New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-26
Union College Commencement.
Correspondence of The Trlbsne.
SCHENECTADY. Thursday. J

leading idea OF the address delivered before the PA
Beta haYTd Society. on Tuesday afternoon. by Rev.
THOMAS VI. CLARK, recently of Boston, but now OF
Hartford. Ct With admirably appropriate elocuion,
IN harmony with the flowing style ana well-rounded
penods of the address, satisfying At once the mind
with the logic and depth OF the conception, and the
car with the happiness OF the expression, he devel-
opei tins subject of his discourse. some points of
which propose to briefly indicate.
/ The childhood and adolescence OF society are
marked by three characteristics the first by the alb
soue reign OF p3,csr the second by the defined rule
OF progatre. and the third by the conditional con-
troll Of influence. Each OF these three being analysed
and illustrated, the question ari>es-have We come
to a stopping place and to the orator 1t seemeithat
We were verglng toward new intellectual era, with
char Ct6rS,cS as vital and important those OF the
/ Reformation This he inferred from the condition,
l. Of practical crt o. of tkCorstic Scisncs and 8, OF
/ abstract thought.
The specific bearing of these three species of mfu-
| ence he then proceeded to indicate The frsi of
these bears most strongly on the future intellectual
and moral condition of society BY It's gradual trans
ference OF labor from man To machinery thus CIV
ing to man that leisure, comfort and facility OF inter-
| course which VIII give wings to his onward pro-
gYcSs The SECOND of these, or speculative science,
al first seemed opposed 20 religion. Had Science
reireated from the conflict, Faith would have had
perilous victory. But though Science reveals diff
Cultlcs she also solves them. BY arouSng Theology
from her dangerous sumber IN her crumb ing for
tresSes Science has taught her to be LESS dcgmatc
and more analytic, to rely less upon unauthenucated
authority and to verify It's assertions more carefully,
| thus dong a sound theology no harm"
The third point is the existing condition of exact
! thought, which never had such general formative
/ POWER rs now. Thought is everything and this
leads Us to our main queston-What Is the style OF
thought from which the greatest results are to be ex
pectcd In the first place the thought must be real
not fictitious When such thoughts are met the
whole intellectual being trembies under the cnchant-
ment. " Problems which distracted and agonlzed us,
assume a clear and luSrous meaning paradoxes
/ "
shape and symmetry the mind enlarges It's bounda-
| mes, enciOSes what was once foreign, harmonZeS
with what was once dscordant. grapples with dlh-
culuos which 1t once feared TO encounter and settles
down al last immoyably upon the eternal foundation
of absolute truth"
IncMsyeness and comprehenslyeneSs are the
! next characteristics OF influential thought. Eclec-
| tiCism has many advantages. influential thought
| must also accord with the life OF the age. Reac-
tIoniss Will be drowned IN the torrent. New phases
| of falsehoOd must be met. " Instead OF hghtng
with the ghosts Of the departed, we had better try
to make ghosts of our living foes Lastly, this IN.
fuentla thought must spring from the Inspiration oil
| holiness.
The characteristics of the coming intellectual
era formed the final topic TO the speaker they
seemed TO be three-a hirer adjustment oil the re-
| laiiOnS existing between form and substance a
clearer recognition of the mutual relations OF all
branches Of science, and their essential harmony
| gradual assimilation of kindred, though scattered
! elements and an approximation toward universal
agreement in essentials, till the world shall beholl
true development OF Catholic unity.
THE ENGLISH MIND was the subject of the ad
dress before the Literary Societies by EDWIN p.
WHrPLE Of Boston. His keen insight into human
nature, graphical power, and wonderful felicity Of
epilhet. produced picture OF a character which you
at the same moment despsed and respected, laughed
at and lamentcd, hated and loved. Cutting were
many OF his characierzatlons, his fine analysis
made with a scalpe so keen that the wound would
scarcely be felt by the victim. Brilliant thoughts
,I.t bod r,glf
and words, consentaneously and consecutiVely
| claimed your admiration. They a perpetual
surprise and yet a perfect satisfaction. Each word
/ was IN Itself starry sentence and each sentence
galaxy He always employed the word, the best word
the oniy word as you felt when you heard it, and yet
You might never yourself have thought Of II. La
ycngTo -word-maSter-should he be named in
higher sense than ever Borrow merlted. The imper-
feet sketch which am about to give, can but very
/ family shadow forth these attributes.
/ The orator after graceful exordlum, opened his
subject with insisting The necessity Of regarding
a nation, not as mere aggregation, bun as an or
| eanic living body Of laws, institutions, manners and
literature the results Of the slow growth Of ages
! The national mind is the whole moral and mental
! life OF nation The English mind" that pyrt-
/ mldal organism with John Bull a the base and
/ Shakespeare at the apex" IS unexcellet in modern
times for lis sturdy force OF beng, its muscular
STelCth and faculty, the variety OF us
| tlments and It's tough hold upon existence Ihat
/ imperial adjective English applies to the most OPP
poSlte qualities, and with perfect contempt " Diat
ant or latent" for everything not English, dogma
ties over all, without any OF our uneasy set-dis-
trust and shows it, seated faith IN egOtisms most
EXQUISITE non-seq,attrs;" ParSon Adams being a
/ wen known exemplar.
IFS basis in character and lis consequent strong hold
On facts and disregard Of distractions II is coarse,
strong sturdy, massive practical! IL Oends anu lows
everything TO itself, and on them all IL scTdwls Eng
| lard n her mark Its justice = justice done into
English" in a coarse and sensible way. II condemns
Burke 70 uphold Hastings, the faithful servant Of the
nation. When an English Jurlst speaks OF the la"
! OF God, he really means the Law OF England Inc
! English mind cannot conceive any maxim "hich IS
! abstract, Inorganic, unprecedented
From this proud and practical national mind, arises
do,ble arstccracv OF blood and capital, and there
from springs rs most hateful Characteristic syco-
phancy the class above II and tyranny - me CLASS
/ below II. OF tbs Chancellor IhuflOw - the best
! tvre Another leading feet Of English manners -
an ingrained coarseness. arising from rs honesty
which desrises all " the decent drapenes which men
tel refinement casts over sensual tastes ana
/ passsons'" Tie literature Of the Nation eremphhes
tins from Chaucer 20 swift, VINO rlo,s IN the gutter
| Another trat finds apt Illustration IN It's reidHllng
absurd laws on rs Statute books, but never ehec1t-
ing them Their inactivity beng the only excuse ior
Their existence Loyalty IS another Dl4spietl.ns
/ God and dsoteyng the King, beng viewed Dy SCUM
IS equally heinous. Even Jeremy Taylor cans one
/ Cierce 10 Kings q WOlk OF faith Engsh Heeuohi
~ this REGULARITY that Il cares not Tor the Iglts oil
nan. bui for the nights Of English men and hoids on
TO It's own righis wilh "a grlf pugnacity and nas'h
I Ike grip" -, A. r,,;.L
I horror Of lnGdeli,y ard deFOtion 10 the 'hufch
/ QrcteeOuely. combined On the worldly man WIN
his frequent selsindulgence IN All that relglon ior
| bits thus giving 10 The average national mind a
! delicious Unconscious hypocrisy" Which mas long
teen the butt Of English numorlsts Inc Oh nlich
I and King Cavaher-swe caring, drinking ana hcen
! tlOus. l. its type. .. ,
From thu analysis may be inferred the capacity OF
the English mind 70 produce and nurture great ana
| strong men Of action, and men Of thought-a Drood
Of piaIis Into this more pleasing field, the go1eh
sd 81 the Janus 81 ED our limits forbid or follow"
ing the orator as he sketched some OF her most ca
PRECIOUS and most colossal children IN an asceA ing
scale Of intellectual precedence Aihons -"
IL A..rlr