New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-13
BROOKLYN INSTITUTE.
PROFESSOR HUNTINGTONS FOURTH LECTURE on
THE PRINCIPLES or SOCIETY.

THE PRINtlPLES OF SOtiEI1.
To The Editor Of the y. Y. Tribune.
SIR: As the Trustees of the Institute seem determined
to furnish for audience, which would amount to at
least {, 1900 no other accommodation than the lecture
room at the Institute which will hold, as | Judge,
about onc-fourth of that number presume there
many who could not get within hearing that will be
obliged to me for q sketch of the discussion. Before
however leaving the subject of complaint to the
place where these lectures are delivered il may be
proper to repeat what stated in notice of the second
lecture thottorc is nothing IN the wW If Mr.. Graham.
making nGsSary that these lectures should be dlivcTed
ia tie Institute Iiding and am at loss to conjec.
ture why, when the expense is incurred of getting
lecturer of much distinction, some more adequate
provision should not be made 10 enable our citizens 10
hear him. Ihave heard q suggestion made, that the
Church of the Pilgrims Or. Storss or the Plymouth
Church Or. Beechors), should be substituted Tor me
Institute lecture The objection as to the last
is that Mr. Beecher himself breaches every Sunday
evening to a larger auditory than probably would lie
gathered TO hear Professor Huntington and as to the
other which ia occupied but one evening In month";
perhaps there is some Objection TO allowing hc use OF
The church to minister of the Unitarian Denonina
ton; but should suppose there would be no greater
Obi, elton the OF the church Tor these lectures
than there was to Professor Hunt ytons preaching
i'll the church in the morning service some TWO SAD
baths since 81, ~
II may be reasonably doubted whether the Trus-
tees are carrying out the real design of the tesator
II might well be inferred, from the provisions OF the
will that bis object to furnish these lectures Tor
the benefit of class of persons " bo were not likely
to get religious instruction otherwise. do not know
Mr.. Grahams private history, but he seems 10 nave
had great consideration for the uneducaed poor. he
NAV have supposed 1t would be OF service 10
them 10 be instructed in elementary religious
principles but the language Of the will is precise IN
guarding against anything that might be deemed theo-
logical in the ordinary sense OF thar term. III tne
class above referred to was had in view, it would
probably be proper discharge of the duty en oined
by the will if plain discourses, suited to minds but
little versed i'll religious truth, lad been provided,
which could have been done without seeking clergy
men of as much distinction Professor Huntington
and DR.. StOrrs.
Ii, however, the trustees are right In obtaining
high order of talent for the service required then IN.
benefit of the increased expense ought TO De provhed
for in some way more commensurate WIN tue puDhc
interest in lectures which has been elected by the
celebrity of the lecturer.
the subject of this lecture was 1.-THE Influence Of
Society upon Intellectual Progress. The intellect
has tgoold function, as recipient ana Prod"ceT, IN
each of which active energy - required Inc acqui-
sition of knowledge Is not like pouring water INTO an
empty vessel there must be assimilation ana ncorpo.
rat, with the chye and blood and fiber OF the mental
system in order 10 be made productive. There - no
true value in knowledge except as c"Inini cated we
are liable to two the one scholarship rare,
i idoatrous respect for the scholar; the other SCI
cnce be made popular, that We shall ruu ilo lheei
materialsm
The latter topic might have been treated with ad-
vantage at greater length. In tins country al acq-
sition Of knowledge is measured by unitarian Scae.
Pracc al use is the test and il is getting 10 be thought
that alue is what can be produced IN money ms
is what is called common sense, and Il IS brought 10
bear not merely upon scholastic knowledge but upon
things more sacred-upon ethicai ana reng.ous
pies that constitute the e-blood of human society.
should have been glad TO have heard this topic ei-
cdated by the caustic satire in which Professor Hunt
ineton cxcels He " ell remarked that preacher mas
audience uniupressibe by divine truih as con-
80, e pl,rs Lac
mean scholars. We have, in fact no such ca N
this country except professors in literary insttstons
He referred TO men of practical sense-Iien having
worldly wisdom and accustomed TO think Tor them
selves This is large class. In fact, 1t embraces
the far greater part OF c0untrymen-SuincieDtly
educated for the conduct If business-shrewd, cscu
lstng, sagacious. What impression does the expo
sition of religious doctrine day IN the week make
upon the minds of such men
Especially is the remark above made applicable 10
those who are called Seit-s'ade men. Having MADE
their way in life by their own unaided efforts tney
are apt 10 set little value upon anything but VINO,
tley have found to contribute 10 success IN ther re-
spectiye vacations. Such lawyers without cassi,
cal education editors who have learned statistics end
politics and nothing else bank officers, brokers' and
other inanciers, who estimate all human powers anu
~ mIiathies by dollars and cents.
If De Quincey's division of labor be the correct
one viz: labor in the Dt,Re and in the M,Ft-ori IN
other words the producing the material OF though
and tie elaboration of II into usecertanly the ten
dency of our national habit j. strongly to the latter
almost to the exclusion ofthe former.
The lecturer next discussed the effect OF intellectual
activity stimulated by the wants OF society mo t
discovery of scientific principles and the invention 81
mechanical contrivances and this was treated OF WIN
great felicity of illustration There Is M danger q
super cd.ug the employment Of the laooTng as .!
any amount Of labor-saving machinery. IL "ny &c
duplicates production and by increasing the aggresao
wealth and resources of society, generates ne" wan.
and new modes Of employment. The Invention ~
Arkwrgt, which at first II was feared WOMB ~ ne
ont of employment al who had before worked AZ w ~
priyste loom has called into active service "a
ncree ed number of the poorer class. Aud thou w
woman by the aid of uachnery will turn on , l'yte
cotton cloth III given time than iVoVo iilhdoy Tra
in,, Nv hand yet there is vastly increased denianu
for handicrat II in te mode of sbor sea,ns'
need not fear injury from the invention OF -i"i"
mo, - .nJ ~ lS Labor will I be iemcac'C,