The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-06
A Plea for Human Nature.


W. Bellows.
The materials of which humanity is
made are much more various and power
full, and more liable to perversion and
abuse. than mere moralists are willing to |
imagine. This material universe, which |
is made for man, is not accounted an ILL
made world, because we have eternal ice
at both poles, earthquakes and volca-
noes, typhoons and cyclones about the
equator, frost and hail and snow and
freshet and blight and pestilence in tenn
perate zones. Somehow, in spite Of all,
it manages with great certainty to feed
1900 millions of human creatures, with
countless tribes of beasts AMI birds and
insects, and to supply them with the ma
terials of such comfort and pleasure as
they enjoy.
Poor as life is deemed, it is yet boon
which few are willing to relinquish, and,
80 far as what are called natural and phys
ical evils are concerned, we have no reason
to doubt that all of them minister to phys
ical blessiugs-as the storms that sweep
the ocean and imperil or engulph our
missing ships, purify the air and drive pes
thence from millions of homes. In like
manner human nature is a crude mass OF
aptitudes. faculties susceptibilities, pas
sious. desires, power of reason and con-
science. out of which is to be struck BAL
ance. .and from which is to be wrought
contamination of the noblest promise.
Human nature, stripped of the tendencies
or proclivities that lead to evil and peril,
would be at the same moment robbed of
the means of progress and dignity. You
have only to look at this stormy nature OF
ours candidly and study it in its various
characteristic samples, to see what part,
that which we impiously call devl'sh,
plays in its constitution.
Here, for instance, is mild, gentle boy,
who does not love to play, who never felt
an impulse to break rule, or to speak
above his breath-perfectly obedient and
almost faultless! The only difficulty with
him is that, with no impulse to do wrong,
he is also without energy, ambition, power
to wrestle with difficulty, or to withstand
opposition. What sort of a soldier, or
merchant, or lawyer, or valuable member
of society can you make OF him? Sup
pose the universal human race were
brought down to his bloodless, unimpas-
stoned state. Draw off all the unruly, hot
apdirritable blood there is in human veins
and YOU would reduce the race to debility
and dullness.
1t would be very easy to have quiet,
orderly and sober world, if you wanted no
obs
nor genius in it. l have known commu-
mites in the country where the single con-
stable in town had no duty to perform In
arresting law-breakers from years end to
years end. But all the young men had
deserted the town, all the enterprise was a
thing of hundred years ago, and every
BODY would have welcomed back with all
their hearts the frolcs and sleigh-rides and
gaieties of their grandfathers, with all the
risks attending them, if they could only
get rid of the dreadful monotony and life
lessness Of this highly faultless state Of ex'
istence. If we would only drive sheep III
stead of horses in our carriages, we shouo
have no runaways. But we should have
no pleasure in the drive either.
Suppose you gave the world over to Q
committee of Quakers or Calvinists and
allowed them to suppress everything they
disapproved, whether in the usages, insti.
buttons or appetites and passions of men
The first thing they would put down woule
be all the theatres and public dancing
halls. Next they would stave in every
wine-cask, and burn up all the tobacco
then they would prescribe the cost o
dwelliDg-houses, and regulate the style o
dress and furniture then the hours o
going out and coming in.
They would ordain an increased mum
Der of religious meetings, make bonfire
of all novels and magazines, prohibit thu
circulation of most newspapers--if thei
powers went so far-they would have on ly
virtuous and prudent people allowed tc
marry, and all children compelled to play
marbles and ball under the eye of rigit
tutors. Some of these things would pos
sibly be great Improvements, but only i
adopted by free consent.
Now, does anybody suppose that th
kind of regime, even were it successful II
suppressingjmu that is perilous and ex
travagant, would really favor the perma
nent and substantial interests of society
And why not Only because freedom il
necessary to motion, and without motion
and impusive and extravagapt motion
too, there is peril of stagnation and th'
worst kind Of corruption. It is not tn
noisy, violent and snowy vices of tn
world from which we have most to fear
The worst vice is what comes from sup
pressed functions, under the heel of tyran
ny, fanaticism and superstition.
1t is inward vice, hatred, jealousy, envy
scorn, apathy, egotism--things compared
with which external vices, like drunken
ness, riot and excess are innocent. w
make world of sanctimonions faces a
the pleasures of the humber classes; thei
dances and their songs and their frivolty
But we had better reserve some Of our sor
row aud indignation from the wreck o
happiness, the safety, the inability to en-
Joy anything which SO many over-cnltiva
ted and ever-refned people suffer, ant
which comes of smothering some Of tn
most imperative parts Of human nature