226 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tolerable cold of winter, both of which are the 

 necessary results of the laws of nature which 

 regulate the annual and diurnal motions of the 

 earth. In clearing land for cultivation, all he 

 cuts down, grubs up and destroys, had been 

 planted, nourished and watered by the hand of 

 nature. While breaking and pulverizing the 

 soil he is violating the law of cohesive attrac- 

 tion by which all bodies are held together, and 

 even the solid parts of our own prevented from 

 crumbling into impalpable dust. In draining 

 swamps and ponds lie conducts water away 

 from places whither it had been carried and 

 where it was reposing in obedience to the laws 

 of hydrostatics, which are merely part and par- 

 cel of nature's code. This principle applies to 

 all he does. In lifting the smallest thing from 

 the earth he has to contend with, and even to 

 overcome the great law of gravitation ; in obe- 

 dience to which even the heavenly bodies bend 

 down their submissive orbits. This state of con- 

 flict, is not confined to the human race — it per- 

 vades the whole animal kingdom. Not only 

 are all struggling against the laws of inanimate 

 matter; but every species, not excepting man, 

 while in a state of nature, is at war with every 

 other species; nay, every individual with every 

 other individual, even of the same species. — 

 Among the inferior races of animals, both wild 

 and domestic, this general hostility is quite ob- 

 vious to common observation. And if it be less 

 apparent in man in the social state, it is because 

 the anti-social and belligerent principles of his 

 nature, which had full sway before, are now 

 under legal restraint. But in proof of the ex- 

 istence and even prevalence of these principles 

 in human nature, without referring to the his- 

 tory of the race, every page of which is smeared 

 with human blood, we have only to point at the 

 civil and criminal codes of the most civilized 

 and refined communities. 



But whence this universal antagonism, this 

 battle-royal of the animal kingdom? It pro- 

 ceeds from this great paramount law of animal 

 life, which together with its penalty may be ex- 

 pressed in two words EAT or DIE. This in- 

 exorable and immutable law is inscribed by the 

 Author of nature on the constitution of every 

 living creature, and keeps the whole animal 

 creation in motion and in perpetual quest of 

 food ; each species and individual scuffling and 

 fighting with its competitors for the same sort 

 of food ; or, as the case may be, with respect to 

 appetite, strength and other physical circum- 

 stances, either pursuing its fellow-animals with 

 blood-thirsty eagerness, or straining every nerve 

 to escape the talons or fangs of its ruthless 

 pursuer. 



A remission of the intensity of this general 

 conflict may occasionally take place in conse- 

 quence of great physical or moral calamities, 

 as severe winters or very unfruitful sum- 



mers, the ravages of war or widely destructive 

 epidemics. These dreadful visitations by cur- 

 tailing the numbers of different species of ani- 

 mals generally leave, for a time, a more plentiful 

 supply of food to the survivors. But the prolific 

 faculties of every species is such, and especially 

 under the favorable circumstances of plenty of 

 food as soon to carry up the numbers again to 

 the suffering and scuffling point. 



But whilst engaged in a necessary conflict 

 with foreign powers we must not neglect the 

 civil war which is, or ought to be, at the same 

 time carried on within us, among the different 

 principles of our own nature. Our passions and 

 natural propensities, are ever on the watch for 

 opportunities to rise in rebellion against reason, 

 their rightful sovereign. In endeavoring to sup- 

 press these restless insurgents we cannot do bet- 

 ter than to take the experienced veteran, St. 

 Paul, for our leader : I say experienced, for he 

 too, found "a law in his members warring 

 against the law of his conscience," and has 

 given a particular description of the most suita- 

 ble armor, offensive and defensive ; and more- 

 over, left us the most approved system of tac- 

 tics for this species of warfare that has ever 

 been published. 



But I really fear that we are likely to digress 

 even from our digression. To that, therefore, if 

 not yet to our main subject, we return, by ob- 

 serving that the apparently severe law, which 

 goads into incessant activity every form and 

 grade of animal life is not confined to that de- 

 partment of nature ; but is coextensive with all 

 organization. The inhabitants of the vegetable 

 kingdom must also eat or die. Theirs too, is a 

 life of perpetual conflict as well with each other 

 as with the natural tendencies of unorganized 

 matter. Their roots are scuffling for food and 

 moisture below the surface while their leaves 

 and blades are contending for light and air above. 

 And no inconsiderable part of the business of 

 the cultivation of the soil consists in interfering 

 in this contest and showing foul pla}^, if I may 

 adopt a pugilistic phrase, in favor of those arti- 

 cles which he grows for his own use. They 

 also counteract, control and modify according to 

 their own necessities the laws of inanimate mat- 

 ter. In spite of gravitation they carry their 

 food from the root upwards, whilst in exercising 

 the vital energy of their organs, they laugh to 

 scorn all the laws of chemical affinity, combina- 

 tion, and decomposition. 



The preceding representation of organized na- 

 ture may to some appear gloomy and repulsive. 

 There is in the ear of gentleness no harmo- 

 niously responsive chord to the quick respirations 

 of toil, the clamors of strife, and conflict, or, the 

 shrieks of carnage. But perhaps on this sub- 

 ject the feelings of exquisite sensibility might 

 be rectified by considering whether she herself 

 be not a carnivorous animal and how often 



