New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-12
SKETCHES Or LECTURES.
THE TABERNACLE COURSE
The English Mind.
nv EDWIN P. vIuFrLE, OF sosl,x

The Lecture at the Tabernacleon "Wednesday
MS ht attracted very large audience
expected from the well known reputation the spe,
Mr. whipple's subject was the English Mind" and -
peculiar national characteristics Hesaid was hardly
necessary 10 .tste that nston ia not merely
eison OF human beings collection OF separate prov
nces bu, OF itself individual organic body. peculiar
BY laws institutions. manners, literature thing Of
slow growth its roots reaching back into other ages
The National mind may Judged sn individual mind
gres, in degree with = vitality, with It's caps
city for resistance The English mind with John Bull
as it's base and William Shakspere ia apex, is pos
sessed of strong positive practical qualities accom-
panied By lohy range of thought Nationality is the
leading Characteristic OF this mind II distinguishes all
clssses-a WlborioTce in council Dick Turpin on the
higtwoy This nationality leads il % cherish every
thing English. and to despise everything beyond the
realm WIKI the Ensiishman the terms that he most
respect arc all English If he speaks of liberty, it is
British liberty Of the Law OF God he meant the Law
Of Great Britain il of religion he meant Christianity
but that Christianity sgn6ed the Church OF England
teacher or a schoomaster. he would call the great
es Of men, but then he WAS the creates, Of school
masters. The Eng-h mind is eminently practical
il il based on facts alone and rejects distractions Its
very thoughts are acts lis theories Institutions.
It possesses power. in spite Of It's repeGnt sntago-
nism OF absorbing and taking in TO Itself the more dis
nctye features OF other minds and OF other nations
IL has thus absorbed Norman pride and Quckness Of
apprehension, and Roman jurisprudencc; but has
invariably modified what il took. and infused the
quisition with its native practical sense. Ii be-
ieves what il practices; il practices what 1t be.
lieves and Is not often disturbed by visions
of higher morality than is developed in itself
In his domestic life the Englishnan has far more
real enjoyment than the Frenchmsn The English.
man finds in the circle OF home hi. principal
enjoyments; the Frenchman seeks such enjoy.
ments abroad The Frenchmsn exempliies divorce
between wife and thought; the Engishman Ia; no
theory not reduced to practice The older writers of
English ex,mpHfed the practical nature of their
ona mind by their remarkable plainne-s OF language;
they knew elegance OF exterior IA, y called foul
things by foul names affected any repugnance TO
the act
As the English mind grew out OF English character so
her aud political institutions have grown out oEng
sh manners and all of them heroclyphics Of
opa qualities England has conservatism but it is
compunied by progress When barbarous ensctments
were thrown aside in the onward march of snghten.
nent strong their feeling OF for the
pact that they were no. repealed, but remaiued dead
letter the statute book In considering the charac
ter Of English freedom, the practical basis
observable. 1t principle ontrenched in positive
facs, having its foundation in the hearts Of the people,
and had, therefore, with TODD all attacks An Eng
lisLmsn cared little for abstract IDEAS oil liberty but he
would defend his rlghts-the liberty oil Englishmen
to the death.
lie allowed Government to exercise tyrannicol
power provided it violated none of the established
forms whose links were laid in England. The national
minds organized insurrecon and forced anarchy
to wear the form of order. England and America
alone had succeededin this Any child might prae lib
erty and equality but the wild horse of rad
ioal passion required the full-grown man.
Mr. W. spoke of the effect of the national character
siics upon religion. 1t that the English mind
was rather inclined TO ihngs human than things spir
ual Yet the EnglihInan possesses a religion which,
though holding subordinate place, he was ready to
swear by, and, if need be- to die for But while he
gave religion place subordinate law yet he consid
ered himself her best exponent and defendant. The
cavalier was not willing to shape his life to the doc
tines At the Church but he would fight for her inter
ests Tie cry that the Church in danger was sure
to raise the people.
One of the quaintest anecdotes record. in Illus
traiion of place accorded to religion was that related
of an old Judge who when passing sentence OF death
on convicted Of forgery, said "And trust
you will experience in the other world that mercy
which a due regard for the paper currency OF the
country iorbids you to hope for here" Mr.. w. ius
trsted the singular fertility Of the English mind in pro
ducing Of strong practical thought and OF iervd
imaenatcns by taking the Of her greatest ora
tors statesmen and poets in an ascending scale AMI
treating their several exceences and distinguishing
traits Of character, wildly portruyng each by some
graphic touches. These showed that Will, the Eng
l,h mind may shoot up to the sky its feet It'll rest on
Bngi,h ground the poet said OF the Alps, at was
earth climbing 10 Heaven
The close OF the lecture was devoted to a brief con
trast between the English mind and lie Offspring In this
country The American mind, he said, possesses le's
persistency than that Of England, hui il IL In conse-
quence flexible and sensitive its notions OF ber
~ are ess local its ideas expansive liz senti
ments are generous; il has Past less rich IN
great nnrnes but its Future Is radiant with more
III hopp