New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-07
LECTURES.
ar. Henry James's Lecture al the Stuyve-
SAINT InsIitate.

by HENRY JAhLs, Est was ueiiNeFco On iucsdaJ
evening at the Stuyvesant Institute. The subject,
which was "Tbe Symbolism Of Property was
discussed with the vigor and originality OF
thought, and the profuse beauty of expression
which have gwen Mr. James such brilliant repo-
tation as public speaker.
The existence of private property Sa'o mr.
James il fact pertaining exclusively 70 hu "'S
.orv. Neitber mineral vegetable, nor animal pos
sesses any property apart from us ne'o'ai SENSES
II has no properties denoting tne existence OF an
unseen spiritual force within the nature, and sug
yest;ng the conception, Of personality. With man
the case il exactly otherwise As soon as be IS
horn this force begins to assert itself and claim it's
universal lordship. Take home with you pic
ture book or toy, and expose it TO the gaze OF
your children, you all know how furious a storm
of entreaty will greet you on every hand for the
sole possession of the baube- The tendency IS
not only displayed at an early age, bat often sur
wives the decay of nature, and grows stronger 10
fact. as the mental powers decline. There Ia
nothing about which age is generally so tenacious
as about property, nothing which It parts with 50
reluctantly, often showing childish delight IN
the possession of useless wealth.
The sentiment Of personal property exhibits its
strength in the involuntary homage We pay to
rich men | admit, says Mr.. j., that have beea
taught q great deal better. admit that should
be very much ashamed TO be caught toadylng
rich man, and that could say things on the base
ness Of such conduct which would really stir your
blood But all this 10 dramatic. am only acting
the part assigned me by public opinion. In Prl-
vate / feel an instructive respect for property
have he ard sermons this subject which LETT no
doubt on my mind that the preacher had com
pletely conquered his natural weakness; bat you
have only to observe his daily intercourse with MS
Heck 10 discover that it was only the most trans
parent talk, and that the beautiful manners he
described belonged to an entirely different world
From this. | do not blame the preacher for his
conduct 30 different from his creed bat only for bis
creed so different from his conduct Every one
who acts according 10 his nature is respectable,
but it 10 not respectable to acknowledge creed
which one cannot or does not put into life.
Such is the fact with regard TO our respect for
property | by no means desire 10 apologize tor
Il. would not save it from one jOt of the re-
proach which falls upon it, When viewed by
ITSELF il is quite disgusting a fact TO me as 70
any one else. wish to place 1t clearly before
your eyes, in order to ascertain its real signif.
eapce.
What then does property symbolze7 What
great humanitary fact gives it s0ch universal
swayf l answer, that property symbolizes the
perfect sovereignty which man IS destined to ex-
ereise over nature. All the prestige which sur
ll.
this symbolic fact-lrom its representing that
complete lordship of nature which man is destined
one day to realize.
But all true sovereignty is inwardy generated.
II is never imposed upon person from without
hy the deed OF another, but grows up from within,
IL q sovereignty OF genius. but now snali man
tbus know himself endowed with all divine pow
or? Evidently, by seeing it outwardly reflected.
Man can know nothing of the facts of his inner or
spiritual being until they become reproduced. IN
nature and fixed by the light Of science
Now property, as an institution OF human socl-
ETY., grows out OF the instinct oil sovereignty Ia
man. w lille this instinct is as yet misunderstood,
society lends all her force to educate it under the
form Of an aspiration after property Her main
function has been the conservation OF the rights of
private property against the encroachments OF
merely natural right She is the bulwark which
hamsn instinct erects against the forces OF out
ward nature. The moral law, which lies at the
basis OF Society, aims TO impose limits upon nat
ural desire or forbids It's invading the bounds of
neghboring property The moral law is thus
nothing more nor less than an affirmation of the
sasredness of private property.
But YOU may ask, why may not property be
RxeS fact itselG, symbolizing nothing The an
swer is plain Men are ashamed of the respect
they paw IT, Property cannot be liked fact OF
history, cannot be good in ITSELF cannot be d.
vine end in humanity because every man, In
proportion to his inward culture, in proportion 10
IT, He feels this Difference to be a mere trick Of
his servile and sculon nature, and inwsrdly re-
nounces it every time 1t recurs In fact, It Is only
among the lowest persons intellectually ,-persons
IN whom the seDsuous imagination predomlnates,
that you find any open profession OF respect for
IL left Among slaves, in fact among negroes as a
class and among the dependents of great families,
in short, among all persons in whom sell respect
hss never been developed or iostered, stu ex-
arts nm uprebuked dominion. But no man OF re-
finement allows it any indulgence
Another reason, said Mr.. James, why property
cannot be considered final fact OF humanity, ls
that in proportion to its magnitude, 1t TENDS 10 De
little the possessor, by overaying MS true inul
vi5unlitv. his true humauitsry attributes. man
Of yery large possessions, unless be has come
into them by inheritance, ia almost always
wholly swallowed up by them Instead OF being
rendered free and careless, his life is perpetual
servitude. His whole energy becomes demanded
by the care Of his property, while he himself
gradually lapses from unqualified manhood into
the new man Of money Now, no one can sup
pose that to be final good. which, the moro it is
possessed, becomes burdensome to the possessor,
and the more it is priced, becomes degradation
20 him.
But the proposition admits Of wider applica-
ton. Ii IL not merely my material possessions
which belittle my manhood 1t is my moral ones
also the moment / begin 20 claim property In
lttm. 1uC LuOmSht = bNbNA " fAANN ~tN--
attachments, or felicitate myself on my benevo-
ience, magnanimisy candor or honesty, and TO
thank God for the difference in these respects be-
tween mysef and other men, that moment be-
gin 20 corrupt and 70 convert my sell into pubic
pestilence. But why should this be so Why
may no man take pleasure in his inward differ
ences from other men, any more than his outward
onesf Why do pronounce myself an unfathom-
able sneak in coming before the community with
a statement Of my moral attributes and chal'
lsnge of the public admiration thereuPonf The
reason is that man himself is greater fact than
any mere quality or accident pertaining 70 him.
The wealthy man, the good man. the sympathetic
man, the handsome, wise, or polite man, are no
doubt important personages enough in an imper-
feet state Of society. But as persons-that is
finite or comparative ex steRces-thsy have no
meaning to Gods regard, but only 60 others, who
see in part and not completely. To be a man,