New-York tribune., 1870-10-20
THE BOSTON RADICAL CLUB.


the pouring rain which used to sprinkle them whether
they would no. almost every meeting last year. they
had perfect day. radiant with October sun, prsmatic
with October haze OF course the attendance was br
liant also. All the greater and lesser lights shone, ana
all went merry" as modern church music Of Sunday
First, at a little PREDATORY business session, the last
years officers reelected that the Rev John
Sargent appointed Secretary, vice the Rev Kowani
Connor who resigned because he Ia about to follow the
course empire Westward and attempt the conversion
OF Milwaukee TO Trapscendentalisn.
Then A. Bronson Alcot the white haired sage oil Ton
cord took the chair and commenced TO discourse To US
concerning the art OF which, In some model college OF
Utopia he ought to professor the Art Of Conyersa
ton He promised that he not to read an essay on
this subject but to open conversation and conyersa
ton was different from every other form OF discourse III
that IL implied the absence OF forcthOught one cannot
bring written conversation for conversation u apove
all Responsive 1t IS subtle sensitive, magneticto be
waited for and not to anticipated. To converse we
must put ourselves I'm receptive attitude maintain
humble genial dspositon and be not anxious to bring
our best TO the surface but let the spirit Of the hour ma
ont II so chance, the best In each ana all one ven
ures into an interview OF this kind with didence SINCE
we meet not to conflict but to compare notes to synpa
tbze TO become one II possible. III possible! lor we
have not the matter entirely at our control our tenn
peraments determine more than we know, what we sha
derive from meeting for conversation Not all people
can conyerse Unless we are lyrcally originated, mar
moniously constituted, We may be wise, good, great Dut
conversation is denied We may talk, lndeed-"e
NAV exhort with power, ,or instruct with zeal, we may
be mighty on the platform but true conversation fusion
OF soul with soul IL not for Individuality separates
personality untes In God, the Person OF persons, we
become
How shall we illustrate the OF conversations who
have been the great conversers Of bistoryi Could Dr
johnson rightly claim this title-a dogmatist brow
beater as positive and arrogant he was brlantf Or
shall we cite Mr. Carylei surely he u not cohVefser
for the paror unless one who enters IL
TO be overwhelmed, borne down, or demom1ed. MI
CARLYLE has long been admirable at demonlzing. lie
likes argument provided you floor him. He VIII get
p and apple you 20 his heart, his friend, MS peer p"o
IL he get the better ~ yOu woe betde yo ne mas TOT
Won no need but his contempt Where satire ana irony
come in 10 and yicmi2e, true conversation j. want
ing COeridge was, In some senses, the most haEnh-
cent converser of modern times But he seldom talked
10 any person. did he much need response lie was
too meaphys rhapsodca, for true conversation
The listener had hard work to follow the glstehihg,
subtytwsted thread OF his discourse Madame estaei
WAS little too heavily charged with Madame de stael
Sefforgetfulness and dhdence were wanting 10 her'
and these belong eninently to the best conversation
To come nearer home Margaret Fuller was woman
who did converse not talking like Coeridge, to some
thing vague impersona the spirit, II you WILL OF the
hour-Margaret put herself In sympathy Will all Pyth-
onesske she inspired herself, and inspired others
lifted them into spheres. such gfts are rare; ot
even Margaret did not forget herself; only saints do'
There is one face miss here, and Mr. Acott paused
and his kind blue eyes searched the rooms IN V ior MS
negbbor Ralph Waldo Emerson. No, he Is not here,
nv friend and neghbor and may speak Of him ~ one
of the finest conyersers OF time though possibly MS
natural temperament may not have been the one nest
fitted for conversation; for this is an art which eAacts
much A certain hncness even Of voice belongs to the
true converser and true conversation never sends us
,,,.a,. v,itbout bay in unified and inSDirpd
Leaving modern times we find in Plato the most per-
feet example OF the art and method Of c0nyersationthe
method which makes the art possible even 10 unHehdy
temperaments. We scarcely find in any modern com
panes respect and Difference as in Patos Dialogues
We in them the power OF calling out each one making
him feel that he is part Of the occasion Plato was ur
bane, and urbanity is something which II not 9nte eH
pressed by politeness Urbamty comedies rleet Iree
dom to each Hence in all energy OF ntterance an
urbanc person bears in mind that his lnterOcutor Is
asoa thinking being, and therefore he does not brow
beat is not arrogant. Mr. Acott knew one person-and
Emerson-w no was such master OF cOnyer-aohal dla-
eccs that he could take any man and draw ieh rdt m
a great service this last, and socratic also.
Diiidence Is hrst qa!lleauon TO Ile gGou
have the art of of conversation in their hearts
Mr S s he the that W All Kinds Of Conversation shall he modfed
by them. The trouble with men Is that they have no
solvent Dissolve them, ladies' We need the feminine
element in the masculine brain. only ideasts can
converse What is conversation worth unless II nave
wing-it is bu poor quadruped The dealists are or
miraclcwOrkers. They have done the great Things in
the worlds history People speak sneerngly Of being
observation from which To look down upon the world.
Mr.. Sargent followed Mr. Acott expressing his aimi
ration Of what had been said and pleasantly audng 10
the fitness Of talk about conversation at this Club
which had been originally organ1ed as conyerslng
platform ministrations might be made more converse
tonal.
Dr. Bartol was called upon TO speak, and quoted the
great Converser who said 1T is not ye who speak, but
the spirit Whcl speahl IN YOU 10 -eah MY m tneIe
fore might not M all times De IN our power 10 INSPIRE
and 10 trauspre both mpled and when one not
alone inspired but s also able 10 transpre conversation
becomes worthy. without the inspiration OF love II is
hut duel OF tongues Conversation implies that we do
cannot converse Absolute wisdom would dsallow CON
versaon, which implies reflex action God does not talk
with us. But conversation Is not limited TO words. What
ever passes from one to another Is conversation though
he rendered by eyes not tongues or by the yet more
subtle power which makes II possible 10 sit together even
in darkness and feel what Is in each others heart with
ont word or look.
the harmOnzing-is IL too much to say fusion =
not of opinions but of souls The best thing is when
can vet unite perfectly with another We need not he
moved to conversation by what person says but by
all the notes which make up His everlasting harmOnies
seems the greatest conyerser OF all
Mrs Cheney thought we need not move each other II
moving at all imply modification.
Col Higginson queried whether conversation might
jarring OF no insignificant importance.
Mrs Cheney believed there would be jarring in the
highest conversation, though its influence might make
us conscious OF more power thon we felt before.
Mr. Acott suggested openness as another attribute OF
good conversation and said that egosm is a the root
OF all reserve.
Col Higginson spoke OF the two kinds Of Inspiration
the which receive from the man who knows and
saws everything the other which from the very
stiffness of who say nothing and make say
everything III this latter class be not the great
vcrsr they least the great occasions Of converse
tion. Women ~ this type wrought the charm OF the
French sdi0H-the Madame Reeamlers, not the Madame
dc Stacls of society
Mr. Alcott beamed approval upon his martial neighbor
He himself he said had down talk absolutely with
cut ideas in room where magnetic women were pres
ent, and soon found himself full of thought
'ppThapS so
gested the Colonel calamity
Mr.. Sargent questioned Mr. AcOtt's statement that eg
Otsm at the root of He thought that the
most egotstca people he had known had been the
who bored him most with their perpetual overfOwDgs
aI.