New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-14


establish it most firmly on the second OF my Pc
riodical erninences:" Che phrase believe is
Ceryleisn, borrowed from the French Nay,
Mr. Tribune: Il am now dropping the per-
sonsl,y: y by calling YOU the Nlacsreyor OF
The Child, en- OF the Mist wished in good
humored manner 10 show that you were already
there: that, perhaps unwituHgiy, yoa had be-
come almost as much identified with certain
moral and intellectual movement, p4ty as is any
partisan Journal of Mr. Clay or Mr.. Caiho2n with
the different political principles of which those
eminent men are at the distinctive types,
and the manly and incorporating exponehts.-
Need say that viewing you thus did not, while
differing with you totally in sentiment, mean TO
infer the slightest dsrespect for the position YOU
had taken The :. few plain words " asked were
intended rather jocuar titan otherwise. re-
spect any mans sentiments when they rise 10 the
dignity OF opinions, when they mere no.
tons or prejudices, but actual celebrations OF
thought; and wished TO ascertain by your reply to
my brief parag ph whether you yourself! regarded
the eloquent .Pecuia,ioos of Bancroft and the bril-
liant bewiiderment of Emerson as more than the
pleasing intellectual sallies OF lively men
whether you regarded them optaionS-teocA-
iRgs-mat,er to enter into the constitution ard
become part of the intellectual faith of ether
rands, or only as stirring and suggestive OF mental
action I wished, in word, {in Ioafer pnrase) to
make you mind your eye I do hope make
myself Ineligible. And how as to :. human pro-
gress'' and " the march of mind. As to human
progress. 20 man who has ridden behind looorno-
tive can deny that, Mr.. Tribune. In some depart
ments OF mind some battaoRs we Ii call them
for the sake Of the figure, undoubtedly still
advancing but really doubt whether or not the
,ybola army ahead roarchi-p ali Of
| mean in the right direction. When | can see
single milestone in iron. half as dstinctlyas those
in the rear, may be ready to admit tina.
going forward Oh the right road They talked
about the advancement of our race in the midst of
the Preach revolution, and the energetic action OF
the human mind, whether sound or taas tical, has
always for the time being been called progressive
motion aud SO indeed 1t is, but after ages only
decide whether that motion rot
healthy one. The triumphs of Temperance over
shadow the land cooling as the shades of vigor-
| Gus and fourishng vnc at midsummer vet the
| most acrid vinegar may come from its golden clss
tiers. Men formerly only banded together in pc.
litlcai or religious association TO act upon each
ether out of doors. We have introduced a mos,ed
Influence to our iresdes. It is tremendous ma
chnery and oae whose misapplication msy prove
utterly witherins to private liberty Do not think
thing" am not arguing at all. am merely
suggesting one Of the thousand instances in which
we take it for granted that we now know all the
consequences 10 society of movements upon which
posterlty alone decide, and over which we
ought 10 rejoice with fear and trembling. We
place our engine on the track. we approve her
speed and power, and she scut,es off out of sight
We should not take her of beca use she mayencoun-
ter turned switch snake-head. but the people
at the other depot-whosc plaudits alas! we shall
never hear-they the oaes TO he her happy
passage.
And now one word to your Socratic friend
There were other learned gentlemen besides the
hemock-drinker put to death for such offences as
he was charged with in time of old Two thou.
sand years of thinking seen, to have proved that
there was popular error in his case at least
| When any of the Children of the Mist" have
| sanctlhed their opinions by marty rdon, and when
one Thousand generations of men have unanimous
| ~ agreed that they suffered wrongly, why then
! then
My dear Mr. Tribune what perfect ilIustra-
ton have you unconsciousy given of what may be
called the acknowledgement school mode OF in.
quiiy after Truth" You place the sudden light
that has shone on very small portion Of mankind,
light still fed by the living hands that kindled it,
you place 1t in contrast with which has illum-
mated the world for centuries, and you ask US TO
acknowledge the FIRST as sister planet Youquote
"a fact, as Mr.. Gushing and Mr.. Carlyle would
call it, wurd-tried fact thing stamped with
every impress Of truth that nought but revelation
could confer, you put this beside untried specu
laten of yesterday. And this is the way that
the march OF mind goes forward! H