Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-06
MI. Mitohal,f Aodl,ta.

The address delivered before the Literary So
cieties Of the University. by Mr.. Mitchell, on the
2eh ult. has already app AIRED in print. 1t is of
conmendable bresity. and instead Of giving ex-
tracts az we had ini.nCed, we shull lay it before
our reudrrs in full in our next.
Ii is no common place sophomore, production.
1t d, serves and ind, ed requires, an attentive p
rusal AID profound consideration. In point of
ability, it Is mmcasurubly superior IN the puer
speech he delivered nj the dinner given To him in
Richmond. the lust If his productions that met
our eye. From this specimen Of hie oratory,
confess our antcipntions OF his effort at the Uni
yers.ty were very moderate. We hayc been n
greeably disappointed. lie has redeemed his
reputation. lie address before US il rcdolcn' OF
scholarship and genius. II is characterized by
great boldness oi Il &C uaton. Mr. Mitchell is
evid 'ntly man who has the moral courage 10
think for himself and utter his own thoughts.
The style is graceful and flexible, fire.. from in
Hation, not overlaid with figures of speech, and
Astounding in sparkling antiih,sis. Whilst, in the
easy flow and natu al sequence of sentiment and
disquistion the discourse seems the W prcmedi-
tated outgushing of momeniary excitement, il is
evidently the result of mature thought and care
full elaboration. 1t bears in every paragraph the
impress Of that artistic finish abounds Ia those
curious felic ties of expression which--excepi in
rare instances If the highest poetic insliruiion--
preclude the idea of extemporlneoas produc-
tion. Mr. Mitchell owed il to his own reputa-
ton,to he OCCASION and IA the character of his uu-
diencc, not TO present himself en- deShdbHie and
his address shows full sense of his RESPONSE
bility.
With this cordial and unstnted tribute to its
literary merits, would that we could close our no
ticc of This address. But il may not be. We
are bound TO declare that to these artistic merits
is our admiration confined We repudiate his
theory in toto. We believe il false aid noxous,
unsupported by history aud philosophy, and
should think it worthy Of indignant Reproduction,
were it not utterly repugnant 10 popular senti-
ment, as to be rendered comparatively harmless
by is passing an ingenious paradox, assumed
for the purpose of oratorlcal and dialectc display
Not one OF his numerous audience, young or old
the moment the excitation of the eloqucnee OF
ia .ught (of manner Mr.. Mitchell has money
had subsidized, but felt an inward consciousness %
the failacy f his positions, which superseded tn,
necessity of combating them by argument OF
illustration. A follower of Berkeley, featuring
on the non existence of matter, would have stood
as good chance of making Judgment in tn,
minds of his hearers, in favor of his doctrine
What then is this theory which eliciis our ob
icrgationl 1t is described in few words. Mr.
Mitchell denies the pr, gress of mankind, sneer
at civilization and lauds what called the darl
ages. He even more than doubts whether Their
has been progress in the natural sciences, and il
the useful and ornamental arts. and fancies y
sees. in the inrtamorphoses of o, id, the adumbra
ton Of the Astronomical system of Copern;cu.
and the geology of Sir Charles Lyell He con
tends that human progress is like the motion G
the earth. in cyclod--that evary nation or SO
cieiy Of men has lis rise. progress and fall-tha
If one advances. another retr"grades-that if
be admitted '.mail, the individual, may aud can al
vance, by high culture, by self denial and heroi
energy, aud faith to the loftiest heights Of hu