Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-06-15
from the National Intellingeucer]
MR.. NILLERS LECTURE ON THE EIGH-
TENTH CENTURY

IEENIH CENIUh1.
The subjoined notices of the Lecture delivered by
Henry W. Miller, ESQ.,, at the Smithsonian lnstltu-
ton, on Monday evening last, in behalf OF the Mount
Vernon fund, are from the pens respectively of two
gentlemen of this city, whose prominence as leaders
of public thought, and experience as long and ser
viceaby engaged in posts of high public importance,
eatitle whatever they may write to the confidence
of the reader.
The Lecture of modern times, and especially of
America, has assumed a peculiar character: The
American public speaker in the pulpit, at the bar.
and in the FORUM has hustled out the professor from
his chair and has turned his quiet desk and platform
into noisy busting and rostrum. The lectures of
our llay have become orations, and sometimes they
are sermons. This makes it very difficult to Judge
Justly of the merits of any protested lecturer espe
ciay ola new star in the galaxy. The public taste
demands the oratorical style, and the very moment
this is assumed the lecturer ceases.
The happy union of two almost contradictory
characters perhaps the art to be sought for by the
modern lecturer, and Mr. Miller doubtless is destined
to gain an unusual prominence as happily combining
these qualities. The early part of his discourse on
the Eighteenth Century was lecture proper, close
" read and designed to instruct rather than to move
and this is what it should be. Mr. Everett has the
rare power of memory quietly to repeat even minute
historical detais-mcmory doing the office of the
eyes; but the more natural method Of the lecturer
is to consent to be reader. This method is gene
rally easier and more agreeable to the nearer since
few men can repeat we'll what they have carefully
written and since, too listening to Mr. Everett is
accompanied often with painful sympathy in his
effort 1t is fault of age that hearers so wear
out their energies before coming to the lecture as to
be sleepy under (what they most needy quiet nstruc-
ton Hence those occasional flashes that belong to
the oratorical essential ingredient of an Ame-
rican lecture.
Some who heard Mr. Miller for twenty minut IS.
not worked up to appreciate the depth of his anaiy-
sis, might have regarded his lettue proper as COM
monplacc. The careful student in the field over
which he passed was soon of different opinion
The promise of his opening quotation from Carlyles
recently published Life Of Frederick the Great
the promise of new review of that cventiul CEN
fury was to be expected and was not disappointed.
There was an extent of reading displayed rarely met
WITH hardly possible to be attained in the profession
to which Mr. Miller belongs; there was just and
impartial candor in presenting facts which the hab-
its of special pcadcr hardly prepare the mind for
and most of all there Was depth of analysis and
clearneSs of arrangement which surpassed many OF
the best productions of its kind. Comparisons of
mvorte masters in this department should be care
fully avoided; the ovcrwccnng spirit OF tattery on
the one hand and of deraction on the other should
be severely chaStcneG but this much may be safe
ly and m2artialiy prognoscatcd OF Mr.. Miller lee
thre. Conceived last De cember, delivered in pres
Of the intelligent gathering of the North Caro-
lima Legislature during its late session, and its repe
tition now called for extensively in his and ad
joining States Mr.. Mcr's lecture is likely to be
second only to Mr. Everett's in popularity :; and as
he brings to it the vgor of earlier manhood, it may
in the end be as extensively delivered.
Thcoccasona oratorical passages scattered through
the discourse and the closing paragraphs presenting
the position of Washington among the illuStrious
men whose statues fill the Pantheon of that centn
rvs heroes was mastery in conception and artistic
in execution. If there were left any thing TO be re-
GREETED it was that the phanthropic element in tie
man of his age higher than the patriotic was not
fully developed; that spirit which. as an inner
tancc of the Father of his Country, makes the Ane
nation and their leader to be regarded not
much lovers of their country lovers of the hui
man family; for this it was that made Washington
truly great anan, and this alone makes a great
people, Mr.. Everetts lecture is yet more lacking,
as his theme more special. Lack of time pre-
vented Mr. Miller from celebrating this point.
If Mr.. Mlers lecture meets in other localities, as
in Washington has both the enthusiastic plaudits
of popular audience and the sincere and chastcned
encomiums of those who have studied the age Of
which he treated and its reviewers, his success as
lecturer is to e brilliant one and the all he brings
to the cause OF the Mount Vernon fund rich legacy.
QUIZ tnat tiiiS OTatlOn might nc ucHNeTeu DN
Miller i'll every State Of the Union. If in any part
of it, solitary doubt exists of the fact it would he
cvinced that in Southern heart at least patriot
ism that embraces the whole country and every sec
ton of it alike beats strongly and healthy in the
heart of this of North Carolina. 1t is refresh
ing to see in living form and hear in glowing elo-
quence love of country that knows North, South,
East, West but nation consolidated as it were,
in one sound heart.
Tho plnp &c tim ,rbioI, To oriUinel
neccSstated wide range of historical detail but
the distance the orators mind shot forth but to
acquire the momentum in returning to his point,
which presented great power in the pcroraton. lie
commenced by quoting the disparaging judgment Of
Carlyle upon the eighteenth century, that it was des
titute of heroes blank in the cycles of time, 1--WE
quote the idea, not the w0rds,) and thus adrotly
out of his own mouth, COMPOUNDED him. lie called
up the naturalists of science philosophers his
torians, political economists, and statesmen; the
Linn;euses the Humphrey Davys, the Gibbons, the
Jeremy Benthams, the Bacons, the Newtons, the
Lockes, the Fredericks the LaEycttes, and the Ma
pocons of the Old World the Franklins, Henrys,
lamilions, Adamscs, Jeffersons, and Washingtons
of the New, all of tire eighteenth century; and pre-
sentcG them in light which that century mg ht chal-
lcnge ali preceding to vie with it in the produc-
ton of great minds and the orgination of controll-
ing influences.
The manner in which his mental wand brought
up before his ntently listening auditory, in te-ke
form, the ilustrious pe,sonages of the epoch under
review, was most graphic. Peering above them he
described the immortal Washington, and as We lis
tened we recalled the sentiment las our OWN of Gui-
rot over his deliberate signature: "Of all the men
who ever lived, whose every word, motive, and &C
ton would adopt. as my own, the only one was
| George Washington" Abiding to Mount Vernon
as the home of Washington, the orator most fccit-
ousy corrected his language, substituting his rest
dence rather, the achole country aeas Ills home."
! The appeal to the Ladies Of the Mount Vernon
Association in admirable taste and calculated to
reanimate them in their patriotic enterprise. His
interrogation, eff our Republic Zone of the fairest
orbs in the constellation of the greatest nations that
ever exsteD were to break from its orbit and plunge
into the dark abyss of humiliation, where can the
world look for another bow Of promise ?" worthy
! of Demosthcnes-the orator evidently feeling from
the profoundest depth Of his soul the sentiment his
clear mind had conceived and eloquent voice uttered
! Mr. Miller wac freuucntlv interrunted hv ire