The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-06-12
III I S Q Is z u q ~ EWW8
From, the Noble Regiytcr.
MAYOR WooD-LECTUREs.

STed't ny tue nrnneSs, energy ana saS:lcIty
with which he has discharged the duties oil
that Office, has been lccturing in Richmond
Virginia. We doubt very much whether
Mr.. Wood will do more than 10 add a little
peraancy to his laurcls by thus turning
aside from his arduous and absorbing voca.
ton to that of peripatctic philosopher
Professor Wood will not instruct and edify
mankind half SO much as Mayor Wood
1ke lccturing system has already been
grossly abused at the North. Judiciously
employed, it is good thing-an excellent
method of irnpartiug certain degree OF
useful knowledge on popular Subjects and
on those out of the beaten path, but OF
practical utility. When, however, the bus
mess of philosophizing is taken up by any
body and everybody, and becomes, as it is
already among our Northern cousins, me-
dium for conveying to the laLorng classes
every species of cruJity in morals, legisIa-
ton, politics, philosophy and religion, it
ought rather be discouraged than approved
by all sobcr-mindcd men. Not that Mayor
Wood may not have great deal to say
that is worth hearing, but we are quite sure
he has great deal more to do that is worth
doing.
The lecturing system, too, has fallen into
the hands Of the politivians-by whom, if
not already abused and perverted, it is sure
to be in the end. The usage, at present,
appears to be this: Wien Il small poli,i-
cian begins to attract attention in lis OWL
little bailwick and snut!s fame or office in
the distance, and is not contcut to wait with
becoming patience for the public to find out
whether he he great man or not, he forth
with fishes for All invitation to "Lccturc''
somewhere-and is, Of course, invited
Some friendly newspaper rronounces the
performances brilliant, eruditc, protoum1,
thrilting," dc, &c. This leads to series
Of rcpc'itiohs, and very soon to !, wide
spread rcpu'a,ion-(a prophet has arisen in
Israel )-followcd by aspirations, Oh the
part Of the little man, for the I'rcsidency
and finally to his run-Eor, in tic end
those two instructive old stories Of "tl.e OK
and the frog" aud of that " untoriunutc
monkey" who ,couM climb the pole against
the remonstrances of his best friends, holds
good in regard to these pcripatctic phiIoso-
pliers as to all others who seek distinction
they are unable to earn.
Indeed, this rage for lectuyiug seems to
have seized all classes and professions ut the
North, and while it has, Of course, done
much good, it has done, we fear, quite us
much harm. 1t has occn the generator
and prompter of many, if not most Of the
isms" i'll the New England States, and
has done much to confuse aud bcwil-
der the popular mind, especially OH tie sub
jjec.s Of morals, metaphysics and religion.
In Massachusetts, it has inprcgnatcd the
intellect Of the whole State with transcend
cntaitsna- which, as it is usually taught, is
but another name for the abandonment of
sommon sense and the substitution of a
dreamy indulgence in vague and aim
less sentimentalism. Take Mr.. Waldo En-
crson as III extreme illustrator Of his class.
That gentleman has been preaching " Puu-
Meism" (another name for -1Mcism) in Lee
lures and Essays for the last ten or twelve
years. We have read everything lie has
written, and with vast deal Of admiration
and reverence for his genius, and yet we
are constrained to acknowledge that, with
scarce an exception, we understood every
subject on which he has cssaycd to enlight-
en- mankind better before than after we had
imbibed at the sparkling, exhiIerating, but
alas 7! confusing, fountain OF Mr.. Elnerson's
wisdom. Often there are CLEANS of COM
mon sense "a true diamond lustre) which
derive additional worth and briliancy more
ly from shining forth from surrounding
darkness. Half dozen such men accepted
rs guides and instructors, would lead n
whole generation into fog of doubt and
perpiexity on every conceivable subject, will,
nothing to follow but jack o'lanterns OF
dreams and speculations.
True, very few Of the class understand
50 well and practice SO successfully tile phi
losopby Of confusion and oIscuri.y-but
the; number is very considerable who are
capable Of doing much mischief of the
Same kind.
Now, these things are well enough ii,
.heir way and in their place. There arc
many subjects on which we can do little
more than speculate, dream and conjecture
and these speculatiops, dreams and conjec
cures, induIged in for what they arc worth
are useful, and in a certain sense edifyinq
.Sha Instructive. But subjects Of this kind
esnd :shes estrspsceutlental mode of teaching
them, borrowed from the German Meta
phyisiaassapd employed by Mr.. Emerson
and some Of his New England cotempora
- I.o o. ~x,,l,, Eo. {ho cIneat - ILL.,