New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-08
THE SEVENTH OF MARCH
LAST OF THE ANTI-SLAvERY LECTURE
BIT RALPH WALDO LNERsos.

ding Lecture of the Anti Slavery of the
successful series Of lectures given in this CITY Long
before the hour for speaking the edfce dsnsey
packed and many persons went away in consequence OF
being unable to get a hearing place.
Previous to the lecture Mr. OLIVER JOHNSON made
brief explanation Of the which had attended the
lectures He scd:
lecur. for the evening will detan you with few words
In the rs place thanks for the marked encourage
and support which this course OF lectures has re
ceved In the next place, cordially congratulate You
ia suecess II vas undertaken not without doubt. The
lecurng system in this City had proved to be complete
fslure and when consider the strong Anti Slavery
fuence here had additional grounds for experimenting
falure-yet. have TO congratulate You our entire
success The Society which instituted the
ultra in their Anti Slavery sentiments they of wha,
i. called omelimes descrptively sometimes reproach
fully the Garrisonian School. But have invited all
schools Of Anti Slavery to be represented and they have
been, TO good extent. We propose to continue the
,hsl be one of the peculiar Institutions Of New York.
Laughter ard loud applause II any of you here pre-
sent ready to be baptized and bear the in this
cause Recording Secretary viii be ready to receive
your at the close Of this lecture and we shall be
happy of such cooperation as any among you shall be
ready to afford. lApplau'e
Tie speaker for the evening, RALFH WALDO EMERSON
Of Boston wa then introduced and amid the undivided
tention of The vast audience spoke as follows
FELLOW CITIZENS: do not often speak public ques
tons They are often odous and hurful and
Ike meddpg and leaving Of work peculiar 10 the scholar
have many spirits imprisoned spirits in deeper prisons
whom no man visits if do not and see what havoc it
makes With any good mind this disspaed philanthropy.
The one thing be forgiven to intellectual persons is
rot 10 know their own tasks take their ideas from 9th
er From thi.wan Of manly rest in their and fool
sh Acceptance Of other people, wachwords comes mbe
cility and fatigue for they cannot affirm this from any
original experience and Of not with the natural
mind and their whole power and talent come only from
their cramIed position of standing in their teacher sshoes
They say what they would have you believe but what they
do not cutie know Hy habtua view lie confined the
wei being students and scholars and only when
public event affects them that il seriously affects me.
Every man speaks class whom he works with or more
or less fly represents Ii is to these that
le,s engaged. And yet when | say, the class
of students and scholars, that is class which in
some sort comprises all mankind; comprises every
man and the nObl.s hours of his life, and, in these
days not only virtually but actually For who are the
readers and thinkers Of 1854 Owing 20 the silent
revolution which the newspaper has wrought this class
hes come in this country has to take in all classes
Look into the morning IRAN w9e d IRON eEe no
his counting room With them enters the the small
news bry, the humble priest of philosophy and religion
az upfcds lis magical sheets Two cents head his
breed of knowledge coss-and instantly the entire rec
tansuar assembly fesh from their breakfast are bending
as one msn for their second breakfast There ia no doubt
chaf enough caught ard packed in these sheets Of lore
Now gentlemen have lived all my life without suffering
any known inconvenience from American Slavery
neversaw it. except glimpse of caught in youth
in Florida AM Carolina but to little purpose then never
heard the whip and felt the check upon free
tIeech and action until four years ago. when Mr. Web
ster. by his personal influence brought the Fugitive
Slave law on this country. | say Mr.. Webster-though
tie bill hs yet is notorious that he was the
life and soul of it, lie gave it ali the aid he could and
eos. him bis life at last and under the shadow of his
great name all inferior sheltered themselves say IN
ferior men-they Of all sorts accomplished men men
OF eloquent speech-from the President of tho United
aes down 10 all without self respect and without
character and it strange to see age and rehnement
and wealth and talent and even repute for honesty coun,
for nothing with them They had no memory for what
they had been saying like the Lords Prayer all their lite
They lily looked for what he did and II he stood
on bis head they did In ordinary the supposed sense
of their District or State is their practical guide in this
country and il keeps inclined t. liberty and Justice
but It is always little difficult to decpher what this sense
und whena great man comes II Is 80 hucu easier 70
follow him Is exponent OF this supposed sense. be
sides be responsible and they will not be Ii will al
WAYS suffice to say, Il viii follow him. Gentlemen,
say them plainly that the great show theI legninate
power in nothing more than their power to misguide
That great man. deservedy esteemed and admired Tor ms
powers and their general right direction was able through
The fault of the total want of stamina in the public TO
carry al men with him, to carry parties WIN MN lha
crisis showed much. IL ended great deal OF nonsense
had been accustomed to hear and repeated on me ia
of February the 10Th of April the 18th OF June ana the
an Of july 1t showed what regulations are made o.
what straws we dignity by office and tile, and how com
petent they are 10 give counsel ana neP te Jay ~
dyersepce OF parties from their alleged ground and that
men would not stick to what they had said, and that res
olutons of public bodies and resolutions never so often
put upon record by public men, viii not bnd Inc act
comes plainly out that men are not 30 bound To the gh
but BY prOclyy of constitution blood and temperament
on that side Now, gentlemen, in what have to say
of that eminent man, be very sure do not confound
him with vulgar politicians Of has own time or since
There il always base ambition enough and mean enough
TO calculate upon the immense ignorance OF the masses
That their quarry and farm They use the eonstitu'
ences at home only for their shoes and OF course
such men can drive from the contest any honorable
man The low best win the low, aud all men Ike 10
he made much Of There are men. too VINO nave power
and inspiration only do ILL., Their talent or their fac.
uy deserts them when they undertake to do anything
right Not such a man was Mr. Webster He had nat
ura eScenctLcy OF aspect ana carriage Whch uishh-
oui,hed him over his contemporaries Ills countenance,
H. figure his manners al in so grand style that ne
was without effort superior To- his most eminent rivals
they 10 the humb.es 50 thai his ARRIVAL IN any
rsce this country drew crowds of people who went TO
satisfy their eyes who could not see him enough think
they looked Of him the native American does-he was
there in his adamic capacity lie dd not dsapPOin me
eve nor ear lie a ft figure in the landscape. re
member his appearance at Bunker Bill There was the
monument and here was Webster. He knew well that
little less Of rhetoric sgnined nothing he was
only 70 say grend things be had them not then 70
abstain from saying unfit things. 1t was place for De
havior much more than speech and Webster walked
through his part with entire success The perfection OF as
eoc.iion and all that thereto belongs-aceent attitude
manner We shall not soon find again Then ne was 50 thor
oughly simple and wise in bis rhetoric he saw through
hi. matter Rugged bin fact close though be knew how TO
make such sIordiums and perorations az would no en-
barres. hi. march or confound his transitions We saw
them In order as they were Though he knew very well
on occasion how to present his personal claims YET
in bis argument be was lnselectus and KEPT hs lac. osc
Of personality so that his splendid wrath, when ns eyes
became lamps the wrath Of the cause he stood 10,
His power not in excellen, parts but was totally d
rept lie had great and everywhere equal pr0prle'y
He worked with that eloseness II adhesion to the matter
In hand which joiner and had the same quiet ntns
of place that an oak mountain might have. AFTER all
there remained that perfect Profrety 50 tnat bis oeaut
Of detail we're endless He seemed born for Ae bar born
for the Senate lie took naturally very large part IN
private and public Affairs for his head distributed thing,
in their right places and what he sew 20 ven ne