n and intended. Ideas alone have the power of
organization. The passions attend upon ideas as their ministers and
servants. Beliefs, which represent the ideas or knowledge prevalent at
successive periods in history, have controlled the destiny of men and
nations, and all human passions have been marshalled and arrayed in
conformity with them.

The error of Mr. Freeland, we respectfully submit, is in placing the
intellect and the passions in antagonism with each other, while, in
truth, it is one passion, or one class of passions, which antagonizes
another. The direction given to society by the predominating force of
all the individual propensities is retrogressive, stationary, or
progressive, revolutionary and destructive, or moderate and safe,
according to the knowledge of facts and the prevision of consequences
which may inform the judgments and enlighten the consciences of the
masses.

At periods of general ignorance and superstition, the announcement of a
great scientific or philosophic truth may produce commotion,
persecution, and discord. But it is evident that these are the results
of ignorance and not of knowledge--of unenlightened passion, and not of
the awakened intellect. Truth is attractive to all minds, and its
tendency is to invite universal assent. In so far, therefore, as the
intellect is capable of discovering truth, its tendency is to unify and
harmonize, and by no means to separate into disorder. In an age of
inquiry, the emancipation of thought may be attended with much
disturbance. The right of individual judgment will necessarily produce
conflict in the very act of emerging from the preceding state of
ignorance and restraint. The state of transition cannot be one of
tranquillity, although it is the inevitable path to a higher and more
complete harmony. But it is inaccurate and philosophically untrue, as we
think, to characterize the intellect as 'disturbing,' or 'disrupting.'
It is disturbing only to ignorance, and disrupting only to the systems
and organizations based upon falsehood.

We think these positions and brief discriminations are accurate, and not
to be overthrown by argument; and as they are fundamental, we have
thought it not improper to state them here, as the basis upon which we
accept the general reasoning of Mr. Freeland as to the law of human
development. Buckle and Draper are right as to the fixed character of
moral standards; but the progressive development of knowledge gives n