The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-08
Value of Adipsse Matter.

A Philadelphia journal has an article on the
value of good physical constitution, in which
it protests strongly against that class Of per-
sons who are never sick and yet never robust,
whose lives are made up of sort of compro-
mise betw cen sickness and health, who have a
perpetual liver complaint chronic cough, or
An inveterate stoop Of the shoulders, aud,
while their friends have reason to suppose
that they will break down every day, persist
never theless in OUTLYING the most florid and
healthy looking men. It declares that this
race is on the increase; that they swarm in
all our large cities, but that q breath Of fresh
air would annihilate the whole tribe. Our
contemporary also observes that, while they
are very keen in particular departments and
walks of life, they do not take hard common
sense views Of things, whereas, on the other
hand, a large, heavy. healthy man inspires
confidence by his very appearances, and always
has energy and power. "a good constitution
it is added Z" lies at the basis Of much sound
morality 1t makes a man instinctively no.
ble-the haier Of all littieness and deceit
Correct feeling and a comedy person go natu-
rally together. Education may make man
moral, bat the body is the origin through
which the mind acts, and when the body Is in
any easy and natural condition, It's instincts
will at least Be apt 70 b true to all the dictates
OF what 10 refined and worthy and becoming"
The great drsmatist, whose knowledge OF
human nature was probably superior to that
Of any uuinspired man who ever lived, put,
in the mouth OF C.EsAR. Let me have men
about me that are Iat.'' But he valued fat
men for q different reason from that assigned
by our contemporary. TWAS because Of their
placidity and disposition to sleep o. nights"
that he wan ted them about him, and if he liked
not "lsan and hungry men," 1t was because
:" they think too nuch-such men are danger
GUS" Undoubtedly, an unsound physical or
ganization exerts much influence upon the
moral character; but 1t ID neither incompati.
BILE with great intellectual powsr-as thou
sand instances will prsve--nor 10 1t true that
Q sou ad phi steal constitution 10 always guar
sutee Of good moral instincts. Most of the
burglars, prixs.h ghters, pirates, fllibusterss
high way men and murdersrs who ever lived,
have been men whose bodies were In q very
easy and natural condition." ard who en-
joyed the most robust health and vigorous
strength. Nor is IL any nearer the truth that
"correct feeling and a comely person go natu-
rally together" Ga the contrary, men are
often compelled TO exciaim, in the language Of
SHAKESPEARE, "Lo what o goodly outside
Faisehood hath" In the system Of compensa-
lions which seems TO be established by Proyi-
dence, rare endowments OF person and intel.
lsct are not often found combined in one iadi.
Viduai. At the same time, the physical svx.
TEN exerts an iafiasncs strong enough ON the
moral and intsIlsctuai conattutiop, 10 ma "
tts proper education and suhjsctioa 10 the
laws Of reason aud health, Q. matter Of great
Importance.
There 70 . disposition 70 run 70 extremes In
Ill this thsortxiug which prevents the real
truths upon which u rests from having their
Just influence. You can never reform society
by teaching that all that il necessary to virtue
10 robust health. when the whole history OF
mankind, and every man's eyesight and per
sonal knowledge afford the realization OF such
az absurdity. Nsr can men be made to take
care Of their. health By Wholesale assertion
that intellectual greatness 10 dependent upon
physical vigDr. when the long iilustrious
roll Of the great ones Of the earth proves
anything bat that proposition, and the mass
Of bone ard muscle, whether on two legs or
four y not generally associated with much
tntsiisetusi sjsyation, ; =