New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-14
Elem 0rIeans 9aiLp Crsstsnt.
The Lecture Of Hon. George D. PremtIce.

The Impatlently anticipated lecture Oh hon IeoISt
D, Prentice upon I" the Present Aspect and Tendency
Of American Politics y was delivered at Lyceum Hall
last evening the frequent Interruptions Of the speaker
by demonstrations Of applause Indicating how heart
lily the auditory were with him. He begged his hear.
ers to consider that he before them to discuss
his subject dyesed of the sentiments of the partisan,
as he was, and asked that they, too, would assume
like position in listening to his remarks.
Quoting Burke, he said that men are fifty years be-
hind the current politics Of their day. and he proposed
to oyertake them if possible and endeavOr to under
stand now the tendencies which would be illustrated
by their results in the future. He considered the as
poets OF these tempestuous political times most por-
tent Of evil, endaugering the stability of the Union
and threatening the country with the fire and sword
of ancarchy and to explain the causes to which these
troubles might be imputed he proposed to go back
to first principles, which were the threefold condi
tions OF permanent political system, viz The ma
ture OF the education Of the youth of country the
Intensity Of the sentiment Of loyalty and the pervad
ing strength of the governing influence of nationality.
Under the first head the nsubordinate, reckless and
restless spirit in which youth we're permitted to grow
up, the Young America spirit Of defiance of social
laws and proprieties were commented upon as those
defects Of education which unfit the matured man for
being an order loving conservative citizen. They
we're not taught the nobility Of sacrificing anything
personal to national social welfare the tendency
Of their rearing up to put self before patriotism
and render them wofully poor in public spirit and
wo'ully rich in private.
Under the second head the lecturer spoke of the
deficiency of the spirit Of loyalty and allegiance to
government. Those jealous Of existing magistrates
were likely soon to become jealous Of the magistracys
majority Of the people were already the avowed
enemies of the Constitution. Pulpit and Press with
all theirp powers of influence assaied the Government
During the late Presidential canvass the spirit Of fac
ton grew asolutely wild, and the very atmosphere
was black with curses of the Union ITSELF this feel
ing had not since subsided, and condemnation of the
Union had passed into a fixed element of American
politics, an enmity which assailed the fundamental
principles Of government and caused it to totter at
| its base.
Thirdly the speaker referred to the lack Of
strong, active feeling of nationality. One section of
the country arraEed against another as if they
were hostile powers, and even the halls of Congress
were the august in which their representatives
met and battled. All the energies of the pulpit the
law and the press were devoted to creating ifeeng
between different portions, and weakening the bind
ing power of the feeling of nationality We were not
people, but jarrng congeners of people. The ele-
meuts Of union vitiated OR suborned by parties.
| Christianity was prostituted to faction; the temple
| Of Delphi did more to preserve union among the
States of Greece than do thousand pulpts for its
| encouragement in America. The lecturer denounced
disunon actionists unsparingy, showing favorneher
| to ire.eater nor freesoiler.
Ii the people would reform these anarchical abuses
at all they must reform themselves and the only way
that is to be achieved is by asCertanng the causes of
dssensions and then remedying them. They were
chiefly the fruit Of the degeneracy Of the public
who lead the Masses raising the outCres which they
chorus and the popular idea OF national inVnCibty
caused by the enormous physical successes which
have attended the growth of the nation Great pros.
perity is apt to beget pride and arrogance and to
stimulate restless ambition in individuals of which
nations are aggregates and liable to like Influences
Our greatness had become almost as formidable to
ourselves as to Others position perilous and
sublime; we were in danger Of falling apart from the
sheer weight of our own magnificent thrift. The
cowuptng Influences of prosperity were at work sap
ping our stability.
The grand resource against national corruption is
craftsmanship but of statesmen we have nOne-the
bare strength of institutions is all that is left
bind US together The race of giants of statesman.
ship is extinct-CIay, Webster, and jackson are in
their graves The lecturer here paid beautiful
tribute the greatness of the statesmen Of the early
days of the Republic There were no statesmen now;
their places were supplied by able and accomplished
politicians men who would either sacrifice public
good to personal interest, by feeble opposition were
only less dangerous than their opponents. Three
fourths of the " statesmen were reckless dema-
gogues, and the remainder were amateur politicians
and between them they were responsible for the
dton Of the country.
Atrocious seishness or lack Of moral courage were
their characteristics their idea of civil liberty, the
power Of attaining public office; to the attainment
of place they would sacrifice everything not only the
small item Of their self respect, but their country
with all the pathetic extravaganza of weeping aud
despairing patriotism There was not enough moral
courage in the whole body of politicians to sten an
ordinary upper lip. They displayed their apprecia
ton of the republican principle of the will Of the
majority by being the strong side in every public
outCry; their mission was not to elevate and instruct
the masses but to wheedle and cajoe. In discours
ing of the politician statesmen OF the day. the speaker
poured out the vias of all that singing satire, cut
ting sarcasm, keen wit and polished invectve, fo
which he is noted beyond all living men, in wither
ing philippe which utterly annhated its objects il
the estimation of his hearers, and which we regre
we cannot place before our readers in all its match
less finish OF sparkling rhetoric.
The only hope of the nation was in the rearing 0
generation of men of fresh and uncorupted patri
otism, from which statesmen mightspr who woult
emulate those who have gone before us This must b.
the work Of social and educational influences, for th
result of these would be that sentiments of pure pa
triotsm and moral nerve would be acquired by ndi
vidua conviction. 1t was time, indeed, that the ma
ton should reorganse the fearful import Of the times
and place its interests in more fitting hands.
But our space warns us to close and we unw
lingly leave subject to which we fail TO do Justice
for who can do justice to Prentice, save in his ow
words, unapproachabe as his soaring genius
PLACIDEs YARIETIEs.-Goldsmth great coined
of She Stoops to Conquer is to be repeated at tn
Varieties tonight. We saw it performed there O
Saturday night and must say that we never saw
: comedy in thiseity well acted ras finely put upO
the stage. We can safely promise great treat to a
who go TO see it tonight. Dancing, and George Ho
and in his great protean piece, - Day after tn
Fair, are to be given as asniappe to the comedy.
-p ss
ST. CHARLES THEATER-We had not time to ol
,1,.t rl,EF y,