New-York daily tribune., 1844-03-13
Prof. Bronson's Reply to %. s.,

Tofhc Editor Of The Tri5u,e
Were as fond of mere inrectires as my assailant
:" y. :" (who probably means to personiy Old
>tyfe } IN his attack on my lectures, could easily
exconate him from scalp to heel, and hold him up
as & scarecrom in the field Of literature But do
not wish 10 handy words with any one in the way Of
" c6tany Names. When gentlemen are Jealous
Tor the public good, and desire to put down abuses,
they proceed, when II is possible, by reasoning and
argument.
Now, am rot only ,cilling to meet O. S. in ar
gument, but hereby challenge him to meet me in
maj tetd IN which he has expressed for me so much
contenpt-vi2. /" Metaphysics, Transcenientasm,
Correspondence, &c" After | have shown your
correspondents utter ignorance of at least tro thirds
ol those subjects, | will meet him in the field of
THEOLOGY; or will meet him on ALL at the same
time: and hereby give him permission to unite
with him any others he pleases and | now pledge
myself that fI do not demoHsh. not only 8. S."
but all hs 0uc'tiarieS, with other weapons than
those principles he has attacked | will subscribe
myself what O. s" has so generously declared
me to be-" humJug."
But Mr. Editor, it not against me, or against any
influence can exert, that 40. s." land perhaps
o'hers,l are so much offended. 1t is against those
PRINCIPLES which are shaking the dry bones Of the
"old forms to pieces. Those principles are the
principles of UNIVERSAL PHILOSOPHY, which ex-
plain even the scientific Of the TRINITY, the phiIos
ophy OF REDEMPTION &c.-pnnciples which neu
trallZe ALL RELIGIOUS MYSTERIES, and leave those
who sustain them nothing but their own INTERNAL
sEPULCHREs of decay to contemplate in their dis
SoNt10n. Why is it that there is so much contempt
for RELIGION in the world when so many feel it TO
be reality? Why does the MIND, the REASON,
revolt at II, when the HEART ye0rnS for III it Is
because 1t is not UNDERSTOOD because Its DoGMAs
are ANTl-scenlifc, and contrary TO experience. My
endeavor has been, and rs, to explain the TRUE
u H. !,
TRlNITf-the harmonious relation of GESUGSE
PHILOSOPHY and GENUINE RELIGION; indeed, the
inseparabe connection betreen Religion and Phlos-
ophy. If | enumerated vast many subjects.
which promised TO throw new light, it was because
ALL THINGS, when in true order, are to be referred
to GOODNESS and TRUTH, and really belong 10
a HARMONIOUS WHOLE. The Old System is hete
rogeneous from tfrsts to lGstS-and that form OF
Christianity too often presented, is of the most
revolving parts of it. Before | complete my Lee
lures will prove all tlas and MORE. again chal-
lenge g O. s. TO meet me in the columns OF Ihe
Tribune; and l will leave It's numerous and inte'll-
gent readers to decide WHO and WHAT are HUM
BUGS" BRONSON.
I57 We find the following interesting matter
in the National Inteligenccr:
National INSTITUTE PAPERs-Lord Jeffrey
has presented to the National Institute, in four
octave volumes, Just repubEshed under bis care,
Contributions to the Edinburgh Review, by
Francis Jeffrey" Accompanying these volumes
is a letter from Lord Jeffrey to the Institute, in
which, after acknowledging the honor OF mem
bership which had been conferred upon him,
which he accepts with pleasure he adds: At
my age and with my avocatlons, cannot but
feel that there is but little chance Of my ever
being an efficient associate. But II Is not alto
gether impossible that, on some OF the branches
of literature or statistics, may be able to con-
tribute something, and If my information, ol
local nature especially, should be desired by the
Institute, shall be happy TO do what can to
satisfy, to forward, ony inquiries they may
be pleased to address me in either of these de-
'partments.
.sln the meantime ! take the liberty of for
'warding, along with this, a copy of a republlca-
ton have Just made OF some Of my more serl-
Gus papers in the Edinburgh Review which |
shall certainly feel honored by the Institute
condescending TO accept or finding worthy OF a
place in their library. That my dispositions
towards their country, at all events, are not such
as should preclude me from that honor, | trust
that YOU will be satisfied, If you Will take the
trouble to glance at what have SAID en- that
subject in the first articles, under the head of
miscellaneous in the fourth or concluding vo-
ume.
"It will be gratifying to me to hear that this
| parcel has come safely TO your hands," &c.
Lord Jeffrey is well known as the founder of
the Edinburgh Review although he gives to the
Rev. Sidney Smith the credit Of being its orlgl-
nal protector Lord Jeffrey wrote the first article
in the first number of the Review in October,
lS4O. He was sole editor from 1903 till late in
1929, during which TIME he was large and
REGULAR contributor. AT that period he was hon
ored by his brethren of the bar by election to the
office Of Dean of the Faculty of Advocates when
he withdrew at once altogether from It's manage
ment.