The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-08-28
INHERITANCE OF TALENT.

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ally inherit their talents from the mother.
This is popular belief, but not the less er-
roneous. The mistake has arisen from at
tending only to those cases in which the
mother had a superior mind, to the neglect
Of the equally numerous examples where
the father possessed remarkable abilites.-
Everybody quotes the fact that Napoleon
derived his genius from his mother. No
body mentions that Burns owed his vast
abilities to his father. a traveller would
commit Il similar blundrr who should de-
scribe all Americans as ligLt-haircd, or say
that every Pliladelphian was Quaker.
The rule, for rule there is, lies deeper.
Great abilities, in Il word, arise from such
a fortunate union Of the mental character
iStics OF the parents as renders the progeny
Il genius, though neither father nor mother,
perhaps, were such. The catalogue of EN-
inent men, if carefully made up and hon
cstly scrutinizcd with view to clucidatng
the truth, would establish this, we have no
doubt, beyond controversy. For it is al
ready known that the child takes its men,
tai nature IN about equal portions from its
parents, and this fact at once leads to our
conclusion, us well as explains why brilliant
parents often have ounces among their Off
spring.
Let us illustrate this. a man has the
purely intellectual characteristics in great
force, but is wanting in will :; he is consc-
quently dreamy philosopher, or visiona-
ry spcculator. lie marrics woman who,
with but ordinary intellect, has immense
energy. One child Of this pair may COM
I'ne the weakness of both parents; and
will be, III that event, an irrcclaimabe fool.
But another may inherit the mothers will
with the fathers intellect; and this child,
unless ruined by bad education, is certain
to become distinguished. Or take another
example. \ woman Of no remarkable
abilities, hut with q fine moral nature, is
married to man without principle, but
possessing shining abilities One child of
this pair may lave the good qualities of
both parents, and become Bunyan, a
Ncstor, or even a Washington. But an
other may inherit the deficiencies of botll,
and grow up, unless carefully guarded, to
become q brilliant villain. Or take a third
instance. One parent may lave much
imagination, but little else, and the other
remarkable, but great perceptive faculties.
The union Of these two characteristics in n
child will produce a poet. The transmits
sion Of either, in excess, unless balanced by
strong reasoning powers may make only a
human monkey or romantic fool
This law explains also, why SO few cmi-
nent men belong TO one family. There
have rarely been two distinguished poets,
painters, generals, or even statesmen, who
were father and son or even brothers. The
elder and younger Pitt, though both prime
ministers, aud both famous speakers, were
strikingly dissimilar i'll their mental const-
tuition, SO tla: this example, which seems at
first to oppose our theory, really sustains it.
In fact, when we consider that the mind
has SO many and so dissimilar ingredients,
ideality, causality, bencvolencc, reverence,
destructiveness, constructiveucss, and that
these are combined in millions of varieties
in as many million persons, the wonder is
not that two individuals, even of the same
family, resemble each other so little, but
that they resemble each other so much
Given the score and odd Of separate bumps
into which phrenology divides the brain,
and take the child of any two persons
whatever, and who shall say in what exact
proportions out Of the ten thousand posi-
BILE ones these qualities ought to unitc9
There is too much falsity taught for truth
on this and similar subjects, not only in
newspapers, but even in elaborate books.
Tho reason is that few persons think sound
ly, Or dare to deny preconceived or popular
ideas. We would have every man, how
ever, reflect for himself. "Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good."- Baltimore
San.