Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-02-02

Rev. Is. II. Brooke, Georgetown, ID. T..
In the Baltimore Republican of July 10th,
there is published brief review of an able, in
structive, and highly classical lecture, on the
g Aims and Motives Of intellectual Culture" dey-
cred by this gentleman, before the Excelsior Lit
erary Institute Of Baltimore the evening of the
28th of February.
The Republican having very limited circu-
ation in the District, propose to reproduce the
article in your valuable paper, believing that it
would be gratifying to his numerous friends, not
withstandng the notice is entirely too limited to
do justice to so happy effort, Of the talented
lecturer ANGUS.
LEcTURE-The Rev. b. T. Brooke, Of George
town, ID. c. lectured before the Excelsior Literary
Institute last evening" upon the Aims and Mo-
tives Of Intellectual Culture" There was not a
large attendance, as there another lecture and
grand concert given under the same roof at the
same time. But those who had the fortune to hear
the lecture were highly gratited and instructed.
The lecturer commenced by deprecating the
prevalence among US of the idea that education
must be systematized, he conceiyng that no regu-
lar system would result in superior excellence.
The mind, subtle as ether noseess as gravitation,
tender as young leaf yet strong as iron oak, firm
as adamant, yet subject to the uncertainty OF a
within is too paradoxical in its attributes to be
strained by, or put into the straight.jacket Of a
monotonous and unchanging system.
He then proceeded TO the character of our ma
tional intellectual culture and animadverted for
time upon the rage for utilitarianism and matters
of practical usefulness only. Intellectual culture
III this country has for its end only fame money.
Books are written not to Instruct so much as TO
accumulate gold; and that work is the highest in
| the public estimation which runs to the fiftieth
4 and vhf 4pF NH Ia onll
| thousands.
The lecturer apologized for our rational literary
culture by saying that we are yet young nation.
We are yet telling trees and digging canals. New
States are being made every few years. Our col
leges are young, our libraries small. Moreover,
there has been no national patronage as in Euro
pean States. If an Engshman desires to write
the history of Rome, he is sent there as ambassa-
dor; Dane that of the Sacred Land, he is sent to
Smyrna as the Danish Consul; and this advantage
| is not all.
Berlin University has library of 800, 900 vol
umes, and 1000 students, who are supported al
the national expense; Vienna, with 100000 vol
umes, has 10000 students Paris, $4,000 vol
umes, and 10000 academicans; and Oxford has
1000 students and 100000 volumes. In our own
land, Harvard has 10000 volumes, the largest
library on the continent, and 800 students classic
Yale, $4,000 volumes, and $50 students, and these
the oldest and best colleges in the land. Surely,
we cannot be expected to compete with those
whose universities are centuries old, and whose
Accommodations of lore include the gleanings and
gatherings of ages
The true aim and motive of intellectual culture
should be truth, and that only. 1t is this conser
vative end that should be the ultimate object o.
ALL and without this is so, all is vanity and produc
tive of evil The French literature of the present
day was living witness of the evils consequent
upon the opposite Of this proposition, and was Be
verely handled by Mr.. Brooke. But, without re
ferring to general instances ne would particularze
its melancholy effect in individual cases. Byron
and Shelley were the persons sought, and in the
most beautiful and heightened language, the lee
turer dwelt upon their character-their transcend
ent genus--the power they had either for evil OF
good, and amented the evil results consequent
their atheism and disregard of all that truthful
in nature and God, drawing powerful contrast
between these, and what might have been in the
other case.
The lecturer was vehemently applauded, and
deservedly so, and we may add, that better one
we rarely if ever listened to. Our space forbids
any further notice, but we must say it abounded
| in passages of great beauty and force.