Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-07-20
wSs - ON PARTY LYING.

- ON PARTY LYING.
The following essay on the subject OF Party Ly-
ing containing many admirable sentiments, well
expressed, has been found among the old papers Of
the Rev. LEE MASSEY, OF Fairfax, (Va.) minister
of the Episcopal Church in that county before the
Revolution. 1t was probably composed to be used
part of sermon-and may not be inappro-
pirate as lecture, even at this day, and among
this generation.-Hler. Gazette.
There something very sublime, though very fancifu in
PIatos description Of the Supreme Being, that Truh his
body, and light his shadow According to this definition.
there is nothing contradictory his and
fasehood The Plaonists have just notion Of the Al
mghys aversion every thing which is false and erroneous
that they looked upon truth less necessary than virtue,
TO qualify human soul for the enjoyment Of separate
state For this reason, they recommended moral duties to
qualify and season the will for future life they prescribed
several contempaons and sciences ec the understand
ing Thus Plato has called mathematical demonstrations the
catbarics pugves of the SOUL being the most proper
means to cleanse it from eo and give it relish truth,
which is the natural food and noushment of the understand
ng As virtue is the perfection and happiness of the will,
there are many authors who have shown wherein the mag
nifty of lie consists and set FORTH proper coors the helm
BUSINESS Of the offence shall here consider particular
kind of this crime, which has not been much spoken
mean that absminabe practice Of Party Lying This vice
50 very predominant among some at present that man is
thought of principles who does not propagate certain
system Of lies The coffee houses supported by them
the press is choked with them. The bottle conversation
infected with hem that party lie is grown much
fashionable entertainment than lively catch agreeable
story The truth Of u.s. half the great takers Of the nation
would be struck dumb this fountain Of discourse dried
up. There is however, advantage resulting from this
deestabe practice the very appearances of truth
little regarded, that lies present discharged in the air
and begin to hurt nobody. When I'VE hear party story
from stranger, consider whether he is Wing Tory
that relates and Immediately conclude that they words
of course, in which the honest gentleman designs 10
mend his zeal, whou. any for his veracty
looked upon bere Of sense that gives credit to
the relations of party writer's party es nay his
friends shake their heads at him, and consider him in
other light than offcous fool, well meaning
idiot. When formerly the fashion to husband e
and trump up in some extraordinary emergency, gene
rally did execution, and not little servceable to the
faction that made Of it. But at present. every
upon his guard The arce has been often repeated to
take effect.
have frequently wondered to of probity, who
would to utter falsehood for their particular ad
vantage, give readily into e when it is become the
voice Of their faction notwithstanding they thoroughly
sensible Of it SUCH How is it possible for those who call
themselves of honor in their persons thus to become
notorious liars in their party Eve look into the bottom Of
this matter, may find, think three for it, and
the same time discover the nsuency Of these to
/ justify so criminal practice.
In the first place. men apt to think that the guilt Of
lie, and consequently the punishment may be much dmn
ished if wholly out by the mutudes Of those who
partake in it. Though the weight Of asehood would be
too heavy for one to bear it grows light in their agnaons
when it is shared among many But in this very
much deceives himself Guilt, when it spreads through
numbers, not properly divided multiplied Every
is criminal in proportion the offence which he commits,
not to the number of those who his companions in it.
Both the crime and the penalty lie heavy upon every in
dvidua OF offending multitude, they would upon any
single person. had shared with him in the offence. In
word the division of guilt is like that Of matter though it
may be separated into infinite portions every portion shall
the whole of matter in it. and consists of
parts tbe whole did before il was divided.
But in the second place, though multudes who Join
lie cannot exempt themselves from the guilt they think they
may from the shame of it. The scandal Of lie in
lost and annihaed, when dsed among several thou
sands drop of the backest tnctue away and
vanshes, when mkt and confused in considerable body Of
water; the blot still in but is not able to discover ITSELF
This certainly very great motive to several party offenders
who avoid crimes not they are peudcia to their virtue
but to their reputation 1t is enough show the weakness
Of this reason which palates guilt without removing it
that every who is influenced by it declares himself il
effect an infamous hypocre prefers the appearance Of virtue
to its reality and is determined in his conduct neither by h
dictates OF his conscence the suggestions Of true honor
nor the principles of religion.
The third and last great motive for joining in popu
lar asehood, have hitherto called it party lie, not
whstandng they fully convinced of it SUCH is the
doing good TO which party may be supposed to
look upon the most meorous The unsoundness OF this
principle has been often exposed and universally ac-
knowledged, that man must be utter stranger to the
principles either of natural religion christianity who su
fers himself to be guided by it, If might promote the
supposed good of his country by the backest caumnes and
falsehood nation abounds in patriots than any
other OF the christian world when fompcy was desired
not to sail in tempest that would hazard his life it is
necessary says he to SAIL but it not necessary for me to
live. Every should say to himself with the spirit:
It my duty speak TRUTH though my duty be in
an office One Of the fathers has carried this point high
to declare be would not tell lie, though he to gain
heaven by it. However extravagan such potestaon may
appear, every will that ought to say, he
would not tell lie if he gain hell by it, or, if
you have mind soften the expression, that he would
tell lie to gain any temporal reward by it, when he should
run the hazard OF losing much than II possible for
him to gain