New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-07


Al The distance OF three years ;his volume fol-
lows the first series OF Essays, which have al.
ready made TO themselves circle Of readers,
attentive, thoughtful, more anu more intelligent,
and this circle IS large one if we consider the
circumstances of this country, and Of England,
also, at this time.
In England it would seem there are larger
number Of persons waiting for an invitation to
calm thought and sincere intercourse than among
ourselves. Copies of Mr.. Emersons first pub
lished little volume called Nature" have there
been sold by thousands in short time while
one edition has needed seven years to get crcu.
lated here. Several Of his Orations and Essays
from 1.-THE Dial'' have also been republishcd
there, and met with a reve-cnt and earnest re-.
Spouse.
We suppose that while in England the want
OF such voice is as great as here, larger num-
Der are at leisure to recognize tina. want far
larger number have set foot in the speculative
region and have ears refined to appreciate these
melodous accents.
Our people, heated by partisan spirit, neces.
sarly occupied in these first stages by bringing
out the material resources of the land, not gene
rally prepared by early training for the enjoy
men: Of books that require attention and refiec-
ton, are still more injured by large majority of
writers and speakers, who lend all their efforts to
fatter corrupt tastes and mental Incidence, in.
stead Of feeling it their prerosativesand their
duty to admonish the community OF the danger
and arouse it to nobler energy. Tp aim of the
writer or lecturer is not 10 say tho best lie
knows in us few and wcll.cho.en words az he
can, making it his first aim to do justice to the
subject. Rather he seeks to Leaf out thought
as thin as possible, and to consider Whit the
audience wilt re most willing to receive.
The result of such course is inevitable
Literature and Art must become daily more de-
graded; Philosophy cannot exist. & man who
feels within his mind some spark of genius, or a
capacity for the exercises o: talent, should con-
slder himself as endowed with sacred ccAnmls-
SON.. He is The natural priest, the shepherd of
the people He must raise his mind as high as
he cGn toward the heaven of truth, and try to
draw up with him these less gifted by nature
with ethereal lghtnsss. Ii he does not 50, but
rather employs his powers to flatter them in their
poverty and 70 hinder aspiration oy useless words,
aud mere seeming oE activity, his sin is great,
he is false 10 God, and false to man.
Much of this Fin indeed is done ignorantly.
The idea tina, iiteratur2 calls men to the genuine
hierarchy il aimos: forgotten. OAe, who hnds
himself able, uses his pen, os he might trowcl,
solely to procure himself bread, without having
reflected on the position in which he thereby
places aimself.
Apart frum the troop Of lnercenaries, there Is
one, still larger, of those ;Tho use their powers
ne ely for local and temporary ends, aiining at
no excellence other than may conduce to these.
Amoag these, rank persons OF honor aad the best
intentions, but they neglect the lasting for the
transient, Us d man neglscts 10 furnish his mind
that he NAV provide the better for the house IN
which his body IS TO dwell for few years
When these sins and errors are prevalent, and
threaten 10 Lecome more 80, how can We sufficiently
prizc and honor mind which is quite pure ftom
ruch7 When, al in the pscsent:case, We iiad
man whose only aim is the dlscernment ana H.
,etpre,a,ion OF the spiritual laws by which we
live and move and have our being, all whose OBJ
ee,, are permanent, and whose every word
stands for q fact.
If only as representative of the claims OF IN
5;v;sn,, culture in nation which tends to lay
such stress On artificial organization ana e1leiha'
resuIt.. Mr.. Emerson woald be invaluable here
History will inscribe his name as a father OF the
country, 70. he is one who pleads her cause against
herself.
II New. England may bc regarded as CHIEF
mental focus to tho New World, and many
svmp,omy seem to give her this place, as to other
centres the characteristics Of heart and lungs
to the body polite if we may believe, as the
writer does believe, that what is to be acted out
in the country at large is, most frequently flFst
indicated there, as all the phenomena OF Inc ner-
yous system in tho fantasies Of the brsln' VIC
NAV bai, as an suspicious omen the influence MIR,
Emerson has there obtained, winch is oeep-
rooted, increasing, and, over the younger portion
of the community, far greater than that OF any
other person.
His books are received there with more
ready Intelligence than else Hhere partly because
MS range of personal experience and ILLUSTRATION
applies TO that region, partly because nc mas prs
pared the way for his books to be read oy A's
a;ta. powers as speaker.
The audience that waited for years upon Inc
lectures, part of which is incorporated INTO
these volumes of Essays, w1s never large, su: 1t
vas select, and it wes constant. Among the
hearers were some, who though, attracted BY the
beatty of character and manner, they were
wiling to hear tho speaker through, always
wen, away disconnected. They were aecus-
toned TO en- artificial method, whose scaiioiding
could easily be retraced, and desired an obvious
''qutnce of logical differences. They INSISTED
hsie was nothing in what ihey had heard, o.
'asse they could not give clear account 81 ITS
'oyhss and purport They did no, see that Pm