New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-07
LECTURES
Mercantile Library Lectures.
LFCfUhE M. fHK ANfHifAN NlFU
~ L. T. WuIprLF

~ T.. r. WHifrLf
Tho lecture before the Mercantile Library Asso-
citation last evening was By T. Z WHlrFLf. Esq.
of Boston. aud in spite d the severity OF the
weather was attended by the numerous audience
which never fails to be drawn b. the popular
courses Of that Institution Nj WHIPrLE intro
saeed b.s subject by some intelligent remarks on The con
nexo between ma oua character AVID the great men OF a
nation snd Thea propofed ihe questions bas there oeen
an American Mind an1 II So What are ~ Characteristics
ia answering ese questions Nj W end ua' bee dd nor
intend 10 -, forth the strains OF me national ce" ~
10 ousc he ashes of ihe Pilgrim Fathers iiom uei STUN
b-rs ihns enciouchng the privileges Of the Fourth %
lie would NOT say that hrie sn American National
Mind n me sense wlr-h that assertion could Pee pfclcs
TED 90 England of Greece bur here j. no dgDi nation
a lite instinct with active energy nnd tending 20 nt
ded aud strong ymafhed issues Iue n'sls ., ',s ',
genuine Anglo Saxon force. which nies mo ~ own FORM
Al Other nnonsiltes aud makes Il new continuation WI
ihe elements furnished ey he Dane me Cri he 'hul anu
he German. In ~ iuru % IL moded 'y ursc Hn'vh's
Of Wheh ise product Is the actual American character
The great original ,usred enis 10 our nsuoua conpo
tion lhe tugshmnu who came mere i' i'lhd en-
hrro on repair his fortunes with whom the pursuit OF
wealth was dominant motive, and those Eng i-lul"l
whose impulse IN seckng the bleak shores Of NE western
Continent wac The possession aud enjoyment Of ciyA aa
religious liberty Tins ast element has produced an on
.pnpg u many aspects widely differing from ns own char
arier The sturdy iu6exhle angular oasron Puritan mas
len his successor the fdce accommodating lhhe fto
team universal Yankee equally adapted 10 every cina,r
10 those Inc most dsslnsr making himself at home whe
ever lac eoes-a thriving, schcuhny hSiu.W"lN"e
Wd6re IN Kentucky Jefferson Brick on the frontier ana
The snanest IA creation every eady 70
put his brains your head IN order TO put your money
The National Mind Of America exhibited in the two
leading chsraciriisucs Of the National Le fn@gy ana
lmpressibiiy There can he greater mistake than TO
suppose lhai Literature aud AT are The only medium OF
sg,raon implied In the sphere oi the praclcal 40 less
than ~ that ol abstract thought Ihe eies, seo'ls ,..
Sir William Hamilton has shown that Arls'ote possesses
NJ less nnderU guns o'luias lph',oh uai ~ ''
Shak slreTe has endowed ms lHso win his Y.hN '
abundance ~ has Goethe ms Mepmsioihclcs' We ma
hs power winch ths hern lehNu,u "a ~ 49, ~
sphere Of Poetry end Ant richly developed IN he SCENES
practical he and interviewer with The most apparently
pr>aic mere anfie operations 49,
Indeed whsi hugh intellectual glt can ee named u'H' -
noi daily called into action IA The routine o oonneHa,
fare Il uhservaucni The merchants eye a,
wave raVcTsng vast space and losng ssh Oh no deie
however trivial Il uudcrstsndingi His "hoe iue =
sharp comprehension OF various Interests recurring ue
keenes intellect for their discnang cement Is VIII l.
general force and refinement ~ mind They are AZ pu
tcgisnun IA tho complicated unetons o merchant
ns There As Commercial genius necessary Ia success
artistic genius 70 the creation W beauty N"Hi'A u
not Numbered Into 80 Ollen many persons suppose
The nredoningncr of an exclusive tendency IN the
a. mind attended with iald effects Italy has been az
voted 10 the exercise aud contemplation Of Art until da
1d and drunk with beatty" has reeed under ,he IN
ioNicanon and become the easy prey OF Austrian Ngh's
aud French advenurers Germany has indulged IN
speculation IA she losl sight OF the realities Of this
world Soaring The into clouds of an idea philosophy she
has h,ome he Victim of political despotsn She has been
free IN the domain of theory and provided she would be
hind and deal the abuses o her rulers she leu' nav
her own way the realms of thought even Ia specdahs
matter cut of Nature, Christ out OF 'he scriptures an"
God on, of the Universe.
Toe danger this respect, 70 which America Is exposed
The contrary direction. There no fear thai We shaI
become tAnsccudeua IN thought OF too much ensno
ed Of Ideal beauty our peril Is that the SOU OF zoe aoh
he Yulgari2ed BY excessive devotion 10 the pra
We tending 10 The character u sagsco0s uhders
shIewd Spccusiors energetic men oi business WhV 'e
ecnients OF hcTo'sn and love may die Out OF me P"o'o
heart
The,c are two classes who place themselves in oppcs,,
hua Ia this teHdcncya class who scOrn economies on ue
~ morally and another who do the same nom love
OF gor Th~se the Comccuers, no deen themselves
Responsible for all the which are committed IN te eoe
tynoi only individuals bat indivduahsins, and o hence
w0d leave everything and stay nowhere, burning u'rt
hosse ia order 70 boil their teAkee-Mao are t@sea 20
h.h above al human Interests as 10 mistake ci' oN u'
lfONs ecstsccs Tor propheuc whose oons a.,
le,ion - 30 Lord why 50 slow a" deem .netasesss
pateu with tie Divinity frotgssns 70 such az
svv ,hoi when they make a. enesmrmen1 " lae eoan,.
w The eunvers sics they close With protesting a. Nns'
each oher and the Manifest DESTINY people on The other
extreme hspse robbery and ss as iar m@foh OF Fio
vdcuec-.ookng into De hand 90 uilA anu "vneN H's u
distant lrondcg-ana while shouting or country nkh' OF
wrons" The maxim heir hearts ard mean our
ecanirN, wroag-of right -,
country from Moderate keiotncrs, Who nave
vfs 1T their own which l. ahe 10 resis' he Influences
c Ssonal egyronmsui. Il We lake our representative
Hcgn IN literature and art ana hem too much sapa
gsed bs ,hc prevailing tone. TINS made Claiming snd
fovis art uH Oi English hcod. They are The prcdac Of
la,t coantry Nc, 80 VITA cgss brySu' LuDgie.o"
Wits NallccA >snd Apart hoH the nat onSi vitality. ana
euibuie ~ growth rather than owe their beng e. rs
hscc Perhaps % . better Onioss they wo1id devote
u,r he Brokers Buapi tho Reading Railroad
Mr. W. then tn0gAt forward the three greSi America
sssesnco NShsler Calhoun. Cisv. As Jhu>rsiNs oi af
AufgicGn miud-NehsJsr the eminent civuiau NAasin
~ vrAeTeu paTtsar snd Clay the accomplished pt.clsh
iA ne mvnlcu IT NJ Claws Hsme. the speaker was ir
Upeed Nv bpfs! OF enthusiastic and lOngeoniiuncd ar
f4ese Wsbsieg character sed ss inaoctNe SSnV''o
q tejactvc. and Clay a. seductive
NJ W = porraturc cfthese Distinguished uaen Pi'seh,u
naay ksepv touches And generally wei FeceiVeo IT'S
seare oi uNafe than hour IN length wss SPOKEN es'N
IVA mcmory. WITHOUT the al ol a ;nanasci.it al
enes exhibited considerable energy IA Tie driNete a.
va heafd BY The audience with apparent s1ostSc,.ea
AsgA several rhetorical loars g. fscs ana sPc"Sees
Sa sglliiy ssemeU 70 produce ICES sensation 'asA us "
ave beer expected