, 1863-01-23
RALPH WALDO ENfKRSON'S
LECTURE.



Last evening large aud m intelligent audi
encc assembled In Bryan Hall to hear the lee
turs Of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Of" Perpetu-
nj Forces" at precisely s o'clock Mr. En-
erson appeared upon the stand, and was intro |
duced to tho audience by Rev, Robert Col |
1yer.
It will Ibe difficult for us to give any
thing like full and intelligible abstract Of |
Mr.. Emcrson's lecture, as those WHO are "a
miliar with his peculiar style Of writing aud
lecturing will readily perceive. No running
abstract. can do justice to the eminent
speaker. Il
scientific and somewhat metaphysical char
acter, though portions Of it embodied many
practical hints relative to the leading topics
connected with our national troubles. =
The speaker observed that no person conid
afford to lose the opportunities afforded him
for Instruction ond improvement. No per-
son was too strong for his duties aho 1espoas1~
bilities in life.
globe great shop, hled WIN naeutal TT lofcess
which were all In some degree ING servants OF
man.
Nature, like a cautious testator, has tied
up her estate; determined not to bestow it all
on cne generation; but waa rcserring a Dor
ton for the next generation, and tic next,
aud so On to the fortieth. Every bucket full
of loan taken from the earth contained
oranges, figs, and the most luscious Of fruits,
which, BY certain process in nature, would
in due time be developed into tangible sub.
stances, beautiful and attractive to ali be-
holders.
The air vas for health aud for liberty. It
might be considered a good Republican. We
should study, Its properties, seek to know
yyE,A in ~ nd ~,
influence. Those who lived most in the free
air Of Heaven were the mort healthy and
Tie world was huge faggot of forces;
current in which everything must tloatalong;
a thread, on which countless objects were
forces, Of intellect and morals, appeared to be
but tho workings Of the lower on higher
scale.
Though man was constantly exposed to
accidents, Of numerous kinds, and to death,
by thousand unavoidable casualties, be goes
forward in the path Of discovery and OF i'm
provement, boldly conquering obstacles, aud
bringing the forces Of nature under Eubjcc-
tion. Man undoubtedly possessed as many
talents as there were qualities in nature. But
must trim his sails SO us to catch the winds
tlsatwil bear him on to the goal of intellect
ual and moral greatness.
A certain quantity Of truth had q given
quantity Of power; hence good Gene1al was
better tlan park Of artillery.
terry. Turn on the current, aid pair Of
oxen could not separate the adhering stecls;
turn it of, and the hand Of little child
would dctach thenl.. By an inlmutable Inv,
intellect was ours when ~ used IT.. 1t was
not ours unless used. We must obey the
forces aud laws Of our being, If We would be
benefited by them; obedience was tic condi-
| tion Of command.
There was nothing so elastic as man. no
would feed on u few grains Of corn; yet
would govern FORCES willie the universal de-
"1Iomcstead Law" md give every man a
| world apiece.
Gloomy wcatl,cr vas not so bad in reality
as it appeared when VIC stood within doors
aud lo0kcd out upon It. Man possessed most
was great curse to this nation, but the cvil
could be cured. Expel the poison, aud the
system would leap ut once Into vigorous
health.
Men wcrc prone to use the forcesfor selfish
would sigh ior Aiaddins iahip to aid ii them a in
the search for more. The world was given
noble objects.
Our people, to provcrb, were disposed to
better 1han Irregular, unconstitutional evils
for a single day. hfost persons had rather
aio in ths i hands M Of Of Z regular physician than
This war was stern rcality-thc arm of
fate. Nothing prevailed against God hut God.
We watched the course Of the scourge, like
The cholera, which took only the susceptible.
1t was the legitimate result Of our attempt to
to ,rithout Justice like house sinking because
it had i rotten foundation.
| Sir James Mcintosh once said Of Henry the
| Eighth that he had sunk Just as low in the
| rf trin11Sfv 4fta frf1rmfffa9 rf
nature would permit. So with the would-be
| tyrants and usurpers Of the present day.
| When they had reached the lowest point Of
| moral corruption possible to attain, they
/ would be made to feel j force which they
| could not Withstand.
One Of the greatest Illusions Of the age was
| the extreme Modesty with which men asser-
ted their moral sentiments. Ourlegislaturcs,
! courts, aud other bodies Of wide influence,
were too much inclined to oppose and set Ut
Whenever i man asserted those principles, his
sincerity would often bc questioned:
Civil war swept away III false Issues on
which it was built up; like fire consuming the
stubble. There could be no peace till the
principle of justice should be allowed to have
full sway. Siuce nothing but Justice would
satisfy men, let them have it. We should
never sti1e our convictions Of common sense:
slavery. We were tthir''y.ihree e. nations, ex- =
tending from the borders Of Labrador to the
tropics; enjoying free trade NTH each other.
But that was before the rebellion broke out.
How proudly We would now restore the
Union, il it could be done on the principles of
liberty. Till then, We must remain apart.
The above are only few Of the leading
points in Mr.. Emcrson's lecture. His effort
WAS characteristic success, and during the
hour, his audience testified their heartfelt de-
light by earnest demonstrations Of applause.