The weekly Butte record., 1867-11-02
For the RECORD.
The Mind.

There are in the present age three prominent
schools or classes of mental philosophers who diff
fer widely in their opinions in regard to that intel
lectual part of our being called the mind or soul.
The first school whose theories fill our colleges
and universities with text hooks. take it up and
treat it any other subject that is capable OF af-
fording the ground work of science in accordance
with the properties or qualities il evinces; and in
the light of that theory may be said TO know as
much in regard to the mind as We do in regard to
matter.
In the first place man is a compound beng, CON-
posed of material and immaterial parts his mate
rial part, ike all other matter, possesses the quail
tiles of weight figure, divisibility, inertia and at
traction. and aside from the proportions with which
the particles of one body unite with another that
is all we know about matter. His immaterial part
called mind possesses the capacity OF thinking.
willing, reasoning and remembering, and aside
from the different passions it exhibits such as love-
hate. hope, fear anger. jealousy, and some Others
it still remains mystery to man himself.
The second school, reasoning from the hypothe-
sis that the brain is the instrument of thought and
feeling, divide the cranium into as many parts as
the mind has exhibited capacities qualities or pas
sions and allot to each department its particular
Office or function, contendng that they advocate
the only true system of mental philosophy. But
the Phrenoogist does not contend that the brain is
the mind, it is merely the organization through
which the mind evinces its thoughts emotions and
desires.
The third school of theorists this subject,
think argue that the mind is material like the
body, and subject to undergo the same change in
decomposti tion.
Which of these theories shall we believe? God
has given reasoning powers, as believe, 70: the
purpose of Distinguishing truth from fasehood, fact
from fiction and good from evil, and it is noble
gift. Then, must have right to exercise 1t in
regard TO everything with which we come in con-
tact in this life. We hold this truth to be evident
from the fixed laws of the Great Eternal that no
thing can be annibilated The tinniest sand on the
sea-shore may be divided and subdivided into
million of parts. may be thrown from continent to
ocean and from ocean to island, bnt it still exists
then, if mind and matter are both eternal. why
cumber the earth with ponderous tones on the sub
ject of metaphysics? My reason teaches me that
man has a thin king organization in his system,
intinitesmallv ETHEREAL as to be utterly incapable of
anazation by the anatomist then, the mind must
be material substance existing within the corpo
rate limits of grosser substance. and on the de-
composition of that erosser substance may fly off
from it. like gas from a solid, still maintaining its
ideatity and individuality.
The moment we take up the theory of immortal
ity. we rush into the boundess fields of chaos,
(where Mill fit y and become hopelessly lost in
worse than a Cretan labyrinth. 1t does not follow
that the soul is less immortal. because it is COM
posed of matter for, as before stated. matter is
eternal As God himself. 1t does not follow that
electricity is immateria because it possesses no ap
precable weight for il rushes through the air with
thought-lihe velocity opening for itself perfect
vacuum in that ponderou. substance, proving itself
to be matter by the great detum of philosophy,
which SAYS that no two substances can occupy the
same space at the same time and il you will take
the definition of poet, thought is matter for
there are thoughts that breathe and words
that burn But to be Serious.--my reason teaches
me, that living thing can exist in creation with
out a material organization. FIDE."
Butte Creek Oct. Goth. 1867.