The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-08
The Seventh OF March.
A LECTURE BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON

last evening at the Tabernacle The name Of the lee
turer-Ralph Waldo Emerson, of observation-disclosures Of
itself sufficient attraction to I'LL the large building with
more than ordinarily numerous audience Long before
the hour appointed for the lecture crowds thronged into
the building and by the time the lecturer made his a
pearance the rostrum almost all the available seats
occupied. At ~ O'Clock Mr. Emerson appeared
upon the platform accompanied by several members Of
the Lecture Committee and received with consider
able applause.
Mr. O JOHNSON the part of the committee inti-
mated that the present would brought to close
by the lecture of the evening He congratulated his anti
slavery friends upon the great which had attend
ed the lectures, forming as il did most agreeable
contrast to the lsuccess which generally followed
courses of lectures in this city He also observed
that the parties who had undertaken the getting
up Of this of anti slavery lectures belonged to
the most ultra wing of the anti-sayery party. They
were what are commonly called ''Garrisonans.o The
party intended to have lectures of the stamp at
future period lie then introduced the lecturer of the
evening, who Was received with much applause.
Mr. EMEisos sad-Feow citizens, do not often speak
to public questions. They are too often odious and
hurtful and II seems like meddling and leaving your
work as scholar have my own spirits imprisoned
spirits iii deeper prison paying visits if do not
and zee what havoc it makes with minds this dis
sirated philanthropy The thing not to be forgotten
by intellectual persons is not TO know their tasks
to take then thoughts from others From this want Of
manly rest IL their own and foolish acceptance of other
peoples watcaords the imbeciity and fatigue OF
Their conyels ton for they cannot form them on any
original experience and Of course not with the nAtnra
movement ana full rover Of their natpre and talent bat
only from their cramped position Of standing in their
teachers shoes. They say what they would have you
believe but what they do not quite know. Ny hum
ble view is to the webeng of students scholars and
it ia only when public events affect them that
they very seriously affect me; and what have
to is to for hs speaks sh msn
or less fully represented. 1t is to those / am
beforehand related and engaged, in this audience
or out of this audience. Yet when the class
of scholars and students-that is class which, in
some sort comprises all mankind, comprises every
in the best hours Of his life and in this day not only virtu
ay but actually for who the orators and thinkers of
1S54Y Owing to the silent revolution which the newspa-
per has wrought this class has come in this country to
take in all CLASSES Lock into the morning trains which
from every suburb carry business into the city, to
their shops counting rooms work yards and warehouses;
With them cn,ers the cart the small newsboy, the hum
BILE priest Of politics, philosophy religion knowledge
ami unfolds his agical sheets. Two cents ahead the
bread Of knowledge costs, and instantly the en-
tire rectangular assembly, fresh from their break.
fast are bending down each to their second
breakfast There is doubt chan enough but there is
fact and wisdom and effort in those sheets to all Now,
gentlemen lhaye lived all my lie without suffering any
known inconvenience from American slavery never
say it. except glimpse Of it saw in my youth in Flo
rda and CaIoiina, but to little purpose then; never
heard the whip felt the check free speech
and action until four years ago, when Mr. Webster, by
his personal influence brought the Fugitive Slave law
on this country say Mr. Webscs for though the bill
soul Of -that he gave 1t all he hadthat II cost him
his life at as-snd under the shadow OF his great name,
ballots for it. and made it law. say inferior men, for
there all sorts OF what may be called brilliant
men accom-, shed mep,--thc President of the
United states Senator'S Of eloquent speechbu all
without self respect without character and it Was
strange to that Office age talent even the rcpute
for honesty all count for nothing. They had no
opinon-no enory for what they had been saying like
the Lords prayer all their lifetime; they we're only
they ismped if he stood upon his head they stood upon
their heads also (Apphuse.) In or.iinary, the sup
posed OF their district and State is their guide and
Il Eeops 10 liberty and Justice but it is always an
action difficult to discover what this public Ia and
when great comes, who unites in himself the
nhon o. follow and him Of AZ 'ss @ sspaSsn
them: besides he is responsible, and they viii not
be; It will always be safe, ! say, 70 follow him;
sh.w their legitimate power IN nothing mere than in
their power to msgude That crisis showed much TO
undo great deal Of nonsense which have been
tened 70 hear repeated the I'D Of December the
leh Of April the 18th OF srue, and the Fourth Of
july i showed wfrt ~ ara made Of It showed
what straws denify by oicc spd title AMI ow
peent the, to counsel and help in the day of trial
It showed The s,alowness of leaders; it showed the di
yergence Of PARTIES fr their alleged grounds it showed
thai will not stick 10 what they have said and that
the resolutions Of public bodies and the pledges
so often given and put on record oi public men, VIII not
you cannot rest any for the defence of truth
who is not constitutionally, BY blood and tempera-
mcnt that side (Applause.) Now, gentlemen
in what have say of that eminent man be very
do not confound him with vulgar politicians of his own
time since. There is always base ambition enough
enough who calculate upon the immense ignorance
Of The masscgthat IL their quarry, and they farm It,
They the constituencies at home only for their
shoes and Of drive out from the contest any
honorable man they best while they know that all
men like to be made much OF. There those too who
have power and inspiration only to do ILL., their talent or
their faculty deserts them when they undertake to do
anything right. Not such man was Mr.. Webster de
had the natural asccndeucy 4 aspect and carriage which
distinguished him over all his contemporaries. His
countenance, his figure, bis manners were all in so
grand a style that he was, without effort, su
peror TO his most eminent rivals, as they we're
to the humbest that his arrival in any
place in this country was an event which drew
crowds OF people, who went to satisfy their eyes and
could not him enough think they locked at him as
the representative of the American continent He
there in bs aiemytic capacity If he alone OF all men
did not disappont the eye aud the car but the finest
figure in the landscape. remember was-and perhaps
many others here present may been-present in that
vast assemblagc at Bunkers HILL There was the monu
ment-ihere was Mr.. Webster. He knew that more OF
less OF rhetoric signhed nothing he only to say
plain and equal things-grand things If he had theu
not not to say unfit things What he had to say II
be said becomingly g i was place for behaviour poT'
tire His wonderful organization the perfection o
bis eocutop and all that thereto beong-yoicc eloqucno
intention, atttude-we will not soon find again. Ther
he Thoroughly simple and wise in his rhetoric; h'
through his matter, hugged his fact as his analysis
went to the essential of IT, and INDUCED in veal
Fourth, though he knew well how to make o
touches that would give magnitude to his harangue with
out embarrassing his march confoundng his transi
tions Though he knew occasions how TO present hi
own personal claims yet in his argument careful t
keen his facts pure from all personalities tha
his tplendid wrath when bis eyes became lamps, wa
the wrath Of the cause and fact he stood His powe
was that Of the old Greek masters-i not in excel
lent parts but totel He worked with the knowledg
OF The adaptation Of narts spchp that which the jone
or chemist use, with feeling Of right to his place,
the mopntain the oak might have. After all hi
talents have been described there remained that pro
,sA,v which animated the action Of the speech with h
character Of tho s,olc, ha. his beauties Of detail
were endless lie seemed born m the bar saa he Senate
and took very naturally leading part in large .t,yat,
and public affairs for his head distributed things In the
right place and what he well he compelled Other
people TO see also All great is the privilege Of eoquence
What gratitude does every human being feel TO him who
fpeks well for the right who translates truth into Ian
grage natural plain and cear The history this
try has unfortunately given disastrous importance to
The defects OF this great mans mind. Whether from
evil influence aud the corruption OF politics. whether
from original inirmiiy, il was the misfortune Of
this country that with his large understanding
he had not what Is better than intellect and the
essential source Of itself 1t is the Office of the moral
nature to give sanity and right direction to the
mndtc give centraty and unity II was for this rea-
sonit for his defect moral perccptions-for the
inequality py say of his moral TO his intellectual ia.