Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-02-14

The subject OF Mr.. WaSsons lecture before the
Lyceum on Thursday evening, was, The New
World and the New Man" 1t was powerful
and brilliant statement of the position and Office
Of this nation in the history of humanity.
He began by a sketch of the circumstances Of
the discovery of this country, laying down the
maxim: Humanity is served out of all proper
tion to the intention of service The Spanish
discoverers thought they had discovered new
world to fllther pockets, enrich the empire and
the Pope; they saw in America only mine, and
abarn, and cornucopia of slaves" Down to
l776, the whole European world still thought Of
America as mere transplantation of Europe
But was it worth the pains of discovery merely
that the new continent might explode Spain,
give England cotton field, Ireland hospital,
and Africa hell y
The lecture was crowded with such brilliant
condensations Of thoughts as this. twas full Of
keen scinullations and delicate incisions, For
instance =
Why merely transplant Europe? An English
man is a good thing, but are not twenty million
copies of him sufficient Let US have something
of our own. as
The only use of ioars is 70 publish fact in
type that every one can read. Cast your metal
into bullets, and all the world comprehends it,
The war before Sebastopol was merely handbill
/ or poster, saying to Russia in large capitals -:
+" Turkey is not yours" The American Revolu-
tionwas only similar handful, announcing that
henceforth New World had begun. These are
however, terribly costly editions, and the type is
bad.
lie ;s al,ys,. daDca.o,,s an - :. toI3 XUbor
afal'ehood gets thoroughly stated it is soon re-
futed by facts, and becomes harmless,
Laws not necessary are great deal worse than
unnecessary.
There was fine statement of the moral i'm
portance Of riUsrs to nation and facts from
physical geography cited. England and America
ore full Of nayigabe rvers-Africa has none but
the Nile.l drivers are the doors and windows
by which men can look or go outside of their own
house. They are the hospitality of the nation,
saying to all the world, g Walk in"
| Weathercocks always changing. But the
high currents Of the air are constant The test Of
great man is, Does he belong to the lover cur
rent or the higher Or, again, is the difference
between the surface ice, which drifts before the
wind and the great bergs to which Dr. K ane made
| fast, which often went against the wind, moved
by deeper currents. TThe lecturer afterwards paid
fine tribute to DR.. Kane, calling him Hercules
! and orpheus in one, combining the sentiment of
poet with twice the physical endurance of a
gladiator.']
/ Unless the sentiment Of liberty grows deeper in
individual minds rapidly as its area is extend
| ed, the nation will break down by its own weight
The greatest merit Of Americans is that insati.
1 able curiosity with which we are repIoached.
Carlyle says it makes us a nation OF bores. Very
| likely. But our English ancestors were nation
! Of pirates; and when we see how much good has
come from race whose business it was to take
men by the throat, we can pardon the milder Of
fence of taking them by the button.
The main art Of life is SO to arrange your work,
as TO refresh your own powers while you are using
\ them. safs ~
4 There sremen who give away all their faculties
to different forms and institutions at the begin
ming Of life as rich men give them their property
at the end Of lile.1 These post norten men are
more dangerous than hypocrites, because they be
ieve in themselves. avn WHr7
/ The American mind appfopriates to itself the
accpmulatedexperience of the old world, and will
translate il into new ideas of life. Emerson dis
solves England, and makes it thought.
Lyell says that in America, Of all countries,
the primitive rock lies nearest the surface, with
rich stratum Of soil Immediately above it The
granite, kneqded 4oith earthquake kn,'ckIes lies
directly below our farms.
i The American mind combines sight and Insight
1 "a very rae combination. The danger Of our
nervous temperament IS however, that it ex.
haasts itself and expires amid its triumphs,
Kane, the hero Of two Arctic seasons. cannot
now winter in England, and it is doubtful il be
can even winter in Cuba.
i Our chief need, therefore, is health. Panurge,
in " Rabelais," terrified during shpwreck, ex-
claims " Oh, that were on land, and somebody
was kicking me-" Many man Of genius might
exrlaim, "oh, that were healthy, and half d
fooii"
Intellect in weak body is like gold in spent
swimmers pocket--the richer be would be under
other circumstances, the greater his danger now.
Silence Is better than words, unless the words
compel their own utterance. Sidney Smith SAID
Of Macauiay's conversation, that it wanted moths
ing but few brilliant flashes ,Of silence. What