Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-06-14

ucQuCing auu eSLaDllouluB chcI GiiAu >
from the preconceived destiny of man,
and upon the ground Of the O9jects Of his
Creator.
It would have been saler-if classify
we must-to classify upon the basis Of
what man usually or occasionally did,
and was always occasionally doing,
rather than upon the basis Of what we
took it for granted the Deity intended
him to do. If We cannot comprehend
God in his visible works, how then in
his incOnceivable thoughts that call the
works into being? five cannot under
stand him in his objective creatures,
how then in his substantive moods and
phrases Of creation?
Induction u poSteriori would have
brought PhrenoIogy TO admit, as an in
nate and primitive principle of human
action, 4 paradoxical something which,
/ for want Of better term, We may. cali
/ PsrrerScncss. In the sense ! intend, il
is. in fact a mobile without motives
motive not nlotiriyt. Through its
promptiugs we act without cOmpre-
hensible object Or if this shall be un-
derstood as a contradiction in terms, we
NAV so far modify the proposition as to
say that through its prOmPtings we act
/ for the reason that We should not. In
theory, no reason can be more unrea-
sonable, but, in reality, there is none 50
strong. With certain minds, under
certain circumstances, it becomes abso-
lutely irresistible. am not more sure
that l breathe than that the conviction
OF the wrong or impolicy Of an action IL
often the one unconquerable force which
impels us, and alone impels US, to Its
prosecution. Nor will this Overwhelm-
/ Ing tendency 70 do wrong for the wrongs
sake, admit Of analysis, or resolution
into ulterior elements. It is a radical,
q primitive impulse-elemenlary. II
will be said, am aware, that when we
persist in acts because we feel that VIC
should not persist IN them, our conduct
/ is but modification of that which or
dinarily springs from the COmbatlve-
ness of Phrenology. But glance will
show tho fallacy of this idea. The
chronological Combativeness has for Its
essence the Necessity of self-defense. It
is our safeguard against injury. lts
principle regards our we'll being; and
thus the desire to be we'll must be ex-
cited simultaneously with any principle
which shall be merely a modification OF
Combativeness. But in the case of that
something which I term Perverseness,
the desire to be we'll is not only not
aroused, bat a stronly antagonistieal
sentiment prevails.
/ An appeal to one own heart is, aftel
all, the best reply to the sOphistry just
noticed. No one who trustingly eOnsulti
/ his own soul will be disposed to deny
/ the entire radicalness of the propensity
/ in question. It is not moro incOmpre-
hensible than distinct. There lives nc
man who, at some period, has not beer
tormented, for example, by an earnest
desire to tantalize listener by circum'
locution. The speaker, in such case, is
aware that he displeases; he has every
intention to please; he is usually curt
precise, and clear; the most laeonie and
luminous language is struggling for ut
/ terance upon his tongue; it is only with
difficulty that he restrains himself from
/ giving it flow; lie breads and deprecates
I the anger Of him whom he addresses;
vet a shadow seems to fit across the
brain, and suddenly the thought strikes
that, by certain invOlutiOns and paren'
theses, that anger may be engendered.
That single thought is enough. The
! impulse increases to a wish-the wish to
a desire-the desire to an uncOntrOlla-
bic longing g-and the longing, in def
ance of all consequences, is INDUCED.
Again:-We have a task before US
which must be speedily performed. We
know that it will be ruinous to make de-
lay. The most important crisis of our
life calls, trumpet-tongued, for imme-
diate energy and action. We glow
we are consumed with eagerness to COM
mence the work, and our whole souls
are on fire with anticipation Of the glo-
rious result. 1t must-it shall be under.
taken to-day-and yet we put it off un-
til tomorrow. And why? There is no
answer except that we. feel perverse-
employing the word with no compre-
hension of the principle. Tomorrow
arrives, and with it a more impatient
anxiety to do our duty; but with this
very increase Of anxiety arrives, also, a
nameless-a positively fearful because
unfathomable craving for delay. This
craving gathers strength as the mo-
ments fly. The last hour for action is
at hand. We tremblc with the violence
of the conflict within us-of the definite
with the indednite-of the substance
with the shadow; but If the contest
have proceeded thus far, it is the shad-
ow which prevails. We struggle in
vain. The clock strikes and is the
knell of welfare, but at the same time Is
the chanticleer-note to the Thing that
has so long overawed Us. 1t flies. 1t
disappears. We are free. The old en-
ergy returns. We will labor nO,C:-
alas, it is too Jatgi
And yet again:-We stand upon the
brink of a precipice. We peer into the
abyss. We grow sick and dizzy. Our
first impulse is to shrink from tho dans
ger, and yet unaccOuntably, we remain.
BY slow degrees our sickness and dizzi-
ness and horror become merged in 8
cloud ofunnameable feeling. By graz
dations stIll more imperceptible this
assumes shape, as did the vapOr from
the bottle out of which arose the Genius
in the Arabian Nights. But out Of this
~ag so11