The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-04-19
SOpIlistry.


All wisdom 10 based upoG truth, and oil
folly upon error. All candid aud homes.
men would act wisely, and truth would not
have to " wal, upon her worshppefs. II It
were not that folly obtrudes herself, and
from fair and specious p'ausib!,'y makes
you believe that hers are The maxims Of
truth. The gifts Of truth arc divine nnd
brilian, gems, bu, like diamonds which are
often surrounded with unseemly Gre, they
are surrounded with the supersiiIons, ial.
iacles, and iinperfeclions incident, TO our
nature; il requires the genus Of d,''gence'
TO exc ava. the rubbish and arrive al the
pure gems. Men are naturally, 10 msuy
cases. and ~ many o,hef-, ~IiIiully, dila-
tory; they will not put Themselves TO the
trouble Of removing the coaise earthly me.
dun between themselves and truth; thr
tubies Of folly p, rites and quarz-lin
scattered nbou, on the surface, they are
easily procured, and they prefer gathering
what is easily come at and SNOWY, to that
which is less easily obtained. aud intrinsic.
/ I, is TO be lsmenied TIA, men are no,
wiser in their generations" but they are.
as they are, aud time alone will remove
the veil and show wha, truth is, and where
she is TO be found, and how folly has s,rew.
ed her worthless baubIes over tho earth /.
much more is i, to be lsmcn,ed, that there
are men who take advantage Of the fraiIty
Of our natures, and lend themselves to i'm
posing error upon Us, because they hope to
obtain some Interior benefit from so doing;
such is the pt'lul employment, the Demo.
Gratis OF the preseu, day engage in.
To carry their ends, they call in the
: great handmaden OF error Sophistry-
: which claims to be irulh--itsclf, and so
rery specious is il, that one must BIO well
on his guard or he will be deceived By II
Yet wihou. sophIstry, Democracy would
have to hy to tho bushes and procure f.
leaves, to hide lis nakedncss and deformiiy.
BY changing the figure, We will show
i the great difference between the results oil
truth and sophisiry. Tina, five aud four
make nine, and tina, twice nine are eiyh
teen, arc facts the mind readily assen,s TO
when il knows the powers Of tho number.
: used: so very clear are the results which
i truth obtains. Now look how very plau
+ slble sophstry: you ndmii certain prcmi
= ses Of hers are correct you do this with
j. out investigations, sho has you then, whore
:, she wants you, you are forced 10 coinc i'd,
III her conclusions: for instance, she say,
II twice five are twelve, you do not attend
particularly TO the proposition, and gran
u, then four times five are twenty four, i,
q conclusion you cannot avoid, unless 20,
Is 90 back and dispute the premises. Their,
), - not that beautiful simplicity abou, over,
thing else there is about Numbers, conse
= qnen'ly you would not so readily pnrceiy,
ID the absurdhy Of premises taken in olhe
q. subjects, without more thought, more cure
I'd Tat investigation and more thorough alten
}. ton to the enuncia'ion Of tho proposition
:" and hence, your great liability to be do
ce'ved, and hence, as ilcraied in the ou,se,
" owing TO your dilatoriness. and repugnsnc,
4. TO close mental investigation, you take III,
bsube for the gem.
/" The Democrats know the weak poin.
=. IN human na'urs; they know how mucl
- error dressed by soph's'ry. appsors 10 b
i. clothed in the vesiments Of truth, an,
!. knowing This, they apply themselves scdu
lousy TO mek,ng prossiyies, by plaus,bl
theories, and adsci'itious arguments.