Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-12-01
EsT n II L &C &.

Although the profound study OF philosophy ha. be.
come alHIr7t Il "Reminiscences, III the heat and prr-~ur.
! nf ,niitirri and commercial Interests, thcr" will not
be wanting readers 10 welcome aud enjoy the adn;ra.
be summary given in this volume, by VI. Cousin of
| his philosophical principles. There i. no iw,rk, in
the interests of pure speculation which more iul!v
rmboijcs the fruits of the great Intellectual move
,,,.ut OF the last half-c ury: and we are Glad, on
this account, 10 lind i, III a translation which may be-
REGARDED 4, u ihir, though not By my means u per
I.r;iy adequate reproduction ot the original. NJ.
Cousin protests agaims; Identifying his system ri dog
! triuc w!th the method OF Ec!ec;ic!s:n. Not tha: he
repudiu;cs he name which has been attached 10 his PHI
lnsophy. Ecicciicism, h. m!!l;ts, Is dear 10 him, Is i il
tie .icit of the history Of philosophy: hu: The snurc"
Of that light is elsewhere. The doctrine which j.
claimed for hi. own BY Cousin, Is pir!!ua!ism-tha
philosophy which be IAN with Socrates and Plato,
! which The Gospel has spread abroad in the world,
which Drscurtcs put under the severe forms ri mod
.:u genius, which in the seventeenth cen.nry was one
Of the springs Of the glory and strength Uf France,
which pcrishci with the national greatness III III"
eighteenth century, which II: the commencement Of
lie prcscr: century was re-cstabi:shcG III public in
strlclion by VI. Rover Collard, in literature by Chm
;cau!;.:and and Madame DE- SiAel, and III art by NJ.
Dun:rclncrc de Quiucv. The characteristic ot this
.ystcm is the supremacy of the spirit over the senses.
Ii .cacE.cs Inc spirituality Of the human erul, the Law
ii moral obligation, the dignity ut justice, ana The
beauty al virtue while beyond the limits q! this
w0-i j, reveals n God, the author aud type oi Ia.
| mali;;, who, having created man i'll his own image,
viii no; abandon him III the mysterious Development
If hi. destiny. Til, philosophy il the uH;ugu! ally
uf every good cause. Il su.,nins religious seI!timcn;
it IS the nnbIcst inspiration ot art, poetry, and H.
.craturc--it is the advocate Ct political Justice, OF 80
c..l progress, al the highest cu!;ure and elevation NJ
humanity.
The three great elements of the spiritual philoso-
piy, thu Good, lie Beautiful, and the True, ar" uH-
folded in this volume in u systematic form. In tie
cuyrs.. " lis discussions, the lcadinr questions q! mo-
.,"rn speculation nrc fully considered. Whnicvcr
value may be attached bv the competent thinker =
t'c peculiar rca>onIngs and conclusions Of VI. Cousin
himself. no one can deny the eIn!ncn. significance o!
us wo.k ~ Il contribution ID The history at l,Iilusn-
ply III modern times. Ia our opinion, this is lis chief
importance. Il contains little, il anything, that j.
positively original. Cousin is not 4 creator in the
realms %! thought. BIT lis slnguIariy IGcld state
mcIlts OF central principles, is tcutc analyses %! cc!c-
bratci systems, and lis mastery illustrations oi ah-
,irac: conceptions, reader il one of the most truly
-rrv!ttabiG books that can be- placed IN the hnnd- Of
the pi!!"sophlcni student. We npPrchcnd even, HAT
Cousin often fails 20 perceive tile comprehensive ap-
p.icntious OF lis own ideas; with all his apparent
reach -: thought, he is deficient III breadth; AMI his
career i ot;ru ,nwaricl by II native intellectual tInEii-
~. Lui then ic puts the student Oh TIA" ri%ht track,
opens 10 hi. gHAc the mos; inviting prospects, qutck-
ems iI- mlnd ~ frequent suggestions, though Ii" does
EWt communicate an exhaustive theory, and arms
hi:l with Il method that is fruitful OF consequences III
The discovery of truth.
As regnri- the positive contents OF VI. Cousins
own system, il Is sufficient tu observe, tnat N accur't-
C:cc with Reid and Kant. or .; least with the spirit
"t their teachings, IL: considers reason as the faculty
oi the True. the Beautiful and the Good. At first,
reason - emvol"pcI il the Gxcrcise "t III" suMscs
then Il ascrIIs 10 universal and NECESSARY idea 3
finally rises u the contemplation ui their principle,
III Il Being infinite, and at the same time real al.l sub
stantial, who's. existence it cunceIves, but WHOSE IA
turu IL cannot penetrate nor comprehend. Tie only
means by which We can approach the Being ui beings.
il hy Il 'iviuc Internationally the study and love ~
the True. the contemplation ami reproduction ui the
beautiful, nit Tie praciic" III the Good. Al tic came
tine, sentiment, is IA truly an innatc feature "i hN-
.Aaniy IL grasUu. The nobility at sentiment makes
l!c nobility ui thought. Enthusiasm i. the principle
-! great works IN we'll rs of great actions. Man IL ~
great 10y the heart a- by reason. IL IL the love -! the
beautiful III Itself, which inspires the imnI"rinl. mas.
~irr.pirccS of art. In order Ia Civ" lie To ia" CANVASS,
r. The marble, ~ speech, the artist az ".atu: mas!
glow w'tI II rich and warm vitality. IL il the heart
~nI!ugic! viii! !"G!c. thai makes trn" cl"Iucnc". 1t is
the heart mingled wiki imagination that makcs tru"
poetry. The religious system OF NJ. Cousin l. 10 less
riinVi" than his theory "i ethics ana ari. From sen
tnIent. !; hnrl"wsa personal God, and from reason, II
necessary. eternal. Infinite ti"I. II neither nbs"rb-
God IN the world, nor the word in tiJh, bu: places
before hiiinhiity Tor IT. worship an't love, Il Gnt who
j. both absolute unity and unity multiplied, supreme
Intelligence ami supreme truth, sovereign justice and
s"v"rcjg! goolnra>.
We d0 no; believe that tie lovor oi complete, svm-
ma'rtcal theories will be fully satisfied with wInt Cou.
s!I regards rs hls c%ppsitIuns Uf absolute truth! hui
as II u.ridl break against Tie prevailing Hood ot
Ina:rrGl!!si.!, iiir!: importance can sc0Gcc!y be too
stea' 'NE'i''.'' - aissI 'a lll' PAINT lll', lltN HlsD. u
"hoi"s"n" Induction mi" III" sphere OF the Ideal.
y BLIND Girl. FEELING FOR a SUNBEAM.
The sun Las just burst or; through the clouds, and
ah'avy @r'd"l bean: cones IN II our window
How bright and cheerful, IL comes III 80 silently,
yet il speaks To the heart. Thanh: Il Kind God for
Sunshine! Ages on ages il has il!uminc'i ard glad
dcnci Il world, yet we hardly think Of the great
fountain "ili.lt and beauty.
"riiIn- Oi sunshine brings IN mind u %t0ucl!W. in
cIlru, which came Uui,l uur uii,,r yufiuu a u W.. vrrrp
travelling IN the cars. Opposite Us were scented u
family of four, consisting OF a man nEi his wife AMI
rwo rhll1rcG-a boy hi! T. g~irl-twiH~, ami totally
blind. Two lDve!Icr children we never saw. The
family were from the South. \ southern sun had
,.uycd each cheek It rich O~lIvC-cpmrl"Xi"n, relieved
hv u hrtn;!.u! hi"uu upon th- %rEill:cl'- cnul'c-
unnrrs. The DO: was lightly bulk, had finely chs.
ci"i features, and Inir at u dark brown. clustering
in rich curls Hronnd Ills neck. The girl wa1 Yet more
slender. rs fragile ~ the Leaf, and of the mo>t,>p!ri;u-
allied beauty. Her habit was dark. Her hair was
n. black Gs night, ls heavy, clos>T trrascs c,Iingd by
n golden ba,ri which gli,tcrcd brightly upon tn dn.k
back ground. They both seemed happy, com"crsiag
with al int"llI scicr BEYOND their years.
The train stopped for n moment up"n the route
The windows were all rnisrd, AID the children !cnil-
il- gu, rs II 10 ace. The l..tlc girl hcaved a long SIGH,
Gul J. Gned back i'll the scat rxclHiinir., go lnotlicr'l
clnG0: see any;h!n:." 4 tear trc!nbied in he. eye, and
her voice WIS so sad md low that il wen: Ia the hear!
"i very passenger VIII" i."fri the hrautjtu! bHt I'M
fortunate creature. "Nrlthcr can ] syr, Bell; but !
i''F'' w. '''fe - '~'''''S' '''' 49, ''' -" 1
the light winds Lifted th- th:n locks upon his cheek.
"iou'rc beautiful, arc YOU nor, Bcli''
Jus, then 4 iIrod NJ SUNSHINE gushcd from the white
clouds in the west like Il ts.l, and fell full and warm
rppu III. cheek ut the sal girl, aud upon the fears III
her eyes. Quick ~ thought che put up her hand,
and attempted to grasp the golden pencils ,ha; were
playing through her iJick braid. upon n"r neck nnl
check. Eagerly she slru, her hand upon VACANCY. and
Il slU!ow fell upon her couutcnamcr as she tailed 10
.nrci, the sunshine. Mother. | cannot feel IL has Il
lied o.: Of the Window What, Brli!' SAID he:
brother. The sunshine, Marion. II touched my
cheek. but ! cannot touch that The wat!crr eyes
swan III tears, rs did those of nearly AL III the car
\ blind girl feeling for n sunbeam upon her cheek'-
Tina, beam was radiant with beauty, ystsl." could net
behold IL. II CLEANED upon Il world, bit all " a i;::"l
10 her. lt1 silver bursting i'll the eGst, or 10 golden
finding in the west, followed a. day followed day; but
il burst not upon her vision, nor faded ct decline y:
day. II glowcd in tho sky, upon forest, and field,
and flower, and luke and river; but net in the blue
orb. OF the sigitess girl.
BY 4 singular coincidence: the hoy tired - fee! tor
tho breeze thai; came COO! upon the cheek Nd the cGrs
sped swiftly on. The brccZ- swept over The yellow
fields, aud meadows. ant still waters, an! coquct'cd
with the locks Of the blind boy but IL footsteps were
unseen hv him. :
We invniuutsrily thanked God that we couli look
upon the beautiful world TIM he ha, made, and drop
pee! a tea. inr the hgplcss children, who must CROP
their WY To- the grave through Il long night. Bu:ihc
!'-t!t o.: bias vii! burst upon them!
LOAF shall we remember the two blind children.
READING 4 LOVE LETTER.-An incident nj
simplicity is afforded by the following little story, told
70 a contemporary by a friend, III who's: words 1t is
given:
Molly, our i~nuscmaid, is u model on, who handles
the ~hrooms,ick Xix" n sceptre, and who has All abh"r-
renee for dirt and a sympathy f: sonpsuls tina,
amounts 20 a passion. She is u busting, b!uecyrd,
rosy-cac4ksd, making wRr upon our pRpcr., and gocs
about th;rsring for new worlds 10 conquer III the shape
nj unlus,rd and u~Wrightei corners.
GV. day she entered Our library III IL rDufuEIIl md
uncertain manner. quite d.Fercu; from her usual bu..
iLn- WAY. She stood n; tine door, with q letter BE-.
tween her thumb and finger, which me held Mt arm
Length. as il she had u ~gunpowdrr plo: in her grn-p,