The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-07
w. r. Wallace ON Peter the Great.


Last evening W. B. Wallace delivered . lecture
on the above subject 1t tho Stuyvesant Institute.
The attendance was pretty fair He began by say
ing nothing interests man like man is profound
fact, admitting Of almost inexhaustbe proofs, and
browning humanity with halo of glory. He then
wished to draw their attention towards his subject
Peter the Great Is the Empsror-the ba-bariau--
the self civilized. Peter with his peculiar sagacity,
saw that the sea was the seat of science Russia
had no naval power. Peter built boat, and
launched it himself This boat is still preserved by
the Russians, and is deemed as holy by them the
shrine of Mecca to the Mahomedans Peter had
great quarrel with the priests, who we're the
,nslavers Of his people. These priests kept
the people in ignorance, and with this class
OF men Peter dealt in manner worthy of
naval architecture he proceeded to Amst erdam
and worked like any common ship builder He
wore sailors cap instead of crown, handled an
adze instead Of sceptre. He proceeded to Eng
lard there he visited all the institutions and hos
tals Of that country. He returned to Russia to
rear the clergy den0unoe him as an An.ichrist. He,
they said, could make artificial rivers, as If the
natural ones were not sufficient. He changed the
Russian year, which began on the LIST OF December,
and ordered that it should commence, as with other
Christian nations on the lst of January he then
levied tax on the boards and petticoan of the
men--no bear loved their fur more than did those
Russians their boards. With reluctance they paid
the tax /; but in few years it was levied higher,
which they paid also. Peter, finding that
taxing would no: abolish long boards.
hired army Of BARRIERS, who seized
all NE long bearded gentry, and cut their boards
eff. He met with great opposition, su: what could
withstand the carpenter of Amsterdam He saw
that in Western Europe women had great infiu-
over society, therefore ne wisely changed tho
condition Of women throughout his whole empire.
HTukey would be safe, it will be only by changing
the position of the women Of that country from that
Of slaves to those Of free enlightened women, He
then adverted to the great determir alton of Peter,
who, he said, was defeated at frs. by the Swedes,
but in few years conquered them in nearly
every battle which took place between those two
nations. He then alluded to his marriage with
Catharne, who, he said, was the wife Of sergeant,
who was slain in Of the battles which took place
in PavoEia Peter, during his invasion Of Turkey,
found the great value Of that wo nan, when the
RussaaS, whose army amounted only to $4,000,
were opposed by 200, eco Turks and Tartars. In
this situation, where there was no help for that
monarch, Caiharine was the preserver of him and
he srmy By negotiating with his enemies success
Peter the Great Of Russia Charles monuments
are column Of skulls, whilst those of Peter are
the noble ships which float over the vast deep.
The building OF the city of st Petersburg an in
stance Of his greatness The site of that city
one hundred years before he commenced build.
ing was o norass, and when finished under his di-
Iection, was magnificent city full Of palaces and
imposing edinces. There are some magnificent mo-
pumente in that city Another great feature in
Peters life was his reverence for religion-he would
70 TO any church and pray there, aud when he re-
turned would offer up thanks to God for his good
ness. But few men ever lived to accomplish much
as the Cgar Like him, we think it better to walk
in the ways Of peace than to pursue path Of vain
glory He bad lectured on Peter the Great as the
emperor, the barbarian, the self civilized but he
would confer titles upon him which he thought he
we'll deserved--the conscientious, the unwearied
the never sismayed worker.