Smyrna times., 1860-11-15
The Lecture Season in smurna

We would call the attention of the citizon.
o. our town to the fact that the Board of Trus.
tees OF the Library have made arrangements for
series OF Lectures, this Winter, by some of
'ne most prominent and popular professional
gentlemen IN this and neighboring States.
Lecturing has become one of the most 40
lightiul and profitable sources of public ins,ruc.
tIon ana entertainment. 1t has opened field
for the display ofevery variety Of talent-from
the most humorous and brilliant, as that NJ
Park Benjamin and Hans SAKE, to the mos, d;.
dactlc and scholarly, as that of Profs. FELTON,
Agasslz and Mitchell The refined and edu.
Gated circles of our large cities, and in many
OF our thriving country villages, have Justly
preferred this mode OF begulling the long even
iNgs of the Winter by the patronage Of Arts
ana Letters and Science, to the disgusting and
often immoral performances of the stage and
the show house.
Ihe time has been when the poetry and elo-
quence of the Drama was honored bv tho s,udv
OF the worthiest sons Of learning-but those
days OF the English stage have gone bv. and
good taste, if not religion, is leading the edu.
Gated and best classes ofsOciety to purer sources
OF mental refreshment.
The writer OF this article would not be nm
derstood as advocating the patronage of the
stage, even in the palmy days of English Ii,
erature under the reign of Queen Anne. hut
Rhetoric and Oratory doubtless owe much to
the immortal names of johnson, of Goldsmith
OF Sheridan, of Messenger and Ford, and BY no
one name or influence so much as of that of the
myriad-minded Shakespeare.
Lectures are now developing that love of
learning OF books, of polite literature and good
eocution which the stage or any other modern
public entertainment fails TO inspire. In this
age of party strifes and struggle TO make haste
to be rich, what can exert a more eleyatjng in. |
huence upon the people than popular and we'll
timed lectures.-lectures which will {. boId tho
mirror up to Nature, show Virtue her own
feature Scorn her owR image, and the very
age and body of the time, his form and pres.
sure.''
What better censors of society cun there be
than judlcious lecturers, who
" Expatiate far Ger this scene of man
a mighty maze but not without plan:
The latent tracks, the giddy heights explore.
Of all who blindly creep or tghtIess soar;
Eye Natures walks, shoot Folly as it flies.
And catch the manners living as they rise
Laugh where we must, be candid where we
can,
But VlndIcate the ways of God and Man."
What can so directly tend to give moral
tone and character to the sentiment of our com.
munltes and train the rising generation to the
love of knowledge and the practice of virtue
as lectures which appeal to the best feelings
aud often deal with the grayest intellectual
problems?
But thea we would urge upon our citizens
the patronage of this laudable effort of the
Library Board upon another ground. The
lectures will doubtless repay all who attend
them for their time and money, and they will
yield better interest upon the invested ann
than the same amount expended for any other
means Of rational enjoyment.
They are recommended By this additional
claim upon the public support - H
Tho the lectures may not interest, ca eh one
who attends them will have the satisfaction of
knowing that he has helped to put another
book upon the shelves of our Town Library
lie has thus helped to increase the efficiency
OF one ei the strongss, Safeguards to the
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