Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-02-01

Ape" Monday evening, first appearance of the
clown, John Landis.
oRpHAss' FAN for the benefit of st. vinoents
Female Asylum, corner Of and Tenth streets.
Useful and fancy articles, ice cream, confection-
cry, etc.
ACADEMY OF Music Popular free concerts at
} O'Clock, with excellent refreshments, &c, &c.
Han open all day.
LECTURE BY RALPH WALDO EMERsoN.-Mr.
Emerson had a large audience last night on the
occasion Of his lecture before the Association,
and on his mounting the platform there was
general movement TO get a look at the Seer Of
Concord. Personally he Is very much a Yankee
seer-long- limbed, long featured, lank-haired,
slab sided, keen-eyed, rundown collaredi and
is by no manner OF means the mind q ideal Of the
disting uished thinker and essayist
MIR Emerson commenced by remarking upon
the difficulty Of precisely defining civilization,
and proceeded to treat upon the modes by which
nations make progress. Commerce Is great
civiliZer. Road building Is great promoter OF
civilization. Another step, is the change In a
community from war and pasturage to agricul-
labor; multiplication Of the arts Of peace; the right
position Of woman in society, were all tests of
civilization. The lecturer had thought that it
was q SUFFICIENT definition of civilization TO term
II the influence Of good women.
Climate has something to do with civilization.
Where the snow falls there civil freedom prevails
In hot climates men are selfish, grasping, cruel.
There had been exceptional cases Of noble races
Of men In equatorial regions, a. in Egypt and
ARABIA.
Deep morality is an essential condition of high
civi''ty. Man brings into his service the various
elements, In the use Of the water fall, the force
Of gravitations electricity, &c and they will
always do his service faithfully 30 long as they
are employed IN tie direction they frarsl
As our hands thus RELY on the elements, cur
politics should rely upon principles, and we shall
have elements at hand 20 do our work, IL used in
the direction they too are moving. We can also
thus harness evil elements to work for good We
can tax the pleasant vices. What q gain would
IL be were whisky and rum taxed up to the point
Of prohibition! Tobacco and opium have very
broad backs, and will support armies, II properly
taxed.
The test Of civilization in a country 10 not is
its yield Of crops but the kind Of men 1t
turns out Personal liberty, speedy justice. secure
tenor Of lands &C, were vital elements Of civil
ization.
The lecturer proceeded with an animated tribute
20 the nobility Of labor, and charged against the
institution OF slavery that IL makes labor a dis
grace We had long endeavored to hold two
states Of civilization together, the feudal Of
the slave States, and the progressive one Of the
free States. Why not extend the higher state Of
civilization over the whole, IL not civilization
heroic, active, having will, We live In a new
and exceptional age America was q word that In
sis eye. means opportunity: the Government
blows and adopt measures which, in Its judgment,
was calculated % make peace impossible; but he
had no fear Of the result. As, when two school
boys set in punishment to beat each other, they
commence with light sportive blows, but as their
anger mounts, end in giving each other a sound
trouncing; so the blows IN this case would harden
a. the contest went on. There were compensations
growing out Of the calamities Of the times. We
shall abate somewhat Of our national vanity.
The American eagle must hereafter be less OF
peacock. Everybody studies economy now. The
war ssarches character, and has developed an as
tonishing nationality. IL had brought out not
merely the efeminate sentimentalist, but the
rough democrat, who hates abolition but secession
more. There 10 a healthier tone physically
thFoug bout the country in these war times the
bills Of mortality smaller there are less fevers
consumpnons, and dyspepsias where there is so
much electricity. Nature symPathizes, boys are
born!
But the war goes on cropping for some broader,
more catholic Principles. At last we shall have
TO come to emancipation, with compensation to
loyal citizens, as the only platform. Emancipa-
ton Is tbs demand Of civilization. The moment
emancipation Is declared, the army OF the enemy
10 destroyed, as IL must scatter and hasten home
70 look after the slaves The war, he trusted, Is
to heal q deeper wound than IL makes. II is to
nd US Of that scepticsm that does not believe In
principles, but in material success. Morality 10
the real object Of all government, and we want
country in which the practice Of rascality shall
not pay.
In conclusion, he expressed the conviction that
victory will fall where IL ought TO fall.
Mr.. Emerson Is too laTge.minded and philo-
sophically tolerant TO elicit the hearty applause
course, but his lecture was listened to with tho
rough attention, and a general expression of
regret was manifested that he seemed to feel IL
incumbent upon him to keep within the hour.
TIE RIGHT MOVE IN TIE RIGHT DIRECTION, TO
sUPPLY A LOCAL NEcEssfIY.-Editor Star: We
are gratined to learn that the Congressional Dis
trtct Committees have determined TO report q bill
authorizing our city bankI to issue small bills
We are, then, to have q sure, safe and reliable
Substitute for the smaller coin, and merchants
will not be compelled TO import, daily from the
North and East, small bills, regarding the value