New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-05

pressure the percetving pOwerB once had thc uis
charge Of large Leyen battery passed une xpectedly
through me- felt nothing, but simply botted out
OF conscious existence for sensible interval Where
my true self during that intervals Men who have
recovered from lightning have been much longer
in the state and indeed in OF ordinary con-
OF the brain days may eapse during which no
experience Is registered in consciousness Where is the
man himself during the period OF insensbilityf Yon
say that beg the question when assume the man
TO have been unconscious that he really conscious
all the time, and has simply forgotten what bad oc-
Cured 10 him. In reply this. can only say that no
need shrink from the fortunes that superst-
ton invented If only 50 felt and remembered
LUcRErUs CITING THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
DO think your theory Of instruments at all
10 the bottom OF the matter. telegraph operator has
his instruments by means OF which he converses with
the world; bodies possess a nervous system. which
plays similar part between the perceIving power and
external things Cut the wires or the operator, break
his battery demagueze his needle By this means you
certainly his connection with the world but in
asmucS as these real Instruments. their destruction
does not touch the man who them. The operator
survives, and he knows that he survives What Is it,
would ask in the human system that answers to this
survival OF the operator when the battery OF
the brain is disturbed 10 produce nseusibifty or
when it is destroyed altogether Another consdera-
ton, which you consider sight, presses upon me
with some force. The brain may change from
health disease, and through sheh change the most
exemplary man may be converted into debauehee or
a murderer. My very noble and approved good master
had know, tareatenngs of lewdaess introduced
his brain by his jealous wifes phiter; and sooner
than permit himself 20 even the risk OF yielding TO
these base promptDgs he slew himself How could the
hand OF LIcretus have been thus turned against him
self II the real Lucreus remained as before Can the
brain It in this distempcred way without
the intervention Of the immortal reasonl II it can,
fbani ~ IA op1v hoax nv
regulation render it reasonably seactng and there
no apparent need OF your immortal at ALL n
it cannot then the immortal reason by It's mschievous
activity in operating upon broken instrument. must
the credit OF committing every imaginable extrav
agance and crime. think II you will allow TO
20, that the gravest consequences likely 10 flow
from your estimate of the body. To regard the
brain az yOu would staff eyegass-to
your eyes all its mystery, to the perfect corre
ton that its condition and conscious
the fact that slight defect OF blood In
it produces that very 20 which refer, and
that in relation to it meat and drink and air and
exercise have a perfectly transcendental value ana
sgnhcance-to forget all this does, think open way
to nnumerable in habits of life. and may
possibly in initiate and foster that very
disease. and consequent mental ruin. which wiser
appreciation OF this mysterious organ would have
avoided
BISHOP BUFFERS REPLY.
I can imagine the Bishop thoughtful after hearing
this argument He was not the man to allow anger to
mngle with the consideration OF point of this kind
After consideration, and having strengthened him
self by that honest contemplation OF the facts which
was habltua with him. and which includes the desire to
give adverse facts their due weight can suppose
the Bishop to proceed thus You will remember that
in "The Analogy of Religion" of which you have 80
kindly spoken did profess TO prove anything abso-
lutely, and that over and over again acknowledged
and insisted on the smaness Of our knowledge or
rather the depth of ignorance regards the whole
system of the universe My object was TO show my des
teal friends who set eloquenty the beauty and
benefcence of Nature the Ruler thereof while they
had nothing but for the socaled absurdles Of the
Christian scheme, that they in no better condition
than were, and that for every difficulty they found
upon our side quite great difficulty 20 be found
upon theirs. will now, with your permission adopt
similar line of argument, You are Lucretain, and
from the combination and separation OF atoms deduce
all terrestrial things including organic forms ana their
phenomena. Let me tell you in the first instance how
far am prepared 20 with you. admit that you can
build crystalline forms out OF this play OF molecular
force that the diamond, amethyst, and snow-star are
ruly wonderful structures which thus produced
will 20 further, and acknowledge that even tree or
flower might in way be organized. Nay If you can
show animal without sensation, Will coneede 10
you that it also might be put together by the suitable
play OF molecular force Thus far clear, but
now comes nv difficulty. Your atoms individually
without sensation, much more are they without ntelh-
gence May ask YOU them TO try your hand upon th Is
problem Take your dead hydrogen atoms your
dead oxygen atoms, your dead carbon atoms your
dead nitrogen atoms your dead phosphorus atoms and
all the other atoms, dead grains OF shot, Of which
the brain formed. Imagine them separate and sensa
tioness observe them running together and forming
all Imaginable combinations. This, as purely mechan
ical process is seeabe By the mind. But can you see
or dream or in any imagine, how out Of that me-
chanca act and from these individually dead atoms
sensation thought, and emotion are 70 arise You
speak OF the difficulty OF mental presentation IN my
case; ia IL less in yours am not all beret OF this
VorsslhtnGs- Kraft OF which you speak. / can follow
particie of musk until it the Olfactory nerve
can follow the sound until their tremors reach
the water of the labyrinth and set the otoliths and
Corti's hbers motion; can also visualize the waves
OF ether as they cross the eye and hit the retina
THE BISHOPS VIEW OF RECENT DISCOVERIES.
Nay more am able follow up TO the central organ
the motion thus impaired at the periphery, and TO in
idea the very molecules OF the brain thrown into
tremors MY insight is not bal ID by these physical pro-
cesses. What battles me- what nnd uDlmaglnaoie,
transcendng every faculty possess-transcendng,
hunbly submit every faculty you possess-ls the notion
that out of PHYSICAL remors yOa can extract things
80 utterly neongruOus with them sensation thought
and emotion You may say, think that this issue OF
from the clash OF atoms is not more incon-
gruous than the fash light from the union OF oxygen
and hydrogen But beg to say that IL 49, For such In
congruity as the flash possesses is that which now
force upon your attention. The flash affair OF
seousness the objective counterpart OF which is vibra
tion It is only by your Interpretation. You are
the cause of the apparent incongruity, and you
are the thing that puzzles need not remind you
that the great Leibntz felt the difficulty which
feel and that to get rid Of this INDUSTRIOUS deduction
OF life from death he displaced your atoms by his
mopads which less perfect mirrors OF the
universe aud out OF the summation and indignation OF
which he supposed all the phenomena Of fe-sentent.
intellectual and emotonal-to arise. Your difficulty,
then as see YOU ready 10 admit is quite great
hun nm de- nd