558 Manceuwes practised in Discussions 



Art. II. Remarks on the Temper in which Discussions are sometimes 

 carried on, wherein the Object is Victory for one of the Parties, 

 rather than the Ascertaining of T7-uth. By Mr. R. Fish. 



I HAVE often been sorry to observe that, in discussions amongst 

 gardeners, the great aim of which ought to be the acquisition or 

 establishment of truth, we should so often appear to lose sight 

 of its interests, for the paltry purpose of not interfering with 

 preconceived notions and prejudices ; or of preserving an appa- 

 I'ent consistency with formerly published opinions, even when 

 aware that these opinions have been founded in misconception, 

 or carried out to an extreme which more extended experience 

 will not justify. Seldom, indeed, do we witness that straight- 

 forwardness of character which leads a man to retract his opinions 

 whenever he finds them untenable, or be glad of an opportunity 

 of stating the smallest alteration in his views ; but often do we 

 mark the exemplification of a different principle, which leads a 

 man, rather than confess a trifling error, to treat plain questions 

 with evasion, and arguments with insinuations and assertions. 

 To spend one's life in search of the philosopher's stone would 

 scarcely be more futile than the attempts to arrive at truth by 

 discussion with such individuals. It matters little what course 

 you adopt; for either they cannot, or will not, see the drift of your 

 purpose. You may surround them with a fence of reasoning, to 

 get from which honourably, they must either confess their in- 

 ability, or at once put forth sufficient energy to lay it prostrate ; 

 which can only be effected by bringing mind to bear upon mind, 

 and argument to bear upon and confute argument. But what 

 is the conduct we too generally witness ? One party, instead of 

 attempting the ramparts and towers of his adversary, carefully 

 sounds the weaker parts of the fortification, till he at length hits 

 upon some almost defenceless corner; through which he no 

 sooner passes, than he hastens to proclaim the liberty he has ob- 

 tained, the triumph he has won, and the pitiable weakness his 

 adversary exemplified, in rearing and placing dependence upon 

 a superstructure which a breath of wind was sufficient to dis- 

 solve into airy nothing. Forgetting that, though their glowing sen- 

 timents may be eagerly swallowed by many who possess no cri- 

 terion for judgment, there are others, endowed with keener powers 

 of perception, who naturally enquire, how it comes to pass, if 

 the fence of reasoning was so very slight, that so much of it was 

 left standing, as if in mockery of the might opposed to it; and 

 affording, too, more than the presumptive probability, that yet its 

 assailants would be driven back through the opening from which 

 they had emerged, and become more securely barricaded than 

 before. 



But there is another way of avoiding all the shafts of reason- 



