New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-06
"TO THE RESCUE"
MISS pIcKIysoy's LECTURE.


| Dickinson made her frat speech in New York 1t
| was in that dismal cavern whll-nigh forgotten
which bore the name Of tho Great Hall Of the Cooper
Institute. This cave glazing by night and gloomy
by day. was then at it's eloomest for it not quito
halfflled by that pestilent body Of aators yclep,
the National Anti-Slayery Society, which, COrpOr.
cate Cassandra came annually TO utter It's call 10 do
Justice and love mercy and to threat with the indg-
ment 10 come. To the two hundred righteous that
morning assembled, the President OF the meeting an
nounced that they would be addressed by Anna
Dickinson of Philadelphia She rose, tossed on her
hat and shawl, and came forward slip Of a girl ia
brown stuff shy, plain. rustic. Ii was a child who
stood there with childs fearless eyes childs con
fdent bearing. a childis impotence Of detail a
cblld's incOnclusye and uncODsdered Argument She
had grave defects of elocution of action Of method
Her ideas were neither original nor great. Yet in
the wonderful responsive voice in the changing lu-
mnous face, in the dramatic temperament, in tho
large humanity that swayed her. in the passionate
love of right and scorn Of wrong there was promise
of the orator to be.
Not long after. when the war days were upon us.
the girl was heard OF in Connecticut in one OF those
election campaigns. when the loss Of State to the
Union cause was like the loss of army. She rode
day and night in all sorts of weathers. and in all
sorts of conveyances. She spoke in halls in meet
in houses in barns, neutrality-suspicious. where
a handful of voters was gathered. She reasoned she
pleaded she scoifed she entreated, she threatened
Where a man would not have been heard. she was
courteously entreated. This stripping, with her
smooth stones from the brook, slew her giant. The
State was saved. Her reputation was made. Thence
forth engagements poured in upon her; and to-day
John b. Cough excepted, no lecturer in the field is
so solicited
That her growth has kept worthy pace with her
success, we have been more than once compelled W
dispute. Certain Of her audiences, certain OF APP
plause admiration, and money, weary OF the years
routine the temptation to offer easy ana sounding
emptiness, for toisome excellence was too great
And it is not too much to say that Miss Dickinson per
rnitted herself to rest in successes whose poverty
she would have scorned had they been won by man
No genuine nature, however, can long satisfy isei
with less than it's best. And when they who 80
sincerely honored the great nature Of the woman az
TO be impatient of her shortcomings were ready 10
shake their heads and say-"We over-estimated her;
she il not gTeat-she suddenly shook OF the lneT'
TIA which had hindered her. gave all her powers ID
her task and surprised them anew with her earnest
ness and her capacity. Thus last December herIe
ture was more serious. more tender, more lar more
temperate, more noble, more wornanly, than any
lecture she had given years. The smartness the
apparent acerbity, the sentimentalIty which often
offended had given place TO quiet absorption ia Del
subject which in turn absorbed her hearers.
Last night Miss Dickinson gave the last lecture ioi
the season in New-York. 1t is fair therefore, to look
at her performance somewhat critically. Her ten
wears of labor are completed. In the ten years the
quaint child in brown stuff has become the elegant
woman in splendid attire Her beauty has deyel
oped Her voice has strengthened. Her command
of her resources has increased. Her womanly sweet
ness and dignity are unspoed. Now tor the mental
results.
She WAS evidently suffering, last night both from
n cold and from the annoyance of finding her appear
ance ill-managed, as it plainly was. The Lecture,
called ITO the Rescue" touched SO many points Oh
the vexed woman Question" that the limitations
of time alone would have made II impossible 10 her
to demonstrate her positions clearly OF to close the
argument on any one of them. She is so moved and
compelled by her cause that she undertakes too
much The very fault argues earnestness belief
effort power which will in the end conquer the
fault. But the present result of her impetuous and
ovcrmastering purpose is TO betray her into pathos
and sentiment when she means TO present reasons
And her pathos, winning and touching as IL Is uoo'
not convince because out of her presence 1t Is lot
gotten.
Still. all abatement being made, Miss Dickinson
made speech so strong and clear that looking back
on her ten years OF labor she may well feel that she
has not mistaken her vocation. As We said two
months ago, and feel still more strongly to-day.
she already shows not only that she has shining capa
city as an orator. but that she has that greater ca
pacy of sublime discomfort with all she has done II
is quite within Miss DicknsOn's power to be the
most admirable orator in America. as well rs the
most popular. When we have the pleasure OF sum.
ming up her performance for the next ten years. we
trust that her possibility will have become her
achievement.
Miss Dickinson began with reference TO the wonder
ful exent and variety OF American resources ana AmI
can scenery this side of the Pacific. 10 tie sense OF %
essness that chiefly strikes one IN the long overland
innrney- Descrlhlng the MndeYelnlch MeAlth OF NE