New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-10
Rev. Henry Ward Beeeher's Lecture ut inc
RFo0klyn InsIitates


on Thursday evening, the Lecture room oil the
BROOKLYN Institute was crowded 10 its utmost ca
nactv with the cite Of the city, 20 hear the Lee
tire Of this eloquent divine, who selected rs MS
theme Character"
Mr. B. commenced By remhrking that we snould
draw strong distinction between Character ana
Psrr,foti0n One is the substance, the other the
shadow. cast by the growth and develoPm4 NJ Of
oBr faculties mans character may produce
different effects, not only according TO the chanSs
of circumstances, bat according to the nature Of
the person upon whom it acts. Character IS
what man is; Reputation, what people think
hin, 70 be. Want Of this discrimination has pro-
Doupded a great deal of obliquity. public man
is sometimes brought where four orfye way meet
5 tries 20 60 in all Of them, thinking thereby 10
save his character; but it is reputation which is
saved A speaker only fluent is willing to be
osue5 eloouent The man worth 100000 is will
mo 10 be thought worth s5C0oO0; butthe assessor
or the sight Of subscription paper brings him to
us wLo appears to be more than he is, can
can scarcely he hurt by public opinion. influence
il the allegiance which man coniesseS 20 goodness
al s.reneth. The good will always have iniu
erce-it is Gods ordination. Would men be In
Guential l-let them seek influence Ia them
selves Many are taught 70 think that It VIII not
10 he too frank in their ireethinking lest older
r,en sbould not permit them to come TO influence
Asu influence depended upon those older than
ourselves. or upOn public sentiment
Influence is sometimes like wealth. Men are
alvvaVs uroerossive when making money, but
when they have got II they become conservative:
TIL. way 70 have u luence, IS 70 DO her0lci aud
TIE wav t. keep influence Is 20 continue heroic.
Fipesse and timidity are often urged as prudence.
Patriotism. uIudeuce and religion become sug'
ge,tive to " atever is truth and Justice. Aquick
eve 10 discern right, and q fearless tOrtiude 10
do what is Just, and sulier for what You TO- II
need be that is prudence.
Conn, ercial prudence which weighs moral
mower as It would -four or pork, is cheat
Mr. B went on 10 speak OF character as ue-
veooed bv three different classes OF manNlnn'
First. that class in which some single faculty
controls the mind. Secondly, that IA when
groups or families are found to prcdomlnate and'
thirdly, that mind which finds different cnaractsts
in which TO appear and by which to act at du-
ferent times. AS to the frst-where some one
single faculty gives color TO the whole mind
sncb characters are numerous. With some this
nre1on,inant faculty will be veneratOn-with
ffone the love Of appreciation This faculty con-
strains and shapes sll the others a man with this
one faculty predomiu ating, suits bis morals and
religion % circumstances.
Look at the miser He is TO DO pitied as much
as any other lunatic he becomes q miser gradu-
alIv he is always in tears lest he should come to
want. The beggar sees royalty In rags, and ne
poyertv in stores and millions. The avaricOus
man may be charitable for tyrants will sometimes
relent One Of the misery, avariclous men,
would banter with death, and grumble at the gate
Of Heaven if he could not go IN at haJ Prtce!
But those faculties which are used the most do
not always determine the character. We are
prone 20 Judge men by the manner in which they
inspire us. A man of deep benevolence may be
fretiul man, SO a man may be thoroughly selfish,
and vet be good natured and agreeable. w must
take into consideration the atmosphere IN which
the mind is acting, before judging. The same
faculties which propel a man toward celestial am
bitiou may propel him toward misery and ruin
ovelier class are those whose true life exists in
the social circle. They are creative enough to be
agreeable in socety-but they Will not answer Tor
Rffo5aerS. they cannot endure the blasts OF pub
lie opinion. They are the men whom We love In
the family circle but could not trust upon the
field Of battle. Eagles there be, and hawks
there be; and God has made each for its own
sphere. Then there is the aesthetic who is
looked upon by the world as out OF joint
1t seems strange to the business man that
they are never up to 2 bargain he is cOnsd
cred as unprscticable-a dreamer. Then there
are these whose strength of mind lies in their IN.
teliectua faculties the hunger Of their soul IS tor
the lust and the beautiful Goodness, nobleness
and Iectitude in man, are to them, what the sun
is TO the sol which brings forth all the flowers.
They refrain from vugarfsced wrong not from a
sense of duty alone, but from an inherent sense
Of right and justice within their own natEre.-
The third, and last class, is that in which are 70
be found multiplex characters
This is fact so psychologically true that q
class must be founded upon it. When each group
Of faculties has a character Of itself-they act in
n 70 rr.hr md hov .ft L.fr
own. Thus, if you visit man at his house your
entertainment and pleasure is his Interest," aud
he will strive 70 please you but if you visit him
at bis store his interest is to shave you if he
A man has his religious character, and his pro-
fessional character and political character. In
accordance with these facts the world has both
perceived this truth and concerned to it, In these
several characters, the same judge presides, but
not the same rules Of equity
That which man would blush crimson if he
did on Sunday, he would almost upbraid himself
if he did not do on Monday. As to Man in his
political character-I believe there is no govern
ing rule of action. 1t is by this light that we
must read popular religion. The true Christian
is not the believer of this, or that creed, though
Christianity has its true creed That man is the
Christian who, ripened in the supreme love of
God and Man, goes through life only governed by
this rule. This manifold character results in
subtlety, and downfall at last.
But we have neither space nor time TO follow
the speaker further through the wide range of
keen, sparkling SATIRE brilliant illustration and
acute analysis which characterized this able
production The lecture was listened to with
profound attention, and frequently applauded.
Next Thursday evening Rev. DR.. BELLOWS is
to lecture on "The Pride of the Age
AT.RIoT WAR.--Our citizens were astounded
last week, with the report. that riot was in pro-
gress az Dunkirk, among the railroad operatiYes