New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-07-09
VOL. II. No. ~.

Nen,ured to doubt the Of the yrcnsiscl
| which involved all these PerPexing difficulties
The reflection, serious and reyrrcnt but pro-
| found and clear sighted, Of Dr. MARSH led hin
into neither Of these fatal errors. H. never foi
= moment doubted the substantial. all-suilicing
truth Of the Christian scheme. He had made j,
! for himself the life Of biz. soul. IN hi, own hear;
| he felt that it could not be shaken by the earthly
intellect. tJr 10 foundation wa, deeply laid in the
transccndcnt spirit. He looked upon it a, the
living and substantial faith, which, as the cloud
piercing rock, oyerhangs the strong hold Cf which
il had been the quarry and remains the founda.
ton. But he sought system Of Philosophy
which, while it should recognize the fact, Of CON
,eiousness and the immortal instinct. Of the SOU,
should make them all harmonious with the spirit
aud the teaching, of the Christian faith He re-
coguized difference, w.dc rs infniiy, between the
nature ef man and that of the brute He felt u
distinction between the reason al the HpdersfaHA
ing Of man. He believed that the viii was free
not the creature of motives, that it madc tie
motives, and had within itself the power Of deter
mining It's own acts. Hs rejected in short, the
whole groundwork Of the sen,uou, philosophy, aud
,ough, for aao,hcr which should elevate Man and
vndicate the Faith On which were based his high
est hopes. III. belief summed W in his own
words, was that " Christian Faith, so far from
bsng irrational, is the Perfection Of Human Rea-
son" Upon this was his whole system grounded
AK to its exposition AID enforcement, was his
whole life devoted.
In the philosophical writings TO which he had
recourse il his carly studies he found little to
i-fy these, his most earnest convictions. In the
philosophy Of PLATO, in the powerful 'peculatisns
Of some of the German writers. and the mighty
sentences of Lord BAcoS, mingled as these were
with mu-h that he deemed erroneous, and their
weight almost destroyed by ignorant or vilfuI, TN,
universal misintcrptolation, he found some cor
frma,ion of his oYn cherished views. But in the
writings of CorrRlpGg he hailed the fearless m
nouncomcut and the triumphant yindioa,ion of the
great truths for which his own mind had in 81
ence but with power, been rcstlcssly in search.
He studied his works with eagcrness and delight;
and, a. the best mode of Introducing to the ropub-
lie Of American scholar. the great doctrines for
whose sake he regarded their powerful defender
with feeling of reverence and love. in 1929 he
rcpubli.hed the aids to Rejection with copious
notes and Preliminary Essay in review of the
Philosophy to which lac was opposed, and in exhi
bition of the main features of that which he Of.
iered substitute, which has been pronounced
by eminent mon Of both countries to be one of the
most splendid specimens Of philosophical criticism
which have Appeared for many years. Encour-
aged by the powerful hold which this work immc
diaieIy acquired upon The thinking scholars, for
whose use il was mainly intended, he Subsequent
" caused to be reprinted several of the other
works Of Coleridgc. With the same general pur-
pose in view he translated from the German scve-
raj works of philosophic value, and prepared
new eliion. of several Of the best of the old Eng
l,h divines. The effect Of hi, labor> in extending
the fame and the philosophy of Coisrides ia now
fslt and may be see, in every section Of the land.
4 slight but significant instance of his ..ccess may
be remembered in the dishonest attempt Of pub
fishing house in this city, but year or two since.
to divert 10 their own til the pecunary profits of
his eXcr'ions. TO which. we arc sorry TO say.
somewhat eminent divine of thi, city stopped to
other instance, not of glari4g injustice to DIR.
Marsh, but Of wider injury TO tAo public aud the
cause Of Philosophy, on the part Of a publishing
house in a neighboring city. About two gears
since, in furtherauce Of his absorbing purpose, the
establishment of what lie believed to be the true
5, stem 81 philosophy and morals, DR.. Marsh was
about to publish new edition Of the Friend, with
an extended. thorough and elaborate criticism of
the writings ofCoLrRIpGT, and an exposition of his
Philosophy. H. lad made Arrangements for
it, publication and HAD made some li,t'o progress
in IL pfeparsiion when An announcement in The
public prints. that new and complete edition Of
the collected works OF Colcridge wa- in press.
caused him to dc,is,. The publication for which
he had thu. ncrmit,cd his own. proved to be one
of the dishonest tric1s by which the trade j. ton
often di,eraccd and in which faschood AID cupid
ity. oughdePendca, Oh each Oih'r, with strange
rivalry seemed TO strive between themselves fos the
mastery
But the abois Of Dr. Marsh in the cause ofhieh
truth cannot lie properly estimated by reference to
hi. published works even 10 those which are ye,
10 see the light Had he lived eyenbat few years
longer. or had his health for few year, past sui
fred him 10 execute the great purposes he had dc
signed, the recorded evidence OF his power world
have rendered unnecessary any s!u>ion, for the
sake q, his fame 10 his more private cndeavors' s.
That ne aid not fully accomplish his cherished in
,en,ons must be regarded peculiarly unioriu-
nate to the caa>c he c.pogscd from the fact that the
philosophy on which his dcarcs, hopes we've based
and to which , life wa. devoted, la. hitherto been
announced in a fraementary form, which carries
with 1t bu, ii,tc OF the Influence i!a, would attach
to a complete and rounded system. But was in
lnc rclnrc. room TINT hi. mos. naticnt lsbors were