Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-01-17
CorresponsIenca.
In What have The Moderns TX.
celled the Anclenls


'' have been benefited and improved by az,
the perfection Of the art Of reasoning Q,
euPies prominent position. Philosoph,
which for hearty two thousand years pal
u implicit obedience TO the dictates of Al
isioiile, was, At a late eru, emancipaie
by Bacon. This great man, while h
paid the most profound respect TO the theu
: ries and opinions Of the great Grevian
was no less acute in noting his deficiencies
aud pointing out his errors. Datin,
therefore from this period the introduce
ton Of a more genuine Philosophy. ",
may next remark the improvement,
brought about by the writings Of De-
Cartes. False as the systems Of the lat.
ter have appeared, and dangerous perhap,
to the cause Of truth, be must set be al.
lowed TO have contributed much 10 the
art of reasoning and its advancement,
since by him the philosopher was first in.
structed to analyze his thoughts with exact.
ness, and to argue with that precision
and clearness hitherto unknown.
But the event must worthy of our at.
tention at this stage, is the light that was
thrown upon the human MUD ty the ccle.
brated treatise Of Locke. From this time
new field for investigation has been
opened by which man has been enabled 10
look into his understanding, and examine
the nature and extent Of his ideas, 10
trace them through their various relations
and dependencies, and to develope the
most secret springs of his words aud ac-
tons. The abstract nature of Metaphy-
sizes has too often proved a source of wild
speculation in which every caprecious en-.
quirer has sought TO establish his own
ta1orite and frequently absurd theory,
but happily for the cause of truth and pro.
gross, these visionary errors have seldom
been permitted to remain long without
detection; aud no part of learning has
been cultivated with greater success by
the moderns, than Moral Philosophy.
The examples of Aristotle and Plato, of
FULLY aud Senica, have been followed on
The liberal and extensive plan Of supply.
ng from experience whatever was defci.
mt IN their knowledge. BY thus minute.
y studying the temper of mankind. and
y periecting its acquaintance with Law
nd Politics, History has acquired that
plrlt OF just remark and phlosophic turn
i character, which are so much admired |
the writings Of Robertson, Hume, and ,
'rescot. q
Turning aside in our pursuit from this /
abject OF speculative reasoning, to the ]
nore tangible and exact sciences, the de- b
elopement of mathematical science next d
Ialms our attention. The works of Eu.
nd, of Apolinus, and of Arehimides, NAV o
regarded as the very thesaurus of the #
athematical knowledge of Antiquity. Il
he last OF these might well excite the y
'ncern oil MarcelIus amid the heat of S,
inquest, and kindle generous enthusi. c.
SIN In the breast Of Cicero, when he p
'ntemplated the tomb of the illustrious al
iiIosopher. Although these great mirds. ii
ere somewhat blurred by the sophistry in
I'd superstition of the age in which they 4
'ed, yet they laid the foundations Of tie
athematical science so deep in the i'm. dc
itable principles of truth, that the sub 10
ne intellects of Napier, Wallis, and til
ewton, needed only to consider the abor pr
the superstructure. The superiority tn
modern mathematics appears most con- of
cuous when we consider their upplica. PC
n 10 the other branches of modern ed
cnce, For the powerful alliance of &c VIC
etry with Arithmetic. Natural Pbiloso. spj
is indebted to the instructions Of EN-
con, as well as the more remarkable COZ
which she has received by means of the
pertinent, For this purpose, the natur. tia
senses were insufficient for the most age
lute research, and called upon mechani. the
skill for assistance, which, in modern BY
es, has responded by the invention of ed
microscope, air-pump, Thermometer, tail
scope, and thousand other instru. SOU
ITS OF equal utility. 1t would be an edg
stice to the cause of modern lcarnipo reg
'ass by in silence those societies which too
llberality of princes and other great incl
OF means and influence have establish. ed
or the promotion of science in their the
'ectlve countries. The experiments |
ormed by the Academies of Paris moo
ogne, II. Petersburg and Berlin, will rem
be remembered by the candid and plac
fcjndiced Of all nations. The names tion
Boyle and Newton, of Barron and suct
D, which are inscparably connected race
their institutions are such arguments to o
leir behalf as no maece Of their adj. vest
aries can pretend to invalidate. To attrj
enlarged purpose Of illustrating by hapl
rlment the principles of general war
ice, the most fertile resources have and
derived from the labors of the prac. NOR
chemist. The study of chemisty cent
title understood in the esrly ages and bid
iy confined to a knowledge of the pres
is, has since been directed 10 extern defel
investigation into an almost endless been
'ty of subjects comprehending in the naviI
of its intelligence every part of ami. les
mineral and vegetable Kingdoms. As Euro
is no other branch of science per. strur
which exhibits such variety of ed
erful and interesting particulars, so coun
is none that more directly owes lie will
ncement TO the discoveries of The view,
rms. 1t is indeed one of those in. prove
es in which the present age maniiests every
perlority over every proceeding age. the v
e history of electrical science also imme
nts to our view series of wonderful Ag
although it did not begin to be cult surm'
with any degree Of attention till china
the beginning Of the eighteenth ern r.
ry. 1t is curious to remark the cir. mecb
ances attending its progress; how fulles
,r,,, = L. Al.