The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-23

PUEBLO LEoTuRxs IN NKw YoRx-DR. KANE
AND DR. ANTIsgL.. -Amidst tho avalanche OF trashy
lectures and lecturers that have deluged This city
for the last few months, 1t Ia only kere and there
that one turns up that is net either absolutely per-
niciOus, or at least perfect waste Of time and
moIey to listen to or to read. Amidst the vast
quantities Of rubbish, grain Of gold is occasionally
found This evening, one of these grains Of gold
will be found in the shape Of lecture by Dr. Anti
cell, on geology, being his fourth and last OF the
series. The learning and science Of THE lecturer
have deseIvedly made a favorable impression upon
the publ, mind, and those who may 20 TO hear
him this evening, on "the Reptilian Period and
Medern Agencies" are lot likely to BIO disap-
pointed Tomorrow evening, another grain Of
wheat among SO many bushels of chat, will be
evolved in the lecture Of DR.. Kane, Of the United
States Navy, ''the Arctic Regions ana the
Search for Sir John Franklin" DR.. Kane was one
of the GiiDnell expedition, and can therefore dss.
cribe what be has seen, and speak what he knows
This will be really interesting lecture, and refresh
ipg an oasis in the DESERT amidst the barren
waste Of words with which We have been sur
rounded on every siee during the lecture So son
HIS lectures on the same subject, at the Smthso.
MAN Institution, at w ashipgton gave the highest
satisfaction ever derived from q course Of public
lectures in that city.
How different are the lectures Of these men Of
action, and facts, and practical science, from the
hest Of ideaoests who have been pouring ont their
insuferable nonsense upon the communty-such as
Emerson, Dewey, Guyots, Mitchell, Greeley, etc.
who, themselves not understanding what they say,
fail Of course, to convey any ideas to the minds Of
others. These Missionaries may fill the heads Of
their audiences with vague misty, confused nctions
that bewilder them for moment but they impart
DO facts, no truth, and there can be no permanent
Impression left upon the mind to afford food for
reflection or thought How different from rea!
science Ofall these transcendental dreamers Emsr-
son is the most incomprehensbe; and We venture to
say that there ID no man, after returning from one
Of his lectures, no matter how Intelligent he may
be, can give any Ineligible account Of what he
said. 1t will be found to be all words, words,
words, smooth perhaps as oil, or throwing out cor
ruscations of the imagination, commonly known
as VIII o. the Wisp,'' but without one solid
iiea-one substantial fact-to inform, or guide, or
suggest to the human intellect By which il can add
to its stoe Of knowledge be directed in the pur
suit 1t is what Saint Paul 80 expressively calls
Opposition of science falsely so called by men who
dslken counsel by words withou. knowladge"-
men who speak "great swelling words Of vanity"
compared to trees without fruit, wells without
water, and clouds without rain, carried about by
every wind. Yet strange to say, many persons who
90 to hear such lectures are delighted with them,
just in proportion as they do not understand them.
To them obscurity and sublimity are one and the
same thing. This trash, however, does great
deal Of mischief, not only in wasting time, ba. in
diveripg the mind from true AID practical science,
and creating false, morbid and vitissed taste for
the romantic, the unreal, and the visionary.