Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-10-06
For the Port Tobacco Times.
GOVERNMENT OF THE TEMPER.

wv A|AsA>A~AA> Va ALI l LANA AAs'
The appearance Of an article like the pre-
eeni, may seem some hat out Of place al
this time, in as much as the vice spoken Of
IS no. as VIGOROUSLY common as it was
when This article was first written, some
three years ego. Nevertheless, one canno.
animsdvert upon faul! so worthy Of repro
balion and SO terrible in its tendencies, too
frequently, or at q wrong time.
The importance which should DO attach
ed to the government Of the temper, mus,
be evident to the mind OF every rejecting
man. And it must be equslly evident, that
II demands the calm and serious attention
Of every man, who has within his bosom
single particle oi patriotism, or even OF phi
Ian,hropy. !. is no. q subjec. which we
may notice with Sigh. remark or pass
ing jest, bu, which we should speak upon
with all the solemni,y that is due TO re-
ligious subject, and discuss with ell the
earneslness and prnfoundness Of research
tina, becomes a suhjec, involving the in,e-
rest and prosperity Of our own country and
the welfare OF humanity.
Tha, the temper can be governed, is evil
den! from various considerations. Ii is
perfectly reasonable to suppose that man,
who Justly boasts ,ha, he has been commits
stoned 10 rule the world, should be able to
govern his own passions. II would seem
an anomaly in nature, if he were capable Of
reducing the whole brute creation 10 sub
lection, and even of subdung nature herself.
so thai The very elements obey him, and yet,
were incapable of SO far subduing himself
as to keep bis passions within their proper
limits. So that We may safely say, that such
supposi'ion is in accordance with common
sense. The same thing may be proved, by
the analogy existing between the various de-
partments Of The mind. For, if the appetite
and propensilies are capable Of proper train
ing and restraint, Why may not The affections
be also? And, if the benevolent affections
are subjec. to rule, why may no. The NAL
evozenL also? But still stronger reason,
and one " hich is decisive, is, that facts 60
to show that the temper has been governed
Instances, in support OF this, are SO hume
rous and so familiar, as TO render it entirely
unnecessary to specify them. As to the
manner, in which the control over The tenn
per is to be acquired and maintained, very
little need be said. BY studying our own
dispositions, it is easy to ascertain under
what circumstances, our tempers are mos,
liable to become excited. By avoiding those
circumstances, or by Keeping a stric. watch
upon them, so as 10 make strong eDorto OF
the wIl, hen they do occur, it is quite pos
sble 10 overcome The temper entirely.
There can be no question, as to wha,
would be The result, if all persons invariably
placed The proper degree Of restrain, upon
their ,empers. In private life, j. would be
seen in the good order and friendly feeling
Mhsa %e g skis! il hs sefa sfffhi
tons would be conducted; and, finally, in
freedom from The broils and angry disputes,
which so frequently mar The harmony Of
feeling that should always be msintsined a.
mong acqusiniances. In the community 81
large, and in the nation, the effects Of this
restrain. would be noticeable, from The good
order with which ell our public meetings
would be attended; from The exceedingly
email number Of our public criminals; and,
from The fact, that business would be con-
Quoted in our legislative bodies, with tina,
dignity and gentlemsnly bearing, which be-
comes the representatives Of free and en-
ItRUleUCu peOples ouu "uiCu Is 700 TdIeIy
to be me. i,h, in these times Of political
excitement.
Many Of The evils which now exist, can
be traced to The fact, tina, most men are ex-
ceedngly careless with reference to this par
iicular. This accounts for another fact;
namely, the, in oil those particulars, which
hove been mentioned as forming par. Of
the benefits Of restraint, The case has been
precisely reversed. This is the reason why
We csnno. pick up newspaper, without
reading sn account Of some acts done and
words spoken, in the halls Of Congress or
in some Stale Legislature, which would be
disgraceful even 10 the rowdies who infes,
the bar-rooms Of our lowest public houses.
In fact, the evils, arising from this indulg-
ence, are SO great, snd The dangers so i'm
minent, :ha, those who are ckoned among
the wise and good Of our land have reason
to spprshend, tina. they will result in the
6nal destruction OF what, at one time, all
sgreed in .erming sour glorious Union"