Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-23
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
THE PLACE AND POWER OF AN ENLIGHTENED
PUBLIC OPINION

We have had repeated occasions to admire the
dignity, gravity, and wisdom which the Rev. Dr.
JAMES WALKER, of Boston, brings to such of his
discussions as have reference to the duties of men
in the figure of society His Election Sermon"
delivered before the Legislature Of Massachusetts,
was model Of sound admonition on topics of pub
lie interest intimately concerning the welfare of the
State.
! On Thursday last large number of the educated
men Of New England were assembled at Cambridge to
take part the closing exercises of
week." the principal attraction of that day being
the Festival celebrated under the auspices of the
Association of the Alumni of Harvard College.
Dr. Walker was the orator of the day, and the
choice could not have fallen on one better qualified
to address the cultivated audience brought together
by the interesting occasion. The Boston Daily
Advertiser of Friday last, in publishing the dis
course of DR.. Walker, accompanies it with the fol-
lowing appreciation:
"Rev Dr. Walker crowned his previous most valuable
public instructions by the magnificent Grafton which he
pronounced yesterday at Cambridge The just dscrmina
tons and wise counses, the large observation and pro
found philosophy which charac erize it, make it most
timely utterance in the present critical unctue The
hopeful view which it expresses upon the belief that good
citizens will not neglect the important duties which en-
oins gives courage to look for favorable issue
out of the terrible trials now affecting our nation"
We need, therefore, make no apology for the
space we give to the following citations from this
address, which nculcates duties of the first import
ance at this time.
Assuming that we have an educated class in this
country whose special function it is to think, TO
a. l,no1y Dr W allar pronouao 10 apouar tho
question, what has the country right to expect
from this class as class? And he answers it as
follows:
at is The fashion in quarters to mske light of
such inquiries the ground that the world not
erued by great scholars great men, but by great ideas
great ideas the only reality great men do not exist
except by virtue of representing them Now, there
mystical expressions of this sort hope shall not br
suspected Of forgetting or undertaking. the power OF
great ideas to above himself to lit up whole
community to impress new character age
But you have great ideas without great minds to
ceiye them, to comprehend them, to impress them
others-at least in the first instance No student of his
tory of human nature will expect great ideas to br
generated in acting togeher in Masses they always
spring up in single gifted Inspired minds Nor is this
all We talk about great ideas, if they would
but let understand ourselves What we want are moi
men whom great ideas have mastered but men who know
how to master great ideas. We do not want men made
heavy by ideas which are too much for them men
and away WITH single ldeai yet
who take up most respeca lie itea aud press it int,
shapes and push into consequences which make sens
BILE and practical persons ashamed of it afraid of it,
al admit the presence and power of great ideas but
this makes class of highly educated only much
the more necessary it that these ideas
well great and that they rightly understood and
rightly applied There have been times party spr
and party more intense than but
when the questions at issue profound radical
far reaching And these questions not reserved az
was once the practice for the schools tue discussion
not locked up in the dead language, known only to
privileged few every body expected to take part II
which does not bring into notice of these great
some novel and startling doctrine which is thought By
many to strike at the very foundations Of religion
government aud of human nature itse Alarmist,
will tell you that the world is coming to an end What
then, to do7 Even the great LEADERS of thought
on progressive side beginning betray
at what they have styled tendency to intellectual anarchy
in modern society But If this is So what ask again
we to do?
"The nature of the evil suggests as it seems to me
what must, 10 general be the nature of the remedy W.
what will take the place. and have least Of
the eff cts od-fashioned authority 1t conscious
ness of this want, less distinctly apprehended
which gives rise from time to time to reactonary
ments especially politics and relgon-republcans lean
ing monarchy and Professionals going back to Rome But
reacoDary seldom to any thing and for
an obvious Such is the completely and mutual
tedependeuce of and effects in social physics that
you cannot go back in one without going back in ALL II
you would have the authority OF the middle ages a
atty and a sham you must have the middle ages
entire The law would seem to be that every cond-
ton of society develops set OF tendencies, and at
the time set Of checks and balances these
checks and balances being the only that be
cerely or efectually applied In moment OF panic ali
parties may seeming restoration of the old
curtes but it will later appear that there
world of difference between really believing ard making
believe Y,u cannot reproduce the past revolutions
not backward Accordingly wise conservatism instead
of wasting s energies 10 vain attempt TO revive obso
lee form Of authority will seek rather to make the most
Of its modern substitute And if you ask what the
modern substitute is loss for a reply 1t ia an
enlightened public opinion sustained by the great body
educated men, aud directed aud enforced by the highest
intelligenc 10 the community"
After answering the objection that error, and
sometimes most pernicious error often finds its vo-
taries among men of education, and that such men,
even the best of them, are not of one mind even
on questions generally accounted most vital and
fundamental DR.. Walker proceeds as follows
" Unless all our bcasting about the influence of study
and high culture the mind and character is mere
gance mere can't there must be many subjects which
the great body OF educated Of whatever or
must feel and think together Again therefore, say it
10 public opinion founded this agreement as far as
goes aud every where honestly and fearessy
that to turn of the great reeuave prnci
pies OF modern society
" No where is this reguative principle more needed
than among people living under institutions like ours and
in times like To the question, then, What can we
as educated men, do for country / reply Much
viii be chiefly felt in practical le where the nation
he in al