The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-16

The business of boring people with what are
called lectures is, by special Providence, usually
confined to country lyceums, wherein the old
folks congregate to sleep, and the young ones to
firt or pout, as the case may be. Whether or
not we of the metropolis have committed any
particular enormities this winter is beyond our
ken. We are, Of course, awfully wicked at all
times; but it has not appeared that we are more
SO now than usual, except by the overwhelming
number of lectures and kindred humbugs with
which we have lately been afflicted. The topics
embrace history, biography, science, literature,
politics, poetry and art. We have one philoso-
pher expatiating upon King Bomba; another
giving bis views upon society in the United
States; a third wakes geological; the redoubtable
"reminiscences, and the Hon. Massa Greeley heads
the list with an Grafton upon "Great Men," and
people are not only expected to 60 and suffer
these things, but absolutely to disburse current
coin Of the United States for the happy boon of
being bored to death.
That such terrible result must eventuate
from the efforts of these would-be guides, leaders
and teachers of the people, is beyond per adven-
ture, when we take into consideration the fact
that they almost invariably select some topic
upon which they are entirely uniformed. Take
the Hon. Massa Greeley, for example, He goes
about the country delivering lectures to the
farmers upon the science of the soil, when the
science of the composing stick is the only one
that he ever learned What splendid discourse
he could deliver, however, upon the Irish rebel.
lion of '4S; the art of getting up paper revolu>
ton; procuring subscriptions to liberty
fund, and then taking the liberty to keep
its final destination profound secret;
OF upon the reception of Kossuth; or the Ma
tional Kansas Fund, which was raised to slay all
the border ruffans, when they ran away and the
subscriptions "made unto themselves thin air,
into which they vanished or upon that remark
able breeches pocket which touched pitch in the
shape of thousand dollar draft, drawn by the
Treasurer of the Fort Des Moines Company in
favor Of lobby member of Congress, and came
forth undefled! But no; like all great philo-
sophers, the Hon. Massa Greeley is very imprac-
ticable, and instead of lecturing upon topics
with which he is acquainted, he prefers to sail
into the puddle of muddy theories and dingy &C.
neralities Mr.. Park Benjamin, too, is unfortu-
nate in his topic, which should be literary infan-
ticide. He could explain to sucking journalists
the whole art and mystery of establishing, rear
ing and killing off newspapers, as he has had an
extensive experience in journals which have
never lived through the process of dentition.
A history of these unfortunate publications,
which have been nipped in the flower of their
youth and inferred, with many tears, no doubt,
by Mr.. Benjamin, would be intensely amusing.
The scientific lecturer is safer than the literary
one. The former can say all manner of stupid
things without danger of detection. In fact, so
far as practical application goes, such sciences
as astronomy and geology are little better than
imaginative poetry. Thus, the astronomers tell
us that "the fragments of broken planets; the de.
scent of meteoric stars upon our globe; the whirl
ing comets, welding their loose material at the
solar surface; the volcanic eruptions in our own
satellite; the appearance Of new stars, and the
of others, are all foreshadows of
that impending convulsion to which the system
of the world is doomed" So much for celestial
dangers The biologists tell us that the centre
of the earth is ball Of fire, which must burn
through the crust one of these days; so that we
are between two burnings, and cannot escape. If
some philosopher would fix the exact date of
this confagration, which has now been impend-
ing several centuries, We can guarantee him a
full house for his lecture. According to all the
savants' accounts, we are on the verge of grand
smash-up, and it would be gratifying to know at
what hour we might expect our doom.
But, emitting the mention of the sciences of
which the world knows nothing definitely, would
it not be much better for the lecturers of the day
to talk about matters with which they are
acquainted? After all, however, the ratio of
a lecturers value is in precise accordance
with his notorety. Thus, the Rev. Mr.. Kali
loch, who ought to found his lectures
rather upon the Erotca than the Encyclo-
pedia, would be worth thirty-three per
cent more than Greeley; and that philosopher
would likewise be more valuable than better
man. who had Dot been &c extensively adver-
tised. But when peor.s 90 to hear the Chevalier
de Faublas ofthe pulpit, or the Pecksniff of Jour-
nalism, it is natural expectation that they will
talk about matters with which they are denti-
fed; and as they fail to do it, the public goes
away bored All these lecturers, however, are
only the pilot minnows which indicate the an.
proach ofsuch big fish as Dickens and Sturgeon.
When they arrive we may expect to see grand
excitement in all classes of society, throwing
all the small fry performers far back in the
shade.
THE FINANCIAL IMBRoGLro IN CONGRESS-
There is positive, and to all appearances
very resolute majority, in the House of Repre-:
against any more issues of Treasury
notes, and any more loans, until there shall have
been something done to replenish the Treasury
from the solid receipts of the customs. For
example, Mr.. Phelps, Chairman on Ways and
Means moved ION Monday last) suspension of