The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-20
Park BENJAMIN on "society."

The last lecture the Of the before the
General Society of Mechanics and Tradcsmen delv
cred by Park Benjamin at the Cooper Institute Monday
evening. The large lecture wrs nearly aled. The
caliy in America"
The lecturer commenced by showing that virtue must
not necessarily be world renowned The nobest virtues
may grow and terminate in the secuson Of private fe
He would not say that the greatest heroes unknown
but he would say that there many who good by
stealth and blush to find fame" Popularity not re-
nown. Ayoung lady who runs away with her fathers
coachman and gets gratuitous notices in all the papers
not necessarily heroine. (Iaughter) Nor is q man
necessarily hero because he foreigner and has been
wrecked, and ia considered in consequence great SWELL
{laughter)-and runs away with somebody's daughter
hero daughter They were very commonplace people,
Religion among the many private virtues Unfortunate
Iy almost entirely excluded from public e It's OBJ
and rites and sacramental truth wcre above
ALL to be desired. He believed in this view that there
ought to be some legislative interference with regard TO IT,
The English people had their English church. For private
entirely household to be without worship bad enough
gion2 What treat would be 10 be enabled TO peep into
every household and view the ordinary daily occupatons
cIsratiOns of love- Tanshter) The most interesting
portions Of history were the records Of private c In
any museum the greatest crowds could be found, not
among the trophies OF war, but near the personal me
mors and individual records The English he considered
social but socabe; while the French, the contra
~, he thought, were socablc but not so,ial,
An Engshman always wanted introduction
before speaking to him, and he had heard
Of one who was sorry he could not save
q man from drowning because he had not been In
PRODUCED 10 him. Qaughter.) The Frenchman, on the
contrary, would talk to everybody, and talk, If in
other way with his eyes, hands, shoulders and his
whole body he would converse with deaf mute.
Qaugher.) Home was n word which could not be trans
lated into French That nation rcioices in family
dinners, friendly companies and tea parties French
man At homo anywhere but ut home. The English,
the contrary are home loving people; they excu
sive those with whom they not acquainted, and in.
elusive 10 all Others The Americans between the
two They church going, lecture going and sight
sceing people They do not live in restauranexcept
perhaps those American President makers from the
Emerald Isle. (Iaughter.) Tho American boarding
house system was unknown in Europe, where IL
would be considered preposterous. The only rea-
son why both scxcs, married and unmarried could thus
live PLEASANTLY together was from tho purity OF
American women and the respect for the sex cvnced by
every American gentleman. (Appause) There was too
much gossip In the boarding house. Mrs. A. always said
what Mrs. D. told her Mrs. e. Mrs. ID. do. daughter
and appause) II there any present who lived In
boarding houses, they might console themselves That
1her was the exception and that all the others deserved
the blanc pAughter.) Tho system Of putting the
French finish on the American ladies' education made
them exceedingly capable OF managing small households
guided by Irish domestics Qaughter) Az nation, We
arc 700 INITIATIVE Because one man builds himself a