Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08

tested The great artisans Of this formidable
were precisely the only men Of their times who took
part IN public affairs They aah0rsno is igne-
rant OF the acand il political science and often
the most abstract science which deposited in the minds
our fathers those germs OF new ideas which suddenly
gave birth 10 SO many political institutions and civil laws
And let observe that what political sciences have
done here, with power so irresistible and an ecat SO
marvellous, they do every where, and always though
more slowly and secretly AH
Among all civilized people political sciences give birth
or at least give FORM to the general IDEAS whence spring
afterwards the particular facts in the midst of which poll
ucans carry on their agtatons and also to the laws
winch those politicians believe themselves to have in
vented These sciences create in every society kind Of
intellectual atmosphere which is breathed alike by the
governors and hgoverned, and from which both draw
often without knowing it, sometimes without wishing it.
the principles Of their conduct.
Barbarans the only people among whom we recog-
mise politics only by their practice.
Our Academy gentlemen, has for its mission to furnish
to this necessary and formidable science home and
rule 1t should cultivate them in full liberty but never
depart from them remembering that it is not political
body but learned society The dignity of its labors
depends upon this For the rest this is what has al
ways done, and We have only ask that it remain
in harmony with ITSELF The Academy has always been
careful to hold itself aoof from parties the serene re-
gon of pure theory and abstract science 1t has not only
confined itself there, but it has made effort to
attract and retain there those minds which constantly
Withdrawing from the excitements of the day and the
hustle Of business This is atested by the subjects which
it has proposed for competition for its prizes it is
proved even BY the papers which we are to give judgment
upon to-day.
The first question which was submitted to competition
last year. was this:
" To compare the moral and political philosophy of
Plato and Aristotle with the doctrines of the greatest
modern philosophers the subjects To appreciate
what there is Of temporary and false and what there
true and immortal in these different systems"
The field thusopened is immense. 1t covers almost the
entire history OF moral and political sciences Now, Of
o1Ic ~
most constantly occupied with these. study 50 old and
SO much followed must have produced an almost infinite
number Of different notions and systems To make
resume Of this immense work. and to judge to be
an undertaking which passes the limits only of
moir, but of volume The enterprise is difficult in fact
but it is not impracticable.
There this grand difference among others between the
physical and moral sciences that the field of the first is
almost without limits since it has no limits but those of
nature while the other is confined the study of single
subectan. And although this subject varies much
in its aspects according the individual and the age and
although besides, the semobscurty which always
rounds it leads all sorts Of illusions and errors still the
number of original ideas which moral sciences have pro-
duced is not great when think of all the who
have been engaged in their pursuit. might suppose
is incredible how many systems of morals and politics
have been successfully forgotten
and once more forgotten to appear yet again after little
while, always surprising charming the world they
were new and attestng to the ignorance of rather
than the frutfnness of the human mind. One may be
allowed perhaps to apply to the moral and political sci
ences what Madame de Sevgne said pleasantly about
love great new beginner. 1t often happens in fact
that they merely repeat what they have already said in
another manner They offer but small number of truths
which are not very old and but few which would
appear decrept if only knew the date of their birth
is thus that most of the constructors of social theo
ries which in days. and which us with
reason SO dangerous, would appear annoying
if we had more learning and Q better memory. n
is possible then, in studying the most illustrous
authors who have treated of moral and political sciences
in different ages to discover what the principal ideas
upon those subjects which have been current
to reduce them sufficiently small number of systems
and then to compare them with each other and judge
them The difficulty Of this task appears nevertheless
to have alarmed the minds of the competitors only of
whom has appeared His work has attracted the serious
attention of the Academy and deserves it. Still it has
not been able to decide the Academy to accord its prize
What in juridca point Of view and political point
of view the reforms Of which civil proceedings
are SUSCEPTIBLE"
Legal proceedings, it must be admitted, are not much
in favor with the public they often COMPOUNDED with
chicanery. They better however than they
pued be- and is wrong Judge them by their abuses
Without them the Judge and the Plsader would act with
out rules in every thing which precedes and follows
Judgment and the domain of the law would again be in
many the reign Of arbitrary judgments. Now,
btrary judgments in the administration Of justice is the
distinctive mark of barbarism: and all civilized people
have attached great importance to the rules of legal
proceedings Free people above oil others have invariably
insisted upon the rigid adherence to these rules
they have derived great advantage from legal forms in the
defence of their liberty They have been enabled to resist
the usurpatons Of power efectuay by the of
the thousand little fomaities furnished by legal proceed
ngs than by appealing to the general rights guaranteed
by their constitutions just it often happens to people
who live to the that they provide better
against its ravages by planting canebrakes along the
shore which divide and delay the than by erecting
high walls which they would overthrow
After having judged the memoirs which we're presented
for competition in 1851 the Academy has occupied itself
with the choice of subjects For this year it has in
dcated two The first has been furnished by the Section
Of Philosophy 1t relates to of the mysterious phe
which be presented by this being full Of
mystery, which cal-Man.
ssWhat is Sleepf What essential difference is there
between thinking and dreaming Does artificial somnam-
busm-which is, so to speak, the perfectoning Of the
dream, the dream utilized-exists
What is this mysterious state during which several
faculties Of the human mindalways excepting the first
of ALL the human WILL which remains blind or subord-
natedbecomes exalted rather than restrained Can the
phenomenon be explained according to the rules of any
sound philosophical methodf"
The second question which has been put this year in
teress the time both Society large and the In
sution Of Family The Academy requests that the best
regime which marriage contracts be subjected be
examined both from moral and economical point Of view
You aware, gentlemen that Baron Felix de Beauour
has founded quinquennal prize destined for the author
Of the best book the Relief of Misery The book which
the Academy requires of the competitors this year is
manual Of Moral and Political Economy for the Of the
working classes.
what peculiar to the present time is the opinion so
prevalent in day. that there exists somewhere spe-
cfc against this hereditary evil poverty and work and
that with little good will rulers could easily discover