-
Articles/Ads
Article REFUTATION Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Refutation
REFUTATION
, OF THE ILLIBERAL ASSERTION , " That the Manners of the GREAT corrupt the other Orders of'Society . "
' [ In the Manner of H ARRIS , ]
cc TJ" AM surprised that the hi g her ranks of life should be so shamefully if scandalised , " was my address to my friend Colonel Caustic , when he called upon me for his morning ' s walk . I had just been reflecting upon the narrow prejudice of the world . — " It is rather illiberal , " replies the Colonel , " but , I am afraid , too much merited ; an indiscriminate abusis I hi ghly disapprove , and yet am frequently led to condemn themwith much warmthfrom an idea that their vitiated
man-, , ners embitter life and injure society . I cannot examine the source of our corruption and impute it to the same cause . Level the popular idea of men with respect to princes and nobles , and I must confess it offers to me an absolute contradiction to the general inference of youi opinion . Mankind , naturally depraved , require but little example to colour their enormities : it is impossible to find a shelter for their vices
and they remain satisfied , with a shade . The conduct of the - great ofters us a favourable medium for our excuse , but it can neither render us less guilty nor they the more criminal . —Another man's vices can never justify our dissipations or cancel our errors , no more than the encouragements of Pompey render the usurpations of Ca _ sar less tyrannous . " " Another method , equally unjust and illiberal with the
precedingidea , is , the glaring display of their vices , and the careful mention of their virtues . " Men ' s evil manners live in brass , but their virtues we write in . water . " " The general subject of the world is slander , and the lower orders of society will always be pleased with an attack upon the respectable and exalted . It is not the splenetic alone that traduce ; it is an
important trait of popular character to condemn rather than applaud . The innate principle of national pride rather imbibes a ri ght than prefers a reason ; < - } nd any circumstance that flatters its privilege or increases its means of censure , is certain of a favourable reception . ' * " True , but yet I am not mistaken with respect to the influence of their principles : their situation , eminently distinguishable , draws , as it
were , the immediate attention of their fellpw * subjects , animates their observance , and challenges our regard . And , surely , it is necessary to examine this claim upon our feelings and respect , and if ive find it obtrusive , to reject it as impertinent . Can we approve their- criminal attachments or justify their profusion ? Can we praise their profligacy , or commend their too frequent violation of rectitude and truth ? And siust not these errors , as they are public examples , become inimical ta 3 H 3
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Refutation
REFUTATION
, OF THE ILLIBERAL ASSERTION , " That the Manners of the GREAT corrupt the other Orders of'Society . "
' [ In the Manner of H ARRIS , ]
cc TJ" AM surprised that the hi g her ranks of life should be so shamefully if scandalised , " was my address to my friend Colonel Caustic , when he called upon me for his morning ' s walk . I had just been reflecting upon the narrow prejudice of the world . — " It is rather illiberal , " replies the Colonel , " but , I am afraid , too much merited ; an indiscriminate abusis I hi ghly disapprove , and yet am frequently led to condemn themwith much warmthfrom an idea that their vitiated
man-, , ners embitter life and injure society . I cannot examine the source of our corruption and impute it to the same cause . Level the popular idea of men with respect to princes and nobles , and I must confess it offers to me an absolute contradiction to the general inference of youi opinion . Mankind , naturally depraved , require but little example to colour their enormities : it is impossible to find a shelter for their vices
and they remain satisfied , with a shade . The conduct of the - great ofters us a favourable medium for our excuse , but it can neither render us less guilty nor they the more criminal . —Another man's vices can never justify our dissipations or cancel our errors , no more than the encouragements of Pompey render the usurpations of Ca _ sar less tyrannous . " " Another method , equally unjust and illiberal with the
precedingidea , is , the glaring display of their vices , and the careful mention of their virtues . " Men ' s evil manners live in brass , but their virtues we write in . water . " " The general subject of the world is slander , and the lower orders of society will always be pleased with an attack upon the respectable and exalted . It is not the splenetic alone that traduce ; it is an
important trait of popular character to condemn rather than applaud . The innate principle of national pride rather imbibes a ri ght than prefers a reason ; < - } nd any circumstance that flatters its privilege or increases its means of censure , is certain of a favourable reception . ' * " True , but yet I am not mistaken with respect to the influence of their principles : their situation , eminently distinguishable , draws , as it
were , the immediate attention of their fellpw * subjects , animates their observance , and challenges our regard . And , surely , it is necessary to examine this claim upon our feelings and respect , and if ive find it obtrusive , to reject it as impertinent . Can we approve their- criminal attachments or justify their profusion ? Can we praise their profligacy , or commend their too frequent violation of rectitude and truth ? And siust not these errors , as they are public examples , become inimical ta 3 H 3