing remains
behind that can push Oh the senses to ev-
idence those that are born blind, whom we
hear TO wish that they could see, it is not
that they understand what they desire.
They have learned from Us that they
want something, that there is something
to be desired that we have, which they
can name indeed, and speak of its eff
| fects ard consequence, but yet they know
not what it is, nor apprehend 1T not at all.
have seen gentleman of good family
who was born blind, or at least blind from
such an age that he knows not what sight
is who is so little sensible of his defect.
that he makes use as we do of words pro-
per for seeing, and applies them after a
manner wholly particular, and his own.
They brought him a child to which he
was godfather, which having taken into
his arms: NJ God (said he) 1cIat fine
child this is.houc beautiful 10 look upon, achat
a pretty face 1t has He wall say, like
one of US, this room has very fine pros
pect, it is clear weather, the sun shines
bright And moreover, being that Hun
ting, Tennis and Butts are our exercises
and that he has taken liking to them
will ride hunting and believes he has
as good a share of the sport as we have
and Will express himself as angry or pleas
ed as the best of us all, ana yet knows
moth nc of it, but by the ear. One cries
out to him, ''here's a hare" when he Is
on some even plain where he may safely
ride and afterwards, when they tell him
the hare is killed, he will be OverJoyed,
and proud of t,as he hears others say they
are He will take a tennis ball IN his
left hand, and strike it away with the
racket He will shoot with a musket at
random, and is content with what his
people tell him, that he is over or wide.
Who knows whether all human kind COM
init not the like absurdIty, by want OF
some sense. and that through this default
the greatest part Of the face of things is
concealed from US? What do we know
but that the difficulties which we find IN
several effects of animals which exceed
our capacity, are not produced by faculty
of some sense that we are defective IN
And whether some of them have not by
this means Il life more full and entire than
ours? We seize an apple as it were with
all our senses. We there find redness.
smoothness, odor. and sweetness ? But
It NAV have other Virtues besides these,
as to heat, or bind, which no sense OF
ours can have any reference unto. 1t is
not likely that there are sensitive facul-
ties IN nature that are fit TO Judge of, and
TO discern those which we call the occult
properties in several things, as for the
load stone to attract iron; and that the
want of such faculties is the cause that
we are ignorant of the true essence of
such things! lis peradyenture some
particular sense that gives cocks to UNI
dcrstand what hour it Is midnight. and
when il grows TO be towards day, and that
makes them to crow accordingly; that
teaches chickens, before they have any
! experience of what they are, TO fear a
s2ar-hawk, and not n goose, or peacock,
I though birds of much larger size that
cautions them of the hostile quality the
not 10 fear a dog ? To arm themselves,
against the mewlng "a kind of fiattering
voicel of the one, and not against the
/ barking. a shrill and threatnlng voice of
! the other. That teaches waSpS, ants, land
rats TO fall upon the best pear, and the
best cheese, before they have tasted them
and inspires the stag, elephant and SER
penis, with the knowledge OF n certain
herb proper for their cure. There is no
sense that has not a mighty dominion, and
that does not by lis power introduce an
infinite number of knowledg $. If we
were defective in the Intelligence of
sounds of music. and of the voice, 1t would
cause an unimaginable confusion In all
I the rest of our science. For besides what
appertains to the proper effect of every
sense, how many arguments, consequen.
! ces. and conclusions do we draw 10 other
things, By comparing one sense with an
-ntharl I-nt an unlnrsta Nd no man ina