The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-04
Lecture BY Henry Ward BeecheY.

bernacle BY Henry Ward Beecher to crowded. intelli
gent and fashionable assemblage The subject
ected the Law Of Precedence" The lecturer pre-
faced his discourse by the illustration Of Saviour
going up to Jerusalem and being followed BY his dsci
PIES expressing among themselves their ambitious ideas
Of pre- emnence to who should be fret in his king
dom. They only doing what the world has been
always doing; and thus they exempli6ed the universal
thoughts and desires Of men in modern times and
therefore find not only in the ussges of life but trans
ferred Is human language this strife for precedence
generated by those feelings Men said be high
low proud humble superior INFERIOR great small,
in society Since into this world constituted the
young be launched and TO take part in its srs aud
blessings it is important to know what the inequali
ties existing between man and man, and between rank
ana Whether those inequalities necessary or
upnecssssry-wneher they spring from pride and self
iehuess from law Of nature whether this law OF
nature has only by pride and sehne,s
the subject before and rs entitled ths la OF pre-
Many perhaps have bsen drawn hther by thak
ing thst he going into the law Of since
spelled. He however, oisclaned that the sub
ject oi his diecourse would the law Of precedence
Before the tribunals OF law is great, no man s
little-tners is neither bond tree toe Law, like the
does not select any spot TO shns bat shines on
al alike There is no equality OF endowment no more
than there il equality OF feature, or muscle thsre
minds ast alike in temper and capacity
aud the dvsrtie OF life are the effect OF th variety Of
eDdowments. Men made up equally of Ike. and
unlike by their similarity bre hers and by their
disLiiiaiity they are Individuals Sagnation equal-
zas-death levels; but life shows the working OF the Law
of preoedence Eome have thought that educ alton
makes all tlerd. erence. Education does make great
differences but not such difference as that the
hosheaded should under is influence, become
phlegmstic or the cool man hery. IL q hundred
left island they would immediately
classify Themselves; one class would work by the
head and the other by the hand This distinction
ia transferred from to the o,cup itions OF
men. A lawyer mechanic, professor day
abarer, may be equally endowed with intellect or
the laborer may even be superior to the professor but
yet they will stand alike before socety Men will
and must be judged by the light which they emit Some
men are made express power-some anosher-some
may shine profession who could not in another
go mems occupations the mediums through which
Their ties are shown In te Of the
law OF precedence may pervsrt it, but cannot
trely annihste its action; the attempt to do would
be vain to crusade against mountain This
is of the great mistakes which is found in all
in infiety. Irfdey IL, in its proper signifies dis
sent ond there have been ages in the worlds history
crime, but actually virtue Had he lived in the time
Of Volare when religion had degensrsted and society
rs become dsorssize by ts dreadful abuses he would
have felt that TO uphod that religion unworthy Of
him. and TO oppose it vrtuous act or had he lived in
Europe when tie government OF tho state based on
religion he taught that all the bitter fruits Of
OF preston drawn the blood OF christ
from the very heart Of religion, thea he would be
obliged to forerwesr his very nsture or oppose
greatness shamefuiy perverted than almost any
other though there il not any law which has not been
perverted Many suppose there is such thing diff
ferenc between men by law of nature because this
difference has been always put on false basis and has
Of the law. The human mad itself gives the
and Interpretation OF the law of precedence and
that mind which exertsa greater degree Of power is
perior to mir Of the same capacity which Is not
exerted Intellect to all lsborers whether Of
bead hand though the Of it is very different
Every faculty Of the mind is honorable in its unc
ton and there feeling which is in itself shameful
There not fac llty which may not be perverted but
on the other hand Improperly sttunsd they are all good
There not faculty which, taken out Of the huma
mind, would not leave 1t imperfect. who is ia
morbid condition in respect to his physical faculties
IL. 80
soundness Of the intellect must be- in great measure
sa.d upon that Of the body Those sborer Of che head
loweft Those who represent the more social and
general qualities, are higher than these; but if q
royal intellect spriags upon this class, then it is
raired still higher, end far above all its fellows; and if
to this be also Joined in the person moral perfec-
ton then be is chosen by God and fill high places
men man must be ranked by the degree Of power
which, through his pursuit. he exercises in society
Trades or are rapsed and men are ranked By
their good bad in their avoeatons Thus
fessions require greater degree of intellect than does
any mechanical craft and 50 among Intellectual pro-
sne justcs stand in the superior rank. Ncxt to them
are rsnked general commercial pursuits because they
hensveness hut chiefly beoause they require the
else integrity just as much rs 1t is requisite in the
church ut the bench. Next to the professions,
the trades which always imply the exercise of higher
degree Of comprehensive intet CT than is needed in the
pursuits Of mere manual labor In report OF the
relative intellectual powers eff artisans aud la.
borers, preeeated come time since to the British
Parliament the Scotch and Germans were put forward
ranking the first and sece classes intelligence
and especially fitted for the comprehensive sn1
orderly bsin Of supervising and directing tbs wock
OF others BE placed the simple iaborsrs lowest and
rdss above them The highest rank OF trades is that
which IuyeDs the secoRd that which performs best
the ii I'd that which merely tries initial. good work
T ma EMP ana WHEN nay % caiea cooo.'as
rs hieh almost professional man An artist is high.
er han en- arizan sculptor does not look stone
cutter equal because he works on the matter
t. fanhs men by what they appear TO be AMI
car My judge men By appearances This i the ope-
ration OF the principle Of judging men by their man
nsrs and dress; and when you know nothing of a man
othefvife he must be judged. But nsither
consider man refined becau,e he affects refinement in
bs dress Trust Il the law Of society," and incredulty
Is the corruption Of that law; confidence in
uldeiihys our very heing; suspicion is the result
OF nsLs education. True not properly val.
ued al1 fictitious men ere over estimated, by loose
hsot If judgment Real integrity s almost inde-
fioehole # Il soes down, it is only to rise again,
use good thip, iiukng ii the trough Of the sea,
but rising again With the pillows; while bad man,
VIXEN he falls is like stone cast into the water which
ba' rot the elasticity to rice again COCA man cast
Down 10 not destroyed but thoroughly bad Insu
Gown is down IN the case al inr oral an with
great geniu, he mas fall and riss again ana huc.uite
but eventually he is bound to sink When Roger sher-
sat the sboemakers bench be was Roger Sher-
man the ihoemaker but when be proved himself equal
10 the tsfk Ct satesmapshp to the statesman
WIS rsired 1t !. in the power every aspiring young
man TO hioe the place where he stands BY his tul
nets and integrity and leave the most mental ocupa.
tons the more honorable TO young men who hereafter
come into them the who goes into Frankliu's
sVl lee ~ fnse lnbLsd Win greater hClor from the
glorious intellect which worked in It, An ituersnt
thowuan turna bis crank and exhibits his puppets aad
We throw him eixperce-Barnum turns his crank and
makes puppets Of the whole Of us aud this shows the
difference Of intellect between the exhibitor Of Punshi.
nello and Barpui1. IL eham fashionable society man
Nay be Defined as the sum total OF hats coats and canes
Zeal fashion is founded the faculties Of taste aud
beauty In which rank put those whose fashion
consists in keeping late hours whose notions art con
sist in collecting, without any thy and gauiy
fuimtufe-ihto which ciass Of real fashion sha N
GshtCn ney ought t. be ceteecrzed you tell well
as Neolth Is in this land plista face evidence of
has not gwen man poEer 10 the appreciation and ssti
nation Of the community Wealt seldom be gained
without capacity and stands for industry, good jnig.
Uent and perseverance, Commercial business large
scale requires The highest efforts OF mind aud akin
eeneTalh nip The plough write. as well
the pen Tor Others Some write by fleets on the ocean
and lines 81 railroad, and these the opponents of
Their intellectual power The oiligent man. who has
Id hr lfata