Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-04-03
For the CHRoSIcL
OLD CONTROVERSIES.

OLD CONTROVERSIES.
There are q few questions which
the united wisdom Of succeeding gen.
erations seems totally unable to solve,
These problems are of such 8 nature
as to effect man, intimately, 10 all his
relations, and from this fact it must
arise that their discussion Is con-
tiDued.
Two thousand years ago stole, peri
patetic and various other schools OF
philosophy zealously debated concern
ing "the highest good" To-day the
diverse courses which men take as
sure US that the question is still unde-
cided. For few centuries the ssu-
dents of criticism have been bother
ing their heads in reference to 'the
standardi of taste and "intrinsie
beauty !" but despite all their shrewd
speeulations and learned disquisitions
no authoritative conclusion has been
reached. During the reign of the
Stuarts the converts to Armenianism
and Calyanism, respectively, read,
wrote and rEnted according to the
tenets Of their respective doctrines
This morbid feryor, this excessive
zeal in religious controversy was sue
ceeded by period of comparative
quiet.
The attention Of Englisbmen was
distracted from religious inquiries by
the bold strokes of Cromwell's policy,
and directed to the consideration of
political systems. The detection was
permanent. The major portion Of
English speaking people have been
content to allow questions Of faith
and denominational quibbles remain
in silent allegiance, and have turned
their attention to the perfection of
their systems Of government. We
think no one will doubt that the best
interests of the race haYe been sub
served by this change in the bent Of
discussion.
Those greatest of philosophers,
Newton and Bacon, dedueed such un-
deniable conclusions and investigated
subjects of such q character that they
introduced important Innovations
without having to stem the tide Of
popular opposition. They confined
themselves to the phenomenal world.
Their brilliant achievements caused
the world to resound with their prais-
es. The Investigations prompted by
these great lights have been carried
on with eminent success by host Of
later thinkers; and so long as they
have limited themselves to the tangi-
BILE, so long have they won rich
trophies. Indeed the essential char
acteristic Of the most renowned of
modern philosophers is found in their
close adherence to the world of mat
ter" and to this must be attributed
their conquests. Whenever they
haYe been inveigled into the consid-
Grafton of the purely immaterial, they
have made but few improvementson
the systems Of Plato and Aristotle.
ga new departure" has lately ap-
peared in the fields of science. Dar-
win dropped a bombshell, in the shape
of the descent of Man." into the
camp Of scientists, which has already
torn away the moorings Of many full
some theories, put the whole camp
into an uproar and set the world to
gabbling. This discussion VIII never
bear any "fruit," since 1t is concern
ing a subject which compounds mind
and matter. The subject is akin to
that one which has been discussed
with so much spirit between the Real
lists and rominalists. Their differen-
ees Lave not been settled after 700
years of ardent disputation, and prob
ably viii aereT be satisfactorily de-
termined. Ifthese examples Of long
and laborious disputAtion leave any
lesson on the pages Of their history 1t
is this: some questions are indeterm-
Unable by the human intellect. How
ever close observation win reveal the
fact that all of these questions are
concerning the immaterial, or mentsl.
or concerning subjects whose proofs
are incomplete. One would be led TO
suppose that the laws of logic had
reached such q state Of perfection and
the human intellect was sufficiently
TO form = reasonable, q just
an indisputable decision when the
data were complete. But even here
mans weakness Is again apparent.
When the points at issue are clearly
stated and a standard for the decision
even then the truth can
not be grasped with such firm hand
and presented in such bold light as
to compel assent. We think this as
sertion Is abundantly confirmed by
the example of the old discussion on |
States Rights-
This mooted subject has been re-
vived, and the discussion renewed
Senator Morton has delivered a lee
ture on rThe National Idea," which /
idea is offensive TO the sensitive nos
trils of DIR. Lord. Dr.. Lord can not |
suppress his feelings of honest dis
with the opinions Of the
distinguished Senator. WhereupOn |
he seizes his quill and boldly launch
Is out on the boundless and storm.