New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-14
THE TRIBUNE.
The Winter lectures,

We understand, will soon be prepared to initiate
their example. The System of Popular Lecturing,
sswe bave more than once minated, seems to us
exposed many and most weighty objections;
especially when it processes, to good extent It
does with us, TO furnish all neediul intellectual
culture, and 10 supply just that degree OF nentsl
illumination which our people arc supposed TO
desire or The active and absorbing nature OF their
pursuits TO allow Manly learning is injured by
them, close thought and diligent discipline in
a manner superseded as though needless; logical
form end mechanical adjustment take the place,
NOT ONLY in The discourse but in the mind, of logical
order and the method Of reason vanity is fed true
worth disparased and The relation of the highest
intellect l.s culture to the wants of Society dig
,ortsd OF banished from the thought These arc
serious evils, though but few may feel their weight.
Their influence may not be see., to-day, or
fnr years brtit Will, ere the Age have gone by,
waste away it's Mental and its Moral Power and
hiring eanness and barrenness into the Soul of
Society.
These evils, too, are sadly enhanced by the
rickerv dragged in from the stage the hustings,
10 lend interest and eclGt to the performance Of
The evening. Iii not deemed enough that Lectures
,abe tic place of theatres; they must themselves
become theatrical The astronomer, when he
vo,la explain the courses of the stars and demon
strate the laws by which they are ruled must step
npou the stage from the green room, the curtain
rising at the sound OF the bell and the house
coming down in thunders of applause whenever
it6nds Itself possessed of what, in its wisdom, 1t
pleased TO term new idea. A man, with
half al eve, can readily see the effect of this upon
he lecturer himself. T is pleasant to be APP
plauded and to gain this need he soon discovers
that flowers not fruit, words not thought, noise and
sgracelul flourish Truth in its simplicity and
native dignity. are the weapons of his strife All
that as Of genuine worth-ifit have other claim
10 respect-is useless for his purpose; and tin
salea ornament, fine words swelling phrases or
| vellsounding paragraphs the sole things
sought. This ia the tendency of the system that
has not yet been fully achieved is no merit Of
the scheme but owing solely to the good sense of
those who have directed and arranged its opera
tons.
The only etectual remedy which can be found for
and power Of those engaged 10 lecture. If they
be men who love noisy applause or crowded
house better than truth and sterling sense, they
vii be swept away by the current and illustrate,
while they hasten and increase the evils OF the sys-
fem But if they be men who deem great princi-
pies and their own free thoughts of higher worth
to the soul of man than the sound OF boards er OF
COL ,h,
duty to perform ss we'll as applause to win, and
WIN seek TO utter in the ear words which shall sink
into the soul aud thoughts which shall feed itwith
lhe bread of life they viii withstand the downward
I tendency and turn it TO purer and better end
So far as we can Judge, in this respect as well
as in many others OF weight and worth, the Lee
uers for the season have been we'll chosen We
fud in the list of those engaged by the Mercantile
Library Association the names Of several whom
intelligent persons cannot hear without profit and
the highest pleasure The profound philosophlc
criticism, the lofty poetry and the genial sympa-
thy with all that is great and good in action and
4 in thought, which mark all that DANA says or
writes, must mould, to some extent, the intel
. lec,ual and the moral life OF all who listen with
j understanding hearts Through all their quaint
expressions and phantastic phrases the Thoughts
I Of EMERSON cannot fail suggest to every mind
refections which will open new sources Of pleasure
srd of profit 10 the world around and the more
mysterious world within. BRowNsoN, whatever
may be his errors, 10 man of strength, and what
assays gives power to the mind and aids, farmore
than the uttcranccs of many others, TO noursh and
priy the soul There are the names OF others
athe list TO whom we never listen but with proht
aadwi,h pleasure. The Lyceum has also upon its
aseyeral gentlemen of eminent ability and wide
4 POPULARITY Their course has been arranged
Witha more strict reference TO the moral and rell-
lors opinions of those invited than the other, and
Aere mas, therefore of course be expected less
freedom and variety. The names of CHoATE
4 ffOk PoTreR, Dir. BETHuNE, BANCROFT and 9TH
els are sufficient pledges for the interest and valn'
VI TIER series Of lectures.
4 What arrangements have been made by The
I Aa'ge'S' Institute the Mechanics Institute, and
or excellent associations of our city, we are not
asafe; though we doubt not the public Will be
sooa Informed Before the Lyceum Of Natural
81 Ny W y. AUGUSTINE NMllfi Is W oo'''S' :,
4 %res Of eigGt Lectures on Geology-which we
nave titte doubt will be eminently worthy the at
4 'eaton of all interested in the science of which he
Keats He is we'll known among our scientific
men as scholar OF rare attachments and of bold,
original views upon many questions of Science and
Philosophy.
RlLRoAD IRoN.-The schooner Ben Franklin
I arrived here this week, having on board 90 tons
OF iron for the Palmyra and Jaeksonburg Railroad
Il IL. arn iihrnel that saye,ul ,iihsr xassal. L.