New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-04

lgion; and strive hard TO seperahe themselves
sfrom the nation and live apart from it. Bat shiE
last effort is hopeless for they cannot any more
escape from society than they can troR the eaIth
graYitation if they were 70 leap into the ar reseV
ing not to come down again. The earth would say
20 them, "a Il ny forests and mountains trouble you
level them; but you cannot leave me- 50 help me
grGstdt,on! These come cutters, In their zeslior
abstract morality, like the man OF Old who
wanted to boil q cup OF tea He set his kettle IN
the cellar and then set his house on FIRE: Now, It
it is he boiled his cup OF eea but he also lost
his house In view of the evils OF this world,
these seem absolutely hungry for fire from
Heaven TO consume the great iniquities. They
say, O. Lord, why so slow p 1t is at least the
opposite to that repose in Providence that God
approves. He takes q step, and ages have
rolled away! They are secluded from tue COM
munlty, and only appear on anniversary days.
Their extravaganza of phrase prevents their
having any influence upon the people they attack
Their undertakings often end in disputes and
Guarrels among themselves. But there is class
on the other extreme whose yotaries carry the doc
trne OF Providence TO absurd lengths. They so
into raptures at the manifest destiny OF their
country, and the good time that's coming They
say Our country right or wrong ii stupid taa-
cy, at best; but especially tallacous from their
lips for the reverse is their real meaning Our
country wrong or right, with strong preference
to nations, as when applied to individuals.
plastic mind ike the American, receives new
impulse for every heroic act; every honest life
contributes to it. But there IS class OF moderate
reiormers, who are ntusing better influence into
the American mind Now, Just in proportion rs
the national lie cireuates through our churches
they will be found to be tempered with Mammon.
Do we not sometimes heur sermons, in which rail-
roads and manufactures hold favor disproportOn-
ately to the estimate Of their real value Ger
tainly we do Mr.. Whipple spoke of some our
American poets, remarking that many ofthe mhave
a purified idea of Nature; indicating very plainly
that they have not risen generally out of the ma
tons mind. Their productions have never the
exclusiyeness characteristic OF genius which Is
national The same may be said OF our political
literature But the English poets, Shakspere,
Byron and Dryden, you will find, however, nlgh
they may be in elevation, all rest ID English char'
acter English forms OF thought, and English lie
But Dana and Emerson are idealists from their
position. They avoid the passions OF American
human nature their song Is OF men rather than oil
man Their mission is to stand apar. from the
rushing stream OF American lie, and TO pour INTO
that stream, as gentle rllls into the river. tt Is
better that il should be so. But the most antal-
tering expression of our public mind may be
found in our politics Our politics will compare
well with those of Greece and Rome. But 1t
would be impossible to give scanty view OF this
political life, with it's passionate moreutles and
immoralties. Yet | will make few remarks
upon three great statesmen who are genuine pro.
duets of American life. of course refer to w eb-
ster, Clay and Calhoun. The last, though dead,
VET speaketh. Such man can die only with the
great movement she originated w ebster seems to
be a kind of Roman he Is such man as New
Hampshire bore him; man OF national character
The principal wealth of New Hampshire consists
in its great men, and its water powers In
comparing Webster with Calhoun, we see at u
glance. Inherent differences. Websters mind ls
slammed withgreater massiveness than Calhoun 8 I;
and il gifted with wider sweep OF calculation
Both of them are comparatively unlmpresslbe.-
Calhoun arrogantly ignores everything Wnlch
clashes with his own opinions The mind OF W CO.
ster weighty solid, capacious, reads principles In
events, and arches closely over all the phenomena
of complex difficulties in their mutltarlous forms.
Calhoun is much admired by those OF similar
characters, with different opinions. me pro,
cesses of Websters reasonings are aadnctlle, aud
enable him to predict future events; while the
intellect of Calhoun is controlled by his VIII. It
was frequently true of him, that be chose his po-
sitiops like fanatic and then defended them ike
a philosopher; while Clay chooses his positions
like q tactican and defends them like fanatic.
CLAY possesses qualities which attract mems adj
miration; that winning grace which his cotem-
poraries lack. In Webster, passion is lire that
fuses intellect and character into one tremendous
personal force, and then bursts forth like electric-
ty unlike that in Burke IN that zig gag
force but the blue light fame filing the high
heavens No principle smitten by that bold hand,
can ever atterWard lit itself above the crowd
without being marked with it's enduring scar In
abiding to slavery, MIR. WhpPle remarked that
eve may ever hope the dreadful evil may meet
its inevitable doom without any widespread ruin
and devastation" In conclusion, Mr. Whipple
said that perhaps it il not much in the pres,
ent as in the future that we see the wonders of
she American mind AS it is q Bleepless and i'm
I'VE mn hone will INCORPORATE
itself into the National mind, without having its
own individuality overwhelmed; that we will
have the accomplishments Of other great nations
without having their vices. 1t is in this contcm-
plation of America, as conquering mind, that
we most delight to dwell. 'ris thus we live in
the bright anticipation of seeing her moving down
the pathway of ages-a just, benefcent, and In
The lecture was prolific in felicity of dcton,
precision OF analysis, and glowing. imagery and
the audience expressed their satisfaction by ire
quant bursts of applause