Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-02-03
(tfom The New York PostA
Beecher on Burns.

Cooper Institute never held a larger au.
dieace than was gathered last evening to
hear the Rev, Mr.. Beeeher's discourse on the
Scotch puet Burns. Besides the usual eager
hess to H-ten to this po Sertul speaker, there
was a special curiosity felt To learn what a
Clergyman might think OF the man. Burrs
in his day, " as not favarite of the Kirk,
nor has the lapse of hundred years greatly
m;tigated the severity with which il regards
the author OF "HOly WilIie's Prayer" and
suHdry things of that sort. But Beecher is
not an ordinary clergyman; his large philo-
sophy, his liberal judgment, his generous
and kindly sympaihies, enable him 10 step
OUTSIDE OF the conventicle, and to treat men
and things on the broadcast principles oi
humanity. .fft5-F - E.tl.f.. --sE--
la diseosing of the yices and frailt;es OF
Burns. therefore, hn was not embarrassed
as others il ia p,snion might have been;
b- Ii aerued he resi- nsture OF the mau
aud iie pc. u ar Ties of his circums ances;
and wi-hont en.,iprom sing with sin, ceuIo
yet dist ngu sh between the essential ex-
ceIience Of the heart ard the de6lements
gathered around 1t by the accidents Of an
nts ts~srd position and an unfu:fled destiny.
f!ufns iaherited his nature, he said. from
faihsr v no was man of head heart and
hands; of stern piety. of indomtsble will,
of afense of Eonor that went clean to
his bones; snd of another of calm, sweet,
gentle, hesgenly affections. whose centre
was her heart. and that was full of profound
religious feeling. Her soul reached forth
to things invisible and infinite as to an un-
bounded ocean. She was good house
keeper Ito the making of which Mr.. Beech
er thought more was required Than to the
making of governors -"as nations are
governed but while she wrought she
sung The treasured ballads of her nation
b. autiful, brave and touching she poured into
the ears o. her child, til the wind-harp Of
his own spirit vibrated in fearful and joyful
unison How many sweet songs and sounds,
said the speaker, there are in the world
hoS many songs of birds and sounds OF
musical instruments, But when al is said,
M man his invented any musical iDstru
ment. nor has Nature set in ali her choir
aarikiug which for sweetness is like moth
er's vDice singing around the house while
she Iaoors, and children are falling to sleep
singing hymns and balads--ch ldren sleep,
ina:to dream o! angels, and awake and say
smother" With such father and such a
M m,thar Burns could not help himself, and
OF course he must be an Apollo's arrow
With such mother for bow and snch a
father for a string--aRd the bow abides in
strength, and the strength of his naked ar
row still flies and sounds in flying
DIR. Beecher then gave an impressive
sketch of the early Iiie OF Burns, his power.
ty, his ignorance, his trials, his education
his stormy passioDs--and bringing him Il
the reign OF his manhood. with all the OBJ
stacles aud temptations of his lot about
him, proceeded to consider the vices OF hi'
career. And in this part OF his discourse
he was particularly striking and happy
lie said;
II believe the better physiologists are
agreed that in the human system there is q
portion of the nervous mass whose tunctIoi
is TO pre- duce general sensbllity. Thus {
sound o { music failing upon the ear will q
one with thrilling sensbi!ity, while anothe
will receive it calmly. The nervous sys
TEN of one receives the impression NOR
largely than the other. This fact become
apparent in morbid conditions of lie, whe
sounds, of no consequence at other times
fll the mind with exciting emotion. So i
estimating the power of feeling in any min
we must look into the combinations an
separate faculties. of the mind and the
norma Z power, sadnext to the general sen
sbility of The whole nervous system, undt
the influence of which the special facultie
are tempered. Some men with strong mint
are not well tempered, and are deficient
general sensibility. Their feelings al
gradually worked up. They have COT
and collected nature. They heat as iro
heats. Other men heat as powder heats
it is a touch and an explosion. 1t is 4
trouble to some to maintain an equal, ten
perate medium; they are of SO equal unin
passioned and inexcitable L nature. tt
sins of such men are usually on the not-d
ing side. But such men are unfit judges
those who have an acute sensibility. Nc