The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-06-02
Habit.


even taking cursory glance at the finale
consequences of the free exercise and con-
troll of'that innate principle of~man which
carries him on to deeds of virtue, or immor-
atty and vice-habit. Strange to conceive,
that the controlling impulses and actions Of
man result from acquired habit. The child
in its infantile years, is n tool merely to be
worked with when arrived at mature age
The mind Of a child has been compared to
blank sheet ofpaper, ready for any impress
sion which may be made. Yet, although
the child may in youth receive impressions
of an immoral nature, and antagonistic to all
those pure and hallowed feelings belonging
to virtue and religion, still by the exercise of
an unbiased mind, mind actuated by sense
of right; evil impressions can be eradcated,
and the habits changed by habituatiDg one
self to other and different pursuits. We OBJ
serve the strength of habit very particularly
in our various avocations and employments
1t is very rarely but the farmers son prefers
the tilling of the soil to all other businesses
the habit acquired in early youth of attend
ing with his father to the various employ
ments of the farm, has grown with his
growth and strengthened with his strength.
The mechanics son, on tho yiher hand, pre-
fers the Plane and the Ss.w to the Harrow
and the Plough. This IS the result of hab-
it. Our very dispositions are formed by i'm
hoh A t, oo,l 10 L l..
another is said to be impetuous, another is
said to be miserly, whilst another is said to
be extravagant and wasteful. Many will
say Il is in his nature, he was always idle
and lazy, and again he was quick and lasty,
he was so from child and il cannot be erad-
icated now, or again, he was always miserly
and penuriods and again from an anfant he
has invariably manifested an extravngant,
self-willcd, wasteful, and prodigal disposition.
We way by nature each be formed and ere
ated with different dispositions--somc are
naturally smart, others again are born fools.
Yet We maintain that action requires cor
responding repetition, i. G., as you habituate
yourself to the exercise Of the restraining of
one particular passion, so will you day by,
day feel less difficulty to control that pas
sion. Industry, vigilance, idleness dilitori-
ness, melancholy, covetousness &C., are all
habits. We can habituate ourselves to hab-
its of industry, or laziness, of virtne or vice.
Virtue is not religion. 1t is pity what no.
tons some men adopt with respect to the
quantity Of virtue necessary to religion
Some suppose, for instance, that total absti-
nence from intoxicating liquors is one object
to be attained first They measure out the
quantity so far must thou Co." Avirtuous
man is not n religious man, and yet religi-
Gus man may be guilty of that which the
self-thinking religionist, would be moralist,
condemns as highly repagnant to the cause
of Christianity. To walk in the paths of
virtue, then, we must first endcavor to cor
rect our habits, ever keeping in mind, what
is difficult to restrain to-day is easier to. NOR
row; and again what may be difficult to prac-
tice to-day, becomes easier each successive
day. We can habituate ourselves to twelve
hours sleep, or six hours sleep Il is fact
established beyond all dispute, that rs the
different passions of man are exercised, 80
will the chronological organs be developed.
If the good and virtuous, the virtuous-if
tie evil, the vicious. We might even 90 so
Ear and say, why may not the countenance be
changed, corresponding in resemblance to
the habits of good or evil Of man. God was
not so unjust as to make man murderer, ere
ate him for that Identical purpose, yet the
murderer bears on his face, the impress
which was the brand OfCain. Habits of Vi
cious debauchery, and petty crimes and in
dulgencies most frequently lead to murder,
and not nnfrequently we find one murder
leads TO repetition. To prevent the repe-
tition Of crimes, in some States the offender
is placed in the Penctentiary, the mere fact
of revenge or penalty for offence committed
does not induce US to admire the Penitentia-
ry System. Butthe criminal is compelled
to adopt habits of industry, his condition is
such, that he is forced to weave or spin as
the case may be; in the course of five or
ten years, he has become 80 accustomed 10
habits Of industry, that when he is released
he becomes an honest industrious citizen
Some who are opposed to the Penitentiary
System, cite an isolated case occasionally, as
in the case of Hines, where the released con-
yict pursues the same course, but We should
recollect. these men who reform their con-
duet and become quiet industrious, peacea-
bic citizens, are turned out Of prison every
day, we hear nothing of them, whereas
when man like Hines, follows on in the
same old track, it is spread from one end o.
creation 20 the other. There ere exceptions 70
all rules, snd there is-no human system that
is entirely perfect. We have mado this arti-
Gle longer than we intended. We designed
1t for those Of idle habits 70 pursue industri-
ous habits, for those Of vicious, to pursue
yirtaous habits. Ever keep in mind that hu-
man happiness does not consist in the pleas