Historic Doubts Relative To Napoleon Buonaparte

Is not the same reason available in theology and in politics?... Will you follow truth but to a certain point?—Burke's Vindication of Natural Society.
The first author who stated fairly the connexion between the evidence of testimony and the evidence of experience, was Hume, in his Essay on Miracles; a work abounding in maxims of great use in the conduct of life.— Edinburgh Review , Sept. 1814, p. 328.



But some sensible readers have complained of the difficulty of determining what they are to believe. Of the existence of Buonaparte, indeed, they remained fully convinced; nor, if it were left doubtful, would any important results ensue; but if they can give no satisfactory reason for their conviction, how can they know, it is asked, that they may not be mistaken as to other points of greater consequence, on which they are no less fully convinced, but on which all men are not agreed? The author has accordingly been solicited to endeavour to frame some canons which may furnish a standard for determining what evidence is to be received.
This he conceives to be impracticable, except to that extent to which it is accomplished by a sound system of Logic; including under that title, a portion—that which relates to the Laws of Evidence —of what is sometimes treated under the head of Rhetoric. But the full and complete accomplishment of such an object would confer on Man the unattainable attribute of infallibility.
But the difficulty complained of, he conceives to arise, in many instances, from men's mis-stating the grounds of their own conviction . They are convinced, indeed, and perhaps with very sufficient reason; but they imagine this reason to be a different one from what it is. The evidence to which they have assented is applied to their minds in a different manner from that in which they believe that it is—and suppose that it ought to be—applied. And when challenged to defend and justify their own belief, they feel at a loss, because they are attempting to maintain a position which is not, in fact, that in which their force lies.