The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-06-30
BEAUTY.

acaGemy, .MadisonuiHe, Tenn, June
l7ih, 1870, by Rsu. j, Fl. Martin,
YoUSG LADIES The subject of my
address is of a pleasing and elevated char
acter, but of difficult treatment. The
theme | have selected is Beauty; a word
suggestive to every mind of agreeable
images and ideas, but of which it is hard
to give an exact and comprehensive def
tion. | shall first bring to view the COR
respondence between beauty aud our men
tai constitution; secondly, consider vari-
Gus kinds of beauty; thirdly, ,notico its re-
latiOn to the mind as a source of pleasure,
and, fourthly, urge all to cultivate love
of the beautiful, both us a matter Of taste
and of practice.
hold that there is such thing as
beauty, and that the mind of man is en-
dOwed with a capacity to perceive, appre-
ciatc and enjoy it. 1t is difficult to de-
scribe this capacity and say by what name
it should be called, 1t is often denomi-
mated sense of beauty, and is, by some,
regarded as distinct faculty Of the mind,
one of its elementary powers, like judg-
ment, memory and imagination. | do not
view it as separate faculty, but the COM
biued action of various powers, when ex-
ereised with reference to objects of taste
and beauty. Ny opinion is, that the mind
is ofsuch nature, intellectual and emotion
al, being endowed with perception, judg-
ment and feeling, that it is capable of dis.
cerning what is fair, lovely and beautiful,
and of being affected with sensations and
emotions of pleasure in view of charming
and agreeable objects. The Creator has giy-
en- the mind such mould and form, con-
stracted it on such laws and principles, con-
ferred on it such faculties and enaowments,
imbued it with such tastes and susceptible
ties, that, by virtue ofits particular organ
ization, it is able to perceive and admire
beauty, and derive pleasure from it.
60 further, and assert that this capa-
bility is a universal characteristic of the
mind for the essential principles of miud
are the same in all human beings; hence,
if ono person has capacity to apprehend
beauty and derive agreeable impressions
from it, the same must be true of all per-
sons. The lowest and most degraded
specimens Of our common humanity have
this power, as an elementary part of their
mental constitution, as well as the most
exalted in intelligence, culture and virtue.
1 This truth may be illustrated by refer
ence to man as a creature formed for pie
ty and capable of religion. He is by ma
.ure and constitution a religious being.
The Almighty has diffused through his
soul those laws of thought, feeling and
conscious, and obligation, that incline him
to acknowledge and worship higher pow
er-some real or supposed god-and
these religious propensities imperiously
demand exercise and qualification. Ed
mund Burke declares that "man is, by his
constitution, religious animal" The
author of work entitled "Philosophy Of
the Plan of Salvation," lays it down as a
fact connected with human nature, that
"man is religious being He WILL woR-
SHIP The characteristic is true of him
in whatever part of the world he may be
found, and in whatever condition; and it
has been found true of him in all ages Of
which we have any record, either fabulous
or authentic"
| 1t is true that sin, sensuality, supersti-
tion, error and idolatry, manifold dark
eniug and degrading influences, have often
obscured, repressed and, apparently, ex-
tinguished the religious element in man,
so far as its right exercise and deyel-
opment are concerned. Multitudes in all
ages have worshipped false gods and
practiced the dcbasing rites of heathenism.
while some tribes have been found so deep
| ly sunk in ignorance and brutishness that
they seemed to be without any form of re-
ligion. But all this does not disprove the
existence in man, of capacity for true
religion. 1t has ever belonged to the
human soul, and may, under favorable
circumstances and proper influences.
bearoused from its torpid condition, re-
: deemed from perversion and misdirec'
ton, excited into life and activity, and
caused to bear the fruits of a piety accept.
able and pleasing to God.
In like manner, the human mind pos
sesses capacity for perceiviDg and en-
joying beauty, which is indestructible
The intellect may become SO besotted ano
stupid, and its ideas and tastes with refer
3 ence to everything that is ornamental, be
so distorted, grotesque and opposite tt
what civilized nations regard as beautiful
as to lead to the conclusion that, in somt
cases, men are totally destitute Of thu
power of discussing beauty; that the!
have no conception of it; that there is NJ
fixed standard of tastes by which it ma.
be judged; that sense and love of th'
beautiful is not an inherent principle o
the mind, but the effect Of education, cul
ture and the various refining influences o
country, climate, art, civilization and re
ligion. But this would be false infer
ence and superficial view Of the subject
Underlying all outward manifestations
thought, taste and feeling, with referenc
to the beautiful in nature ard art, is al
} mate love af beauty and capability Of see
ing and enjoying il. This is aboriginal
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