Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-08-07

| some OF the remarkable differences between
the German mind and the Romantic, to
show why the spiritual religion of Protest
antism found more natural home in the
former, and in nations of kindred charac-
ter, while the formal religion of the Romish
church moro easily prevailed in the latter
There is manifest progress of tho hui
man race towards a religious unity. The
spirit of Professionalism is already powerful
even in the minds of many master spirits
which belong to the Romish church. They
already say the Church must be divorced
from State, to which in Europe she has been
80 long united-sho must rest her support on
the truth alone, as the free investigations of
all men shall find it to be. To search for the
truth to love and to obey it, Is the duty of
every man - of the scholar especially-
| Much is SAID in our days about reform. The
scholar should always be relormcr. The
| power OF a man for good to his fellow men
must grow out of his moral
convictions. If one does not love
right and hate wrong-if he has not mar
| tyrs spirit within him when truth is to be
sustained, he is nothing. Luther had this.
Erasmus had it not. Luther saw the truth
and obcycd it, Erasmus saw the truth but
had not courage to breast its opposcrs. lie
was 4 literary coward.
We have given but very brief sketch of
Prof Fishers discourse for want of room
emitting all allusion to many points CON
tanned in it. The discourse was scholastic
and able, though perhaps it aimed to cover
too much ground for discourse of no
greater length.
L. ANNiHERsARr OF The LITERARY SOCIETIES.
The celebration Of the Literary Societies
On Tuesday afternoon, was one which gave
great pleasure to all who attended it. The
Grafton was delivered by Prof Epson of
Hamilton College. 1t was a discourse of
great beauty of thought and felicity Of
expression, and animated throughout by
the most genial and hearty feeling. The
speaker cited COleridge's definition of GEM
US, and took that which he gives as its un-
failing moral accompaniment, viz. the car
rying forward into the strength and firm
ness of manhood, the spirit and feelings of
the child, as the subject of his discourse; a
subject for the introduction of which, he
said, no apology was needed, for there is in
every ones mind the image of some little
child, some little boy just beginning to en-
Irvine himself in our affections, or some one
already numbered among the lost. The
discourse spoke first of sincerity, which is
a characteristic of childhood, and which is
essential to a clear and unobstructed use of
the percoptivc faculties for sincere mind
will see mere clearly because it does not
see double, and essential also to reflection
t. secure an unbiased judgement. And fur
Their 1T is essential to self respect. for with
out 1t the man will be continually striving
to deceive himself and he disguised with
himself by his continual failure to do SO
and not only does II man fail to deceive him
sell, but he cannot succeed IN deceiving
others. lie cannot be successful man
Shakspeare dared not make lago success.
full with ali his intellect and the facts dem
onstrate what fiction has proved. Com.
pare lallcyrand with Webster even for
success.
The speaker then spoke of gentleness and
humility as especially characteristic of
child hood. and instancel the gentleness of
many of our most scientific men
Humility joined with reverence most
expands tie powers Of man or OF
nations, and our nation, he thought,
though said to have no reverence at all Ger
talnly had its origin in reverential people
and even now we We're able to reverence alb
structons, the Office and not the office holder.
the law and not the judge. And gentleness
is not incompatible with force, although
that is the general impression; and as in
stances Of this, he spoke briefly of DR.. Kane.
Of Luther, Of Chalmers, OF John Foster, OF
DR.. johnson, whom every one calls bear,
yet who used to put pennies into the hands
OF sleeping children that they might be glad
when they awoke, and of whom Goldsmith
said that he had nothing Of the bear but his
skin. Simple force, he said. never gains its
object, it moves in straight lines while oin
ed with gcntleness it acts in a curve, which
is Tie line of strength as well as of beatty.
The last characteristics Of which he spoke
were chcerlulness and hunor 1t Is said
that Washington never smiled, but his
cUunteuancc IN the lloudon statue expresses
confident trust in God. lie must have
been cheerful MAINLAND as Fuller re-
marks, ian ounce Of mrth is better than a |
pound Of sadness to serve God with. "
The address closed by giving some means
OF preserving the characteristics Of child |
hood, by not being ashamed Of the express
sion of our feelings, 10y cultIyating them, by |
familiarity with nature, and above all by |
being Christians
We have given hut most imperfect |
synopsis Of the discoursc. 1t was enliyened |
Throughout by harry illustrations and al
lusions, 10y delicious expressions and by |
passages Of great beauty. And we must
say word OF the manner in which it was |
delivered, as in beautiful harmony with |
the tone of the discourse. We think that |
the delivery of Lpngiellows beautiful lit |
tie poem to Agassiz upon his birthday,
which wac introduced in an allusion to
Ag4ssi1 as one who specially preserved the
chlldlike spirit, will be long remembered
and dwelt upon with peculiar pleasure by
all who heard It,
The poem, which followed the oratiln of
ltot. tyson, delivered by Rev, f. lligbee
Of Bcthel,wus briol narrative Of the mar.
lyrdom OF Christian maiden, suggested
by an ertaph in the Catacombs of Rome
1t seemed 10 as that it would read better
than 1t FOUNDED, as the speaker dropped
his voice at the end Of sentences So as to
make 1t difficult to understand what he
sand, at least where We ycr, sitting TIe