PREFACE. IT is not to be wondered that any argu rrle itativc work, not altogether confined to the inculcation of doctrines u iiversally admitted, should, if it attract any degree of public attention, excite also, at first, some saimadvessio-n. According. 19, vdrious ccnsurcs, -critical st. ictures, -objections, c. hare hecn directed, more or less, ngnillet either somc part, or the whole, of, I, believe, every one of my publications. And it is liot unlikely that some of my r. eadcrs may wish to know ml ether I shall defend myself against all or any of these and in wlrat form. I cannot perhaps better answer such an inquiry, than by republishing the substatlce of a letter sent by me to the editor of a newspaper and irlserted by him in reply to an invitation from him to vindicate myself, through the medi am of his columns, from an attack against me which had nppcared in them. It has no particular reference either to thc u t h c k, to the character, or to thc subject, of that particular attack… . Though 1 do not intend to cntcr upon any discussiorl of the sribject of the attack in question, I will briefly state, and request you to pubiish, nky reasons for declining to do so as they apply, not only to the present, but to all other similar cases… . M y nb staining from reply is in conformity with a resolution I have adopted, never to answer any attacks whatever. This resolutiorl does not sj ring f rom an iirrogartt contempt of all opponents, indiscriminately. On the contrary, I have, bcfore now, taken occasion, ixl srrbse qucnt editions of my works, to express more clearly what bad been thought liable to misinterpretation, and to supply deficiencies which had bcen pointcd out. And ifI shall ever find reitson to believe that anv thing PILEFACE. vii I have adv lnccd is unscriptnral, or otherwise erroneous, T shall ta6c care to retract if.. But whenever, on the other hand, it shall appear that m y stntcmer ts have beell misre rescntetl, o r the force of my nrgumeiits underrated, either from carelessness, intellectnitl deficiency, or sophistical design, T shall Icave to tbe works themselves, with the aid of time, the accomplishment of my vindication in the eyes of candid and intelligent readers and those of an opposite character I could not hope to convirice by any reply that could Be frarued At all events I intend to eiignge io 110 paper war with tiny one. 1 do not me lrI to pass any cerisurc on those who are engaged in coutroversy hut most persons, 1 jinagirie, will arlinit that the prevailing tendelicy is rattier towards an excess tlran a deficiency of polemical writiiig and that, cvcu w1ic1 controversy is begun with Ihc best intentions, it often does more harm than good. Ilcn are so constituted, as to feel whether as partics or as mere spectators great interest in a contest of any Lirid, as a cont s t and a mind thus occupied is seldom in the most fit state for the calm and sober investigation of tnltll. As fresh and fresh combntniits enter the iield, each geiierally becomes more solicito is than the last, about victory, ard less b bout tn t h cousidering rather what ruay be suicl in anszuer…
