New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-09
NORTHAMPTON AND ITS ENVLRONS.

To the Editor of The ". Y Tribune.
SIR: Northampton has the reputation of being the
hanesomest village in New England. So wrote a cor
respondent of The Ner- York Observer before | had
known by personal acquaintance anything OF the far
famed beauty of the place. Traditional repute 1t Is
tue does not always give Us juser idea OF places
tian of men. and az TO both is unreliable But at the
present day DO reputation coald long stand agnst the
searching inquiry of travellers. Not even h0mtaf~
would have had iis mysterious renown, had II been
exposed 20 the visitation Of correspondent OF one OF
our daily newspapers. So also traditional injustice
might in other instances have been redressed. mat
unfortunate city from which was derived the Greek
original OF our word Solecsm might have been found
to be an innocent victim OF Attic irony, and to have
been as correct in its dialect as other Armenian COLO
MES had there been then living such explorers oil etan
cal peculiaTlfns as bay sru laJlV' III" ''"''' - '
time. sv.. I'LL
But 10 return 10 or village OF northampton. wiz
not object n what bas been said of it, far as respects
It's beauty Of situation. To the eye oil an afusI per
hsps the view from Northampton "oua % ~ 'sno
inferior 10 what YOU have at Amherst as - "eIo
1dulated in side bill, and thus curtailed y. pros
rect in one direction while at the latter place they y
an open view in every direction.
1T not my purpose however, 10 dwell upon the
natural beauties Of Northampton which have been
set forth often by tourists Northampton is associ-
aed in my mind with higher claims to distinction.
More than one hundred years ago, ll7N-l7jO,l 1t
was the scene OF the pastoral ab0rs OF the greatest
an ong the gifted ministers Of New England. There
have been learned and more eloquent men, per.
baps; some VITO possessed more practical wisdom BY
which last mean worldly r-a1ence or tact which
necessarily implies come sxity OF prlncipie-but in
the power of inducton-the deducing Of conclusions
from given premises, it is now conceded that Mr..
Edwards has had DO equal. Calvin was more learned,
but lees profound in thought Butler might be COM
pared with him in accuracy Of reasoning, but neither
had be the farresching rapge of mind and untiring
qHisiiion of truth in all its relations which was the
distnguishiI trait of Edwards.
never can think Of Edwards without admiration Of
the ebildke simplicity Of mird, and unpretending
manner Of life, which 10 him were combined with
gigantic Intellectual power, Of which he seemed
Conecious, or at leest TO have made preension
account thereof The fact is the striking a. il is
30 ohen seen that greatness Of mind is ellOyed by
vanity that expen6s its energy 10 TIE pursuit Of
power. Tyranny over the minds of other men has
indeed been besetting Elm Of the most eminent OF the
clergy in all ages. Who would suppose, IN reading
the reply Of Edwards to the Trustees OF Pnaceton
College, in witch be speaks of his unhappy constitu-
ton, faced sOiids rapid, si=y and scarce fatds,
and a L0r tide Of spUits often oeedsoniEg Kind Of
Childish reakRess and eoAtemptibLenSss Of speeck
preseHee and GeHean0r" that be was the foremost
man of all The world in intellectual power
Edwards was Lot buried at northampton A slab
has indeed been placed in the village church.yard to
his memory. but his body was inferred at Princeton.
The descendants of the contemporaries of Edwards
in Northampton take pride in his fame but Il il the
pride which Florence has in her great Poet who is
represented by kindred spirit Of our own times az
uttering before hs death an indignant imprecaton
upon bis native city:
20 .he denied ne what WA ains-my roof;
AEd shAll not have whs; Is not hes-my tomb
And yet cannot help feeling some respect for tbo,e
sturdy sons OF New England who maintained the