The Portland daily press., 1864-12-22
Seventh LsOture-M, I. A. Course.

Last evening brought one Of the severest
snow storms of the season, but City Hall was
well filed with an anxious crowd to hear
Henry Ward Beecher, who always draws full
houses whenever and wherever he speaks
We expected to see thin house, the storm
was so severe, but we were agreeably disap-
pointed.
Mr.. Beecher was received with much ap-
plause when he rose and commenced his lee
ture. He said it was well to turn aside from
the excitements and turmoil of the day. and
discuss matters of more quietness, and those
more connected with our homes and educa-
ton. He introduced his lecture by repeating
the fairy tale Of Beauty and the Beast The
first state OF mankind was beasthood. Ma
tons of savages were only superior herd OF
animals. To be made men they must become
civi lied. The greatest value consists not III
what he is, but in his capacity for becoming
civilized and refined. His subject was the cul-
ture and refinement of the common people.
Beauty begins to act upon the senses, The
lowest mart of the mind. At first it ministers
only to the appetites and passions. Beauty is
not DflZcu Wy 5otdkC AlShb Oub WACb tnC 0lt-
NAL part Is awakened, as the process Of educa-
ton goes on, man recognizes In beauty deliv-
erance from animalism. Then it teaches man
ners how to appear graceful and covers up
coarseness, and higher Ii e is the natural
Consequence. In the process of develope-
ment beauty becomes lovely aud is admired.
But beauty ascends and becomes the attri-
butte of moral culture. At first physical, it
grows more spiritual, and we highly estimate
it as It reports itself to the conscience, love,
faith and reason. There is another modifca-
ton. When the mind is elevated to such
sense Of beauty, it acts refeciively on natur-
al objects, and invests material things with
moral qualities. Those whom we love we
esteem as beautiful, and this quality enters
largely into local attachments. 1t does not
precede education, but is the fruit of it.
Mr., Beecher believed that when man was
purified in his soul he began to see beauty in
its loveliest form, but beauty does not begin
the process of publication. He recollected
no nation whose exodus from barbarism had
been led by beauty. Civilization OF nations
comes before art, and art comes no faster than
civilization. In Greece art was the result of
national feeling. and not the cause of it. The
most powerful emotions of a nation were pat
riotism and religion.
Patriotism creates art, and religion creates
beauty. The Athenian bible may be said to
have been carved in marble aud painted in
pictures. Art does not inspire culture, but is
the legitimate result of it. In the 10th CEN
fury, the revived spirit of learning and of reli-
glon brought art to life agasn. In the early
Italian and Flemish schools art was severely
and exclusively religious.
When classical learning revived, art beganto
decline and lose its moral culture. The speak
er said beauty must minister directly to life.
When sensibility to the beautiful is awakened,
there are shown signs of right development
and growth. Human life should seem more
beautiful than any thing else. The most cor
rupt periods OF the world have been those
most brilliant in art. He doubted whether
art is doing any good in the world because it
Is not moral development, nor the instrument
of the soul. When art is beneficial artists
were men of might and stood head and shoul-
ders above their fellows. He gave q very in
teresting description of his visit to works of
art abroad. .
The lecturer then spoke Of the American
people. He said we were placing pictures on
our walls just as we shnige our houses. Ed
ucation was moral duty. The religious sense
of the nation has declared that men ought to
be educated. Recently we have been able to
mark the dividing line between treason and
patriotism. Where schoolhouses stopped there
treason began. Political insurance was to be
found hereafter in education of the masses
Sudden wealth is always attended with dan
ger. II Is ostentatious and proud, and that
produces extravaganza.
Hisremarks upon training children were ex-
ceedingly fine and appropriate. His descrip-
tions Of our landscapes showed how deep his
love is for the works OF nature. He spoke
for an hour and a half, and at times was truly
eloquent. The lecture gave great satisfaction
to the audience. s@I w ~ s1G
The eighth lecture of this course will be
given by Rey.A. A. Willets of Brooklyn, N,
T., on the evening of the fourth of January
next aas lei hae i1lgas4