The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1858-03-05
TERMS.
tu- Circulation equal to all the
other City dailies combined.
Mr., Prentice,s Lecture.

A highly intelligent audience listened
last evening to Mr.. Prentice's ornate. pro-
found aud brilliant lecture Oh The as
poets and Tendencies Of american Politics.
Notwithstanding the disperasing criti-
cislns of a portion of the press Of the dis
tinguishel Louisville editors qualities
as an orator, we are disposed to award to
him the possession of rhetorical power Of
q high and rare order While he has
none of the tricks, manneriSms aud at
fcctations SO often taught in the schools
and which are sometimes taken by
thoughtless groundlings as indicating
the cousummate spokesman, he possesses
in a marked degree, that evident car
ncstness, and that scholarly propriety of
delivery, which give true and effective
force to the public speaker.
It was goodly banquet, at least for
us-this opportunity to hear a thorough,
searching and exhaustive political dis
cussion, which was at the same time free
from that almost unlailug and necessary
incident to every political speech or cs-
say in these days-the presence some
where Of the miserable dyc5s and lees Of
partizauship. We We're reminded ofthe
patriotic papers of Burke and Chatham,
and Of those which belonged to the bet
ter days OF our own American statesman
ship, VIXEN country stood foremost and
when devotion to self and party, if not
forgotten, was at least decentiy concealed.
10 attempt an abstract, or even an out
line, Of this Lecture, would mar it's beau
tiial entirety, and do great injustice to the
author. 1t was erudite III its array of
facts, cogent in the unbroken logic which
Informed them with thoughtful life and
wrought them into the unity of resist
less argument; copious with Illustration
and allusion, glowing with fit and yet
striking imagery, suggestive in its con-
siGeFations and hints, and full of the best
and most practical philosophy. Many
whole paragraphs of the discourse We're
strings Of aphorisms-texts of wisdom,
as to which the most of US might we'll fol-
low the Horatian counsel, appone lucro,
while tne cpisrammatic turn ofits periods
was oac Of by no means its smallest
charms.
The three salient aspects Of our politics
were, tic want Of proper political dis
pIino-tending to anarchy, tao absence Of
a strong aud paramount sentiment Of 10y
atty oy allegiance, and the current abne-
cation Of the feeling OF nationality. These
pregnant phenomena of our political
status are alarming as showing, all of
them, down warlte4doucics. The lectu-
rer believed flat the sun of our true ma
tioual grandeur and glory had passed the
zenitA and was descending. The two
causes Of this laneutable decline were
1st: our great physical success, and %,
the dcgencracy Of ON public men. No
nation. as the past explicitly advertises
us, with repeated warnings, can survive
great material prosperity without cmin
ea' craftsmanship, The decadcnce in
Amuicaa craftsmanship, sosignally man
Hest To day, was, therefore, all appalling
symptom of our approaching downfall
pe.io.es made sell, in all things, subscr-
Went to the state AIcibiadcs, his pupil,
was first for self, loy the state afterwards
Our modern demagosuos are unlike either
periclc4 OF Aloibiades. They give every
thing to scli-to the state, nothing.
Tho trcuchant satire which was one Of
the marked features Of the discourse, was
omincntly characteristic of Nh Prentice
hot sly and assassin-ljke, but manly,
vigorous, and stin9lh9ly severe. 1t was
the satire, not of an Aristophancs, but of
a Juvenal.
Mr.. Prentice has evidently no great IL
king for the democratic doctrines Of state
rights and the right Of instruction He
undoubtedly prefers the government Of
the best to the government Of the most.
In all this, we may, or we may not agree
with lin; and We hardly incline to take
50 gloomy view as he does Of the pres
ont md future Of Amorica, s5il-iti. Do
sirot'e p lool. at both e.i.- otG.e sl:-'H
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