Nevada national., 1859-01-08
For the National
The Phiiessphy Of kfappincss

Did you ever travel long, monotonous
road, beside which there were no objects to
relieve the eye, or inspire the mind-no for =
ests, no rounded hills, no quiet dales, 10
mountains, leaping brooks or roaring creeks
nothing all the while spread out before
the tired vision, save dull and barren plain
as far as the eye could reach
The jocund music OF the happy bird falls
not upon your ear. while the silence Of soli-
tude, desolation and death, reign supreme
The inanimate and gloomy picture reflects
its dark sba jes upon the quick tablets Of
your own soul, and overwhelms Il with de-
preston and despair. We sprang from the
dust; we are the creatures Of the world, and
our happiness hangs from the ten thousand
circumstances, and combination Of circum-
stances that go 10 make il up, as the blush
ing fruit from the tender stem. We are the
children OF the land in which we dwell, and
look to 1t for our happiness and support, as
an infant to the smiles and caresses of low
I ing mother. Our enjoyment is never separ-
ated from the objects that surround US in the
material world. The landscape ouistrech-
stars, the heavens mottled with thousand
glorious hues, that gorgeously brighten the
tracts Of illimitable space, the air the chan
ging seasons-ftesh and joyous spring, hope
full summer, fruitful autumn, ard the death
of winter-all make their strong impress
sions upon the human mind, and have much
to do in measuring the sum of human happi-
piuess.
Again at some period of your life have yod
not travelled delightful road? Does not
some morning by the transcendental beauties
it unfolded to your view remain stamped on
The delighted page OF memory. with all the
charming truihfulness Of realityi II was
mid spring. The warm moist earth seemed
to pour on; vigor. and beauty, and life. into
the vegetable world around you, while bath
ed in food of light that poured down from
the morning sun. each modest flower, each
blushng rose, each leaf, each gorgeous bloom
attracted light and hue, and fragrance, from
heaven, to attach to this lower world, and
for a time, to bless man with all the charms
and transports Of the ethereal world. At
every step new objects break upon your
view, and new charms inspire your soul. 1t is
one continued scene of variety, life, beauty
and glory. The niulble squirrel skips along
the foot OF an old elm, another chat,ors T.
mong its soft luxurious foliage, while down
its trunk streams the hcncysuckle loaded
with flowers and fragrance. The stately
oak, the noble walnut. the smooth maple
with its leaves whispering the gentle accents
of the spirit land, the lind and the proud old
hickory. meet our view In succession, and
tue thick clustering underground intersper.
sed among them, give perfection to The scene
enlivened by the varied songs of numerous
birds.
The gteen slopes meet in the babblug
brooks. and the verdant bills shout with Joy
Every step unfolds new delights. every sen
sation is pleasure, every thought is snspired
and every emotion siirs our hearts with hea
venly rapture. Thus at such time. and
under such circumstances. imbued with all
the sentiments Of cherub. free or al imper
fections. and endowed with holy rapturou,
love for all that is divine. exalted. resplen.
dent. initiate, pure, ethereal, aud beaiilic
man becomes an angel, temporarily, and sin
less as before the fall.
Thus il is with the journe, through life, =
There is every grade Of happiness, from The
man who is low, debased, and groveing, in
TO whose insensate heart scarce ever shines
q single ray of pleasure, to the noble, sensi
tive, comprehensive mortal, into whose ca
pacious. aspiring, and uplifted soui is refec.
ted the joys Of angels, and the apprehension
and sublime nationality of God himself
Happiness is not a negative, a dull and
nameless state. 1t is one essentially OF ac-
tivity, and implies AN exalted impression of
pleasure upon the faculties Of the SOUL
Pleasure alone is an inferior state. and is
enjoyed in some degreel,y the lowest of the
human species.
The happiness OF life, is in proportion to
the exaltation Of delightful Impressions, and
their duration. We are happy in proportion
as our knowledge is extended, rs we delight
in and subject our minds to noble thoughts
and exalted Impressions; and our souls are
dark, miserable, and wretched, as they are
benighted by ignorance, shut out from the
bright lights of truth and knowledge, and
moved by low and degraded emotions. The
mind is to happiness what the eyes are to
the objects Of the physical world The blind
cannot see, neither can the stolid, debased.
uncultured man perceive those noble and
glorious things; through the spiritual sense,
that GIL the soul with rapture.
Happiness consists in the love OF the refin-
ed, the good. the exalted, the sublime, and
beautiful. 1t is in the power of every man
to expand, and widen the area Of bis happi-
ness BY oultivsting knowledge Of and a