The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-02-03


New York. Sunday, February 3. 1880.
Tire Eltahe Lights at the North-uetrospec-
tive Pictures and Present Frames Of Mind
-Bowen, Beecher, Gurrison and Greeley.
The use and abuse Of talents-the service and
mischief TO society of the application of mems
minds to certain subjects-woud form a theme that
well might engage the attention of moralists and
diwnes. Deporably unfortunate is it, that many
who rise by the force Of perseverance, to some dis
tincuop, and too often to some 'bad emnence,"
are not contented to pursue a natural and consis-
tent course of conduct, but suddenly, as if the
world must be asonished at all hazards, will break
out with strange and unwonted peculiarites, alike
puzzling 10 the world and TO philosophy.
The present moment is somewhat disnnctivey
and potenily marked by four individuals, in four
special and separate provinces OF literature, pass
ing examination of whose early habits and present
position, may not be without a moral. If not lost
upon the world, il may yet be the salvation of more
than one of the aspirants for tame who are to come
forward on the stage OF public life. We would
give the outline of their characters, they have
been and as they are-and to tina, end shall select
the year 1883, and present them they then would
have appeared to the observation Of an ubi luitous
Intelligence.
Mr. Bowen, now the owner and conductor of the
North american Reuie,r was in Harvard College,
a young man, near-slghted, wearing spectacles,
and Of grave, taciturn, though by no means I'M
amaible department. Close application TO his daily
tasks, midnight devotions TO the dark fountains of
lore, systematic discipline and confinement TO a
few prescribed and unproscrbed authors. gradually
placed him before many competitors whose natural
talents were far better fitted for enhghtcnng the
world. His early writings were prox, ponderous,
and unusually long-the "parallels" only of each
other. Here, then, was the origin of those long,
dry, and by no means learned instructive essays,
which have somewhat characterized the Rerieo
for the last ten years, and which would scarcely be
noticed, even by the superficial reader Of encyclo-
pedic literature, but for an occasional tangental
course, opposed not only to the sense of mankind,
but TO the most fixed laws Of liberty and philosophy
-outriyalling the great head Of American uni'a-
ranism, who in a series Of lectures, (Which never
have been and never will be printed) defended the
Catholic Church and the Pope against the attacks
of Or. Beecher. That Austria, therefore, should
find a CHAMPION Austria, that manned Maroncel-
i, confined Pelco, and perpetrated enormlties
which disgrace even berbarism-in MIR. Bowen, is
neither TO be wondered ai nor TO be deemed a SIN
guar circumstance. II is the idiosyncratlc result
Of the man himself-or rather it is the idiocratlca
character Of his literary constitution. The disease
must break out at some time or othcr-the symP-
toms have displayed themselves for years
Let us now look in upon Mr. Beecher. We fad
him, IN 1888, IN a sister college OF Massachusetts,
seated within circular table in hole cut through
the top, so that he may be literally surrounded by
his books. What manner Of man ~ hel Gravel
No, Pleasant, active, energetic, independent, fol-
loving his own inclination, reading hard and read
ing fast-takug ,be road AZ leap-m making steeple
chase Of literature. He was never made for
preacher in his fathers school, ceriainiy-though
his father Is no egOi and was the only man at the
Convention Of the Evangelical Alliance in London
who could meet aud breast the waves OF that awful
fea of fomen ed fire, that not only made every
Christian gentleman to blush, but even the walls OF
Covent Garden Theatre to echo " shame" Mr..
Beecher ought 10 have been lawyer, high-minded,
honest, conscientious lie never should have been
Obliged TO make Z" stated preaching profession;
because that profession calls upon him, with the
voice Of ancient prejudice, 10 don the straight
Jacket Of the Puritans-s Jacket that does not sut
him. and which, worn by him. becomes him not
lie was never fitted TO contemplate or advise pious
frauds end this is but too evident in hls attacks
recently upon dramatic nsiitutons-auacks which
he well knows arc not justified by iar reasoning.
however much they may be by the stupidity and
short-siahiedness Of those who sometimes conduct
the temples Of the drama. The mistake is not IN
touching upon the subject, but in the argument,
and the mode Of conducting 1t for mere effect
Without changing one sylogism, we could produce
corollanes, after the same style Of logic, which
would show that il theatres are not worthy Of
countenance, sects are Car less so but we draw
veil over the errors e the pasi--we would forget
the destruction of thousands and tens Of thousands
Of beings. whose blood has flowed through the
streets, and whose cries, as they have expired a,
the stake almost rent the heart Of history herself
The madness Of men. or the wickedness Of men, is
no argument against any institution that is founded
in nature, and that has existed ia every nation
civilized and savage as far back as the records Of
The race extend. The drama, however. will sur
yiye the blows Of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
while the fierce onslaught in which he has been
Engaged will leave bun precisely in the coalition
Of notoriely in which Mr.. Bowen now stands.
We hasten to gaze at third individual lts
Mr. Garrison. lie il seated in his Office ia Wash
ineton street, Boston. The breeze Of June, 1855,
fans his high brow as he sits near the window read
ing manufactured account. which has been sent
INTO him, Of the whipping Of slave. He marks It
Tor inseition. This is the man struggling to pub
lish Tie L'buoior. lie is member Of Cslvinis-
&c oongrcgaton-writes good poetry and fiery
prose-JumPs to conclusions, often erroaeousyery,
very oiten-and means to make a star in the world
bye and bye. Perhaps he will Indeed. at the |
present hour we find him maa whose intellect /
appears to have become baked IN fery ordeal Of |
thoughts and circumstances. Il no more has the
plssi,ciiy Of his early days Il is hardened, ossi.
fed into extraordinary convolu,ed masses which
will not yield. lie has become maddened by the /
Of the Evangelical Alliance, forgeis his
pronounces the Sabbath to be !
device Of the clergy. and, in his heart, could burn
M the sacred places Of worship throughout Cine !