New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-03
The Intellectual History Condition. and Prospects
Of the Countrywide. III.


or the continent settled tins new worlG-werc tn,
product OF al age prolific in exciiemenis. Then
hearts were busy some with plans OF personal am
biiion, some with great problems for the benefit OF
humanity Whatever they found TO do, they did
with directness and earncs,ness. The chief causes
Of their emigration were religious the spirit which
animated them when here was religious and their
I hierature-thc permanent expression Of their char
actcr-was religious literature. Their first works
were quaint and curious many of them were orr
ginal and profound I, may be that they in some
cases gave their -four to the devil. and reserved
their bran only for the Lord but they certainly pro
duccd the flour They were acute. powerful aud
independent in argument and conclusion They
commanded the admiration Of those who thought
with them. and startled the defenders of obi and
false opinions By their thunders heard and echoed
across the seas In theology. from the hrs,. our
writers were unshacklcd by foreign models or au-
thorities They acknowledge no infalible head bu,
God Almighty and ne patristic guides TO faith and
practice but the holy company OF the prophets
and apostles
Corrox the MATTERS. ELLIOT, THOMPSON and
other remarkable men, Will be remembered as be
longing 10 our first and second ages. Among their
Successors may refer 10 Presiden, STYLES, famous
for requirements IN almost every department OF pro
fame and sacred learning TO DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON.
the father OF the American Episcopal Church TO
HOPKINS whose name Is closely identified with
the New England theology of the last century to
BELLANY, DANA. WEST SNhLLsY, SroDDARp. the
EDwARDsE,, DWIGHT, and their respective associ
alcs in docmatical and religious discussion
Ii is one OF the sentences of the popular cant. that
we have not single really great name in our liien
turc. But since the days of Plato there has not
been greater In his department. than JONATHAN
EDWARDS " His power OF subtitle argument SAYS
sir James Macintosh perhaps unmatched
csrfliHiV unsurpassed among men and II
was joined as in some of the ancient mystics with
character which raised his piety to iervor. His
ethical theory il contained in his Discourse on the
Nature of True Virtue, and In his dissertation on
The End OF God IN the Creations but his most
celebrated works those the VIII and on the
Affections Because he an American. we have
had to import his writings from countries where
they are better understood and appreciated. |, is
often difficult to procure a good impression of one
of our own authors at home, where native Milton
would receive less applause than an English Rosa
Matilda.
Among the followers OF EDWARDS. distinguished
near the close OF the last century. were DWIGHT and
ENNOSs both OF whom We're men OF great abilities
and scholarship. whose works have still powerful
influence on opinions and no country can now fur
nsh list OF divincs more Justly eminent for learn
ing or literary capacities than that which includes
the names of MosEs STUART, LYMAN BEECHFR
ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, EDWARD ROBINSON,
ANDREWS NoRroN, ALBERT BARSEs, WILLIAM X
WILLIAMS Gro Bush, FRANCIS WAyLh>D,
HENRY ONDERDovK. Bishop HOPKINS, GEORGE b.
CHEEyER. JAMES WALKER, DIR. HoDcr, HERMAN
HOOKER and others who have in our day contri-
bued To the standard theological literature of the
country.
JAMES M,RsH' of Hampden Sidney College in
Virginia, and at a later period OF the University o
hon 10 in IVORY
vcy of orr intellectual advancement and condition
He was a calm. chaste scholar, earnest and pro-
found thinker and a powerful and eloquent adro
of the highest principles Of religion aud phiio
-ophy whose life had that simplicity and grandeur
which are constituted by combination OF the rarc't
and nobesi of human virtues. His principal pub
lishcd writings are devoted to those elevated aud
spiritual principles of philosophy of which Cole
ridge and Kant were the most celebrated European
| asserters. Though nearly agreeing with these
great men, he was not less original than they and
before the works of the Englishman or the Prus
sian were known on this continent he had, by the
independent action OF his own mind, formed theo-
res similar to theirs, and taught them to his classes
DR. JOSEPH BUCHANAN, OF Kentucky IN his Pit
losophy of Human Nature published ia Richmond
in the beginning of 1872, presented system OF
ethics connected with and dependent ON physiology
in which he anticipated the opinions of the mate
rialist Gall whose iaotome et PhysIoiogie du
Systeme NsrreVr en- geaer0i, et du Cerre0n en-
pqrficHiicr, first appeared IN Paris some time IN
1910 several years after the principles of BuonAN
An had been asserted in his PROFESSIONAL lectures IN
the Pennsylvania University.
Of our contemporary philosophical writers, RALPH
WALDO EMERSON il the most distinguished. He
Is a thinker. He thinks profoundly. He is 10 be
read by thou ghtiul men He gives US no ratioclna
tlon-Only results. He presents no metaphysical
theory but his productions are clustering fruits Of
a system--not vague or boundess, a. some have
said though to be clearly inferred only by int ilec!s
OF the fashion OF his own The apostle ot a lofty
spirtualism he scars above all customary cant and
vulgar prejudice, and with generally clear vision
surveys humanity. He perceves the evils In sociey
the falsehoOd OF popular opinions, the unhappy ten
denotes Of common feelings, but be- proposes no
reforms suggests no rcmedies-ls content to be- the
observer and the prophet and TO invent the sayings
which shall be the power OF his disciples enter
into no discussion Of his ideas. Whether believe
or disbeeve in his semi pantheism is OF little con
sequence to any but self merely call attention
to the facts that R.LPH WALDO EnERsoS is an
American-quetly working at this present IN Con
cord. Massachusctts-and that his work now writ
ten would form a noticeable portion OF the ma
,ional literature OF any country heweyer old, or
however distinguished province OF the grand
Republic of Letters.
Not many days ago ! read a stOry--I think !; was
in the National Inelligcncer-Oi Scottish parsenu
In Italv He was standing hill from which
i to be seen one Of the lOyecs landscapes IN mat
classic region and could find no words for the adc
quaie expression OF hs great admiration. COS
mopolitan, iraternizcd by his enthusiasm, remarked
that though infinitely inferior II reminded him oil
glorious scene he had surveyed from emHience
in the Western part Of Scotland, which he pro.
ceeed describe until interrupted by the dccl1ra-
lions of his listener that il his own estate,
that he did not know there any thing remarka.
Bile about il, and that. though the bill was within a
mile from his house. he had never taken the trouble
to climb il. Just like those silly Americans who
leave unyisited the stupendous rocks at home over
which seas rush hcadong To a lower world, 10 fali
into disgusting raptures before miserable ca seade
in some riyulet abroad which one OF the gigan'ic
brutes Of our old woods would have drank dry
without shaking his thirst IL recalled 10 my mind
an incident relating 10 Of our authors LORD
Brougham was talking 10 one OF those chapeehngs
who reluctantly disgrace our country by admitting
that they were born here. Of our Literature. " ON,
we have no writers worth mentioning in the United
states :" His lordship mentioned some halt dozen
who are world renowned, concluding with an allu-
sion 10 BROwSsoN. BrOwnson-BrowDsoD J
never heard Of him exclaimed our repre- sentative
and be was advised TO return home and stafy his
works. those Of one Of the greatest men ~ the
age. OREsTEs BRowS,oS is certainly a very ex