14 
To the Edjtor of the Monthly Magazine. 
sIR 
OUR Correfpondent B. D. (june, 
_p- 348) on the fubjeét of Large Farms, 
mifapprehends my argument, when he 
objeéis that I adduce individual infiead of" 
coileétive proof ; as, on referring to my 
letter (May, p- 361). he may perceive 
that when | fay ‘* a farmer, Ae. hen 
mean nothing ihort of the clas of large 
farmers. 
His remark that ‘‘ public benefit can- 
not arife from individual accumulation,” 
Xe. may be true, but it 3s irrelevane, 
pecaufe | have not fuppofed that the pub- 
‘lic is benefitted by the accumulation of 
individuals, but that, if the fpecula- 
tion anfwers to the individual, it is a 
proof of its ferving the public alfo, for 
4 reafon immediately following the affcr- 
tion, which firikes me as conclufive. 
«© A fyftem of monopoly and extor- 
tion,” are words of unpleafant import ; 
but they are as applicable to.every man 
who judicioufly transfers his property 
for a valuable confideration, as to him 
who “ drives his pigs to the beft mar- 
cet.” Tam at a lols how to reply to the 
arguments ‘it is obvious” and -* muft,”’ 
from a reafon which muit be obvious to 
rnofe who confider- contradi¢tion as a 
breach of politenefs. I wifh B. D. to 
know that his general cenfure on large 
occupiers, contained in the two laft para- 
graphs, is unjuft ; for I can affure him 
tat they are not arrogant and unfeeling 
in proportion to the number of acres in 
their poffefiion. -N. B. 
— a 
THE ENQUIRER, No. XITI. 
QUESTION — Whence arifes Diverjity of 
Opinion ? 
QuoT HOMINES, TOT SENTENTIAZ. Tex: 
Many wen, many minds. ENGLIsH PRovERB. 
= VER fince men began to think and 
i enguire, they have differed in opi- 
pion; and it does not appear ‘from the 
hiftory of mankind, that, as they have 
increafed in knowledge, they have 
hitherto proportionally approximated to- 
wards agreement. Hence fome have 
been inclined to infer, that to fuch beings 
as men, diverfity of opinion is a benefit. 
Ir-might as reafcaably be afferted, that 
difeafe is a benefit, becanfe it has given 
birth to the fcience and art of medicine. 
Truth being one, if there was no fuch 
thing as error, all men muf think alike ; 
and error is certainly a difeafe, or defect 
_of the mind, which it is the bufinefs of 
| Large Farms...Enquirer. No. XII. 
July, 
philofophy to remove. - Diverfity of opi- 
nion, if it has ftimulated enquiry, has 
alfo generated animofity and inrolerance. 
It muti, therefore, be confidered as an 
evil, which it is for the intereft of man- 
kind, as much as poffible, to banith from 
the world: and it ts of importance to 
examine, Whence this imperfection in the 
Nature, or prefent fiate, of man arifes; 
for it is only by attending to the caufes 
of any malady, that we caa hope té,dif- 
cover the means of, cure. 
Many of the caufes of diverfity of 
opinion, are of a moral nature, originat- 
ing in the habit and temper of the mind. 
Among thefe, one of the moft prevalent, 
is indolence, or an indifpofition to men- 
tal exertion, in the fearch after truth. 
The prefent modes of education ere in 
no retpect more faulty, than in neglect- 
ing to cultivate and improve the reafon- 
ing faculty. During the early period of 
inftruction and difcipline, in which the 
mind is moulded, it is thought fufficient to. 
ftore rhe memory with words and faéts, 
enrich the fancy with images, and im- 
prefs the heart with fentiments, without 
inftituting any. courfe of intelleétual ex- 
erciles, by means of which young people 
may form a habit of deducing from ad- 
mitted premifes, certain, or probable, 
conclufions. 
the grammar-f{chool, to the laft finifhing 
of the univerfity, that young men are 
taught to think. Hence arifes an indo- 
lent and defultory habit of the mind, 
which indifpofes * for thofe vigorous 
and continued exertions which are ne- 
-ceflary to the fuccefsful inveftigation, or 
even the accurate apprehenfion, of truth. 
To efcape the fatigue of purfuing 2 re- 
gular train of thought, and examining 
minutely and methodically any fubjeé 
of enquiry, we-content ourfelves with 
general ideas, cafually colleéted from 
converfation, or {natched up by rapid 
glances, from any books which accident 
throws in our way. Inftead of that or- 
derly, fcientific method of ftudy, which 
is the direét road to knowledge, are fub- 
ftituted mifcellaneous reading, and vague 
thinking, from which nothing is to be 
expected, but a confufed mafs of truth 
and error. Thus, opinions, once intro- 
duced, however ill-founded, obtain an 
ez{y reception, and are tranfmitted from 
hand to hand without due examination, 
till the counterfeit currency becomes 
more numerous than the fterling coin. 
That diligence of enquiry which leads 
to truth is prevented; and, confequently, 
thofe crronequs conceptions: which mul- 
tiply | 
It is not till they pafs from 
{ 
