Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1848-01-22
STANDARDIZATION.
Far TIC Virginia Free Press.
sELF-EDUcATIoN.
sgNBER II.

Having, incur former article, presented
an imperfect outline of q few Of the lead
ing faculties of the purely Intellectual por
tion of our nature, we NOW proceed i'm pur
suanee Of our plan, to brief inspection Of
another equally interesting province Of the
soul, namely, the heartsor sensibiHties
All standard writer's on the structure
and functions of the human mind, $50 fal
as the writer is acquainted with their pro
auctions on that subject admit distinc
ton between what is denominated the ma
tural and the moral sensibilities The
former class of sensibilities mankind pos
sess-though under different modifca
tion-in common with the brutes that per
ih; the latter class Is inherent only in
Immortal minds. TO the former class be-
long what some authors style the natural
emotions, Q. g., cheerfulness, melancholy
surprise, dissatisfaction, difidence, and
numberless others; all Of which, as We
shall endeavor hereafter to show, rightfal
" come within the legitimate purview Of a
thorough self-education
The habitual ascendeney Of some one
kind Of emotion above all other kinds, and
occasionally above every portion of the
mind, is unquestionably one Of the causes
ofthat great diversity Of character obserya.
BILE in general society. If, therefore, we
would discover the immediate source oil
the deep and constant detection Of some
unfortunate individuals of our race, or il
we would reveal that inexhaustible foun-
tain Of ever-gushing joy, to which some
favored spirits seem TO have almost per.
petual access if we would penetrate into
the secret Of the stoicism of some unheav.
ing bosom, or il we would lay our hand on
the mighty pulsations which urge with re-
sistless force the sudden current of tn.
multuous JOY, or else pour the laya-tide Of
raging wrath along every avenue Of the
trembling soul if we would elicit the
charm which sheds such heayen-like con.
tentment around the hearth-side Of the
lonely cottage, or if we would detect the
source Of mildew and blight amid the
mansions Of princely wealth; if we would
behold the adamantine rock on which the
feet Of the fearless are planted, or if We
you'd challenge tho power which blanches
the cheek and lends wings to the fight Of
the coward If we would learn the proxi
mate causes of all these varied effects, we
must search for them in the emotiye por
ton, only, Of mans wonderful organism
A thorough investigation, however, Of the
immediate causes of the dominaney of diff
ferent kinds Of emotion over different in,
diyiduals of our race, and over the same
individual at different periods of his life
and even at different hours Of the day,
would lead us away from the appropriate
province of the psychologist, and entrench
upon the rightful domains Of physiology
II Is sufficient for all educational purposes
to know, assuredly, that whether the tend
ency Of any sort Of emotion to domineer
over the soul, be congenital and constitu-
tional, or has been superinduced by the
events of life, that in either case Though
certainly not with equal facihty,) the work
Of repression, or Of counter1deyelopment,
may Be successfully prosecuted. 1t is to
be apprehended, however, that the special
difficulties attendant On all efforts toward
the cultivation Of the emotiye region Of
the soul is the chief cause Of its general
neglect. NeSertheless, the vast timpDr-
lance, in every aspect, Of this species Of
mental culture, surely ought to be conside-
ration sufficient to prompt US to the arau-
GUS task, and to cheer us'on to its ful 40
complishment; an accomplishment but the
more glorious because Of its special ardu-
business