The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-22
REV. JOHN McCRONIS LECTURE


Il O'clock N.
REV. JOHN McCRON'S LECTURE.
The fourth lecture of the course before the Maryland
Institute delivered last evening by the Rev John
McCron the subject selected for his discourse being
THE sameness Of Man in all Ages The lecturer opened
by remarkng that
The opinion is extensively prevalent that antiquity
bears the same comparative relationship the nineteenth
century that land when first trodden bv the nil
prms footsteps bears to the brilliant galaxy of indepen
dent commonweaths that compose glorious confede
racy The lecturer here drew picture of the past and
present OF this country showing the disparity be-
tween its condition. when sachems were its soveregns
ana revenge It's most authoritative law and its present
harmones, refinement and luXuries and its beautiful
facilities for commercial scientific social and equ
table intercourse.
If do not believe that nature rose by transfer
nations from the monad to the man. going
onward to more than seraphic grandeur in maeriasm
We cannot deny that the popular opinion is that our
nature IS nober than in any Of the generations of the
olden time.
The lecturer dissented from this opinion as the cbra
TED CuVer disSented from the definition given by the
French Academcians that crab is little red fish that
walks backwards The dissent of Cuvier being that crab
is not fish, it not red and does walk backwards
lie stated ms proposition, that human nature is not
progressive in its generations but is all
1t not denied said he that the century has
oufstrpped every other in scientific and mechanical in
VenonS. 1t Is glorious age, when promehean hands
have framed water into the body and put it as
the SOUL in the creation Of that mysterious agent dcnom
mated steam, which promises almost repeal that legal
maedction which trod upon the heels of primal trans
gresSOn description was here given of some of the
mechanical and scientific inventions and achievements of
the age The telegraph and the printing press were
brought into conspicuous notice But the grand supe
rlory OF the present antiquity is that of position
as from the heights of modern times can gaze upon
the history of past achievements and profit by the nyen
tons of antiquity This illustrated by description
OF traveller the COrdleras Many of our discover
les are the forgotten inventions of antiquity when with
few mechanical assstauces the ancents proved their
muscular power and high intellectually. The splendid
conquests of Washington with handful Of half
starved men, astonished the world Hannibal, when
he crossed the Alps, performed deed equal to that
or Napoleon in the construction of the Simpon road
The prevailing opinion may part cf existence
to the teachings nature and of history as the vegea
table and animal kingdoms and the empires
to form the hypothesis But there period when
our nature savage, it must have continued
the same cndtOn for savagesm never throw overts
own form the garments of civilization and refinement
Degradation is easy illustrated in the history of As
syria and Egypt, whose present populations in the
same condition as their cities and temples If the itera
ture and arts which have rapine of DESTROY
ing time credible witnesses the intellect antiquity
was equa TO the present sketch of ancient structures
and manufactures, with the difficulties growing out of
the absence of modern mechanical appliances was given
III uetal the literature and hne arts of antiquity
compared with those Of the present age. The fact was
conceded that few gifted minds always the ruling
sprs as the present Empress the French controls
size style color and material of the apparel by
proudest of our countys bellies The science antiquity
compares avoraby with that of the present and some of
the most important truths of the solar system were taught
IN the universities of Egypt the self truths that
revived by Copernicus after lapse of 600 vears and
subsequently demonstrated by Newton
The present age needs the disparagement of an
tquity to brighten its own fame; and much of the rdi
cue cast upon the ancient philosophers is altogether
gratutous. The most brilliant epoch ancient times
was in the history of Greece whose remaining litera
ture is still one of the finest portions libraries
present. while her dramas peculiarly elevated in sen
tment and chaSte in illustration But the finest poem
OF antiquity written the tablet of the Acropolis
and bore the appeilaton of the Parhenon its leaves
white as falling snowfakes and its sentiment like an
angels dream From these considerations inference
is legitimate that man though increased in knowledge is
not improved in faculty, have yet even in
electric age surpassed the ancient Greeks in the percep-
ton of the beautiful in the ability reprod it
The lecturer avoided audng to the Scriptures because
inspiration might be alleged the their trans
cendan superiority and yet the literature of inspiration
must ever mark the character of the intellect through
which it developed Our nature must advance until
it rivals the angelic not by inheritance but by ndi-
Vldual souls aspiration after the child God
And this mortal must put immortality before our ma
ture will stand equality with the cherubim and
seraphim.
LORD CARLISLE ON AMERICAN INsrITUTIoNs-The
other evening the Right Hon. the Earl of Carlisle
read his printed lecture his 'Travels in Ameri-
ca, before the members Of the Hull Literary and
Philosophical Society. In acknowledging the vote
OF thanks which was accorded him at the close his
Lordship said With respect to the subject of the
lecture that have had the honor and qualification
of reading to you, l. in the outset of the evening
intimated that thought it would be more consist
ent, both with fairness and strict historical accura-
cy, that should not mix the impressions which
had derived on the spot, and at the time, with anv
further ones which | might have imbibed from
anything that has reached me in the succeeding
interval.
Now, however, that 1 am not speaking from the
book or from the printed page, but to living men
and women, and in reference to the actual hour |
must permit myself to say that almost everything
that have heard or read concerning the United
States since the period ofmy visit has not, on the
whole, tended to an increase of my admiration of
their public proceedings or to move favorable and
sanguine anticipations of their coming destny-
On the contrary, cannot but feel that many of the
failures and draw backs at which venture to hint
have come out, as time wears on, with greater re-
quency and with deeper shade. The pickering ami
mostly of classes; the jealousy and hatred of the re-
spectve geographical divisions the spirit of polit
cal selt-seeking and corruption; the looseness and
dishonesty of commercial operations; the high
handed ruanism of the outlying districts; the lust
of territorial aggrandizement; the disincnation of
the more polished, refined and upright portion of
the citizens to take any prominent part in public
affairs the absence of fair pay in the deliberations
of the Congress, and of dignity and independence
on the judicial bench; but above ALL the intensity
and ferocity which gather round every face on the
portentous question of Slavery, appear to me to
have assumed more terrifying, increasing and men
acing proportions.
In such state of things | certainly cannot feel
more inclined to see my countrvmen exchange
the form of government, the institutions or the
frame of society which they possess for those of
the great American Republic. Cheers say
nothing OF the reform removal of abuses which
undoubtedly must still attach to our form of policy
l cannot question that there are many things
which we might copy advantageously from Ameri-
ca-there are things we might copy from France:
but till the respective character and condition and
conduct of the two nations are immensely
changed | do earnestly hope that the people of
this country will remain English-not American.
Cheers.
| am aware that what have Just taken the liber-
tv to say may be subject to some suspicion because
it not to be concealed that it comes from one of
the terrible aristocracy to whose account we have
hnnp fpnt hirrh Alr,,.+
wars in which the country has been engaged since
the Revolution of 1858. Applause Now fairly
say, if | believed that to be the case | should at
once be democrat; but believe that the truth is
very nearly the reverse.
When was in the United States | came to the
conclusion that the American people were far more
inclined to than the English; and of the English
people, believe that the class least likely to be hur-
ried by their own inclinatons into war, is what is
termed the aristocratic class | believe this was
the with most Cf them with respect to the late
Russian war. L am sure it was the case with me:
and believe even the town of Hull, which YOU
would think was so interested in having the naviga
tion with the Baltic kept open was in a far more
belligerent humOr than the English House of Lords
[Cheers.l
LORD DERBY AND THE CHURCH.-It is said that
Lord Derby's nomination of the Rev. Harvey Good
win to the deanery of Ely has been received with
great distavor by the great Evangelical party in
the Church of England. Mr.. Goodwin is stated to
belong to the school of divinity which is known in
the Establishment as ''The Broad Church."
correspondent of metropolitan contemporary
says: 1.-The appointments of Mr.. Duncombe to the
deanery of York and Mr. Goodwin to the deanery
of Ely have impressed all parties in the church
with the belief that in the of all the ecclesias
tical dgnties which fall to the gift of Lord Derby
he will appoint men of distinctive religious
views, and that neither the Evangelcas on the one
hand nor the Tractarians the other will have any
chance of promotion from him."
Gan artificial treasure" says the Independence of
Brussels "has just been discovered in Hungary 1t
is an altar, the double doors of which are paint
ings by one of the most celebrated German painters
master of Albert Durer. There are in all forty
eight small sketches, twelve of which, representing
in an epic series the life of st. Elizabeth of Hun
gary, are by the master himself"
IL de TOcnuaville is dannarnnslu i'll OF Connns