Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-26
Rev. VIZ. Tuxbury'S Lecture.

Rev. Franklin Tuxbury of Brandon, de-
livered the fourth lecture in the Spring
course before the Rutland Young Mems
Christian Association on Friday evening,
before a respectable audience upon
"Heroes and the Heroic or The Hero of
Modern Liberalism not the Hero of
Christianity y
He commenced his lecture by saying
that the word hero came to us from the
Greeks of old, who seem to have used it
to designate the hordes that overran their
country. For time it was applied gen.
orally to an army, but eventually it came
to mean only men who had become prodi-
gies and was given to them if distin-
guished in various departments, and was
applied according to the superstition of
the time, that he was the offspring of a
divinity, and as soon as recognized, a
column was placed upon his tomb. In
this the Romans followed the Greek. In
modern times the word hero signifed
generally one who exhibited very high
degree of valor and self-devotion in the
cause of country or similar cause. He
then proceeded to speak of Carlyle's
Heroes and Hero Worship. and announc-
ed as the topic under consideration was,
"What is a Hero? What kind of Hero
we ought to hold in highest esteem? And
in what respect we ordinary mortals
ought to regard Heroes generally p
The prevailing characteristic of Mr..
Carlyle's Heroes is that he is a prodigy.
Our own character is displayed by the
kind of man we set up for our special ad-
miration. Every prodigy is sure to be-
come the Hero of some body. The young
painter, sculptor, poet, soldier, paint vision
of their several heroes. So to the specul-
ators and the ploughboy have before them
some prodigy whom they would rival.
This following of prodigies for heroes
leads us down into regions very far from
heroic. ....
Without going into an elaborate report
of this admirable, well prepared and fine
~ written address, we shall only give the
main points desired.
/. True heroism is sacrifice of self for
the good of others. They aresdivided in
to two classes, the Hero Prodigy and the
Hero Magnanimous. Taking self-sacri-
flee as the essential element of heroism,
twill be found that the principles of pat
riotism, science and religion, have raised
them to eminence.
2. All heroism is not confined to cases
which are thrown forth on the page of
history. There may be many hero with
a heart as great as Carey or Columbus,
whose deeds lie and will lie unknown
The man of business who resists tempt
alton, and does not sacrifice principle, is
an example of the silent hero.
3. What makes the greatest hero, some re-
ply mental power, but mental power apart
from magnanimity seems rather to dimin-
ish than increase mans claim TO grandeur.
The soldier replies, Courage, bu1 we turn
from him with honest disgust, as misera-
bly, perverting the very idea Of heroism,
sacrificing others to himself, instead of
sacrificing himself to others. A contrast
/ to this is the Cornwall hero, who, when
danger was near, said to his brother mi
ner, Escape! said that the inducement
that led him to brave the danger was, 81
knew my soul was safe; was not so sure
about his" Here is your hero.
A. The prophet of Nazareth is the true
type of the hero, who exhibited it by q
sacrifice of himself and the question as
to to the standard of Heroism, How far
have you lived to serve others-how far