Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-01-19
MIR. McRAE's LECTURE.
me YS1ag Meas ShrisfiHh Assoc.
cfaton.

EVENING ituu MS sehfus W ehV ~SHaNNSa
ate Relief Association, was written shortly
after the lecturers return to America as
Consul To- Paris. by the editor of the
Richmond Enquirer. Let the just and
eloquent comments of the bright and
brave Captain o. Jennings Wise be to-
day repeated; for now, as then and ever,
the gems Of this orator crowned head
are lavishly strewn for the benefit, pleas
ure and substantial good of others. W.
By far the most eloquent, entertaining
and instructive lecture of the season was
delivered before the Young Men
Christian Association on Monday night
last by the Hon, Duncan X. McRae, OF
North Carolina. The subject was The
Equality of Talent and Genius an old
theme, nay, hackneyed one, and pre-
senting TO the lecturer all the difficulties
intended by the Horatian maxim:
"Di6fcile est proprie communiG deere,
Every such difficulty was more than sur
mounted. The lecture was the effort OF
a strong man well prepared for his work.
We were unfortunate enough 10 lose
the exordium of the discourse. When
we entered the hall we found the speaker
in the full tide of oratorial success. The
whole attention Of the audience was riv-
eted on the meaning glanee, the grace
full gesture-all the more impressive be-
cause unstudied- the full tones of
voice, combining unusual compass and
sweetness. The whole action was ex-
quisite.
1T would be impossible for us to de-
scribe the matter of the lecture. The
topics were so various, the Illustrations
so versatile, the transitions from philoso-
phical dissertation to mirth-proyoking hui
NOR, from interesting narrative to the
full pathos of imprisoned appeal, so
frequent and so rapid, that it required
all the effort OF the speaker himself to
harmonic the thousand colors and forms
into the unity of single discourse. 1t
was altogether a rare and favorable
specimen of eloquence peculiarly Amer
lean in its style and type.
Mr.. McRaes lecture bears on its face
the nationality of its author. 1t was
written by an American statesman, still
a Young man, who has, nevertheless,
mingled long and actively, and won dis
tinction, in the political, social and busi-
ness relations of cis-Atlantic life; and
vet. has not only found useful hours to
devote to closet study, in the enthusiastic
pursuit of literary, scientific and historl-
cal lore, but has also seized opportuni-
ties for inspiration before the shrines
themselves of classic taste and artistic
triumph among the great trophies of the
Old World Thus it is that he finds him
self equally at home, in an enthusiastic
dissertation, well tempered with critical
accuracy on the great masters OF poetry,
from Homer to Horace, from Virgil to
Dante, from Tasso to Shakespeare; or
nicely distinguishing the comparative
merits of the great Columbus and his
cunning rival; meantime, finding marked
notifications for the sceptieism of Cas-
lillian sages in the no less ludicrous pro-
nunciamentos of modern wiseaeres, or
following the worlds military chieftains
through the inner maZes which disclose
the secrets Of their triumphs and de-
feats; or, culling up in one mighty
panorama, as it were, before the very
ewes of his audience, the lines and
labors and deathless works of Michael
Angelo and of Raphael; or causing the
same audience to thrill again with the
mere description of great achievements
by the orators of different ages, from
Demosthenes to Patrick Henry; or
searching deep into the great policy and
greater motives of comprehensive states
manship.
The success Of the effort was COM
plete. From first to last, the audience
seemed to keep pace with intense and
animated interest, which the speaker
himself did not for a moment cease to
manifest. Not whisper from the crowd
broke in upon the orators tones, except
when they were drowned and hushed by
l,thunders of applause, varied by loud
shouts of laughter which hailed the not
unfrequent salies of quiet humor or cut
ting satire which occasionally relieved
the serener parts Of the Grafton. Toward
the close of the lecture, Mr.. McRae pro
nounced an eloquent allusion to the
present political crisis. Like true
! Southern statesman, he dwelt with espe-
cial enthusiasm on the great blessings
which the Union, as created and ee-
mented by our fathers, had entailed
upon their children, and appealed to a
union of all the patriotic energies, genius
and talent combined to rally to the
maintenance of the Union in the purity
and integrity of confederate faith, un.
contaminated by fanatical outrage. The
orator thought he saw the sunlight Of
awakened conservative sentiment at the
North breaking through the storm cloud
of abolitionist intolerance, and cougratu.
lated the people of Virginia that the first
blow of the tempest had stricken the
State at moment when the bark of Nir-
ginia's destiny was guided by helms.
man who not only united the highest
orders Of genius and talent, but brought
to their aid the great prerequisite of m.
quailing courage, tempered with the skill
and prudence of a practiced master.
This sentiment was received with vocife-
rous and long continued cheering.
The peroration of the lecture was ad
dressed especially to the young men Of
the Association. Rising above consid
erations of worldly interest, or even Of
patriotic duty, the speaker closed his dis
course with a most impressive appeal to
the high religious motives which incite
that untiring industry and eeaseless de
votion to duty which alone cab raise tai
ent TO the highest pedestal Of exalted
genius.
We earnestly trust that this is not the
last lecture which our people viii hear
from the lips of Duncan X. McRae. To
those of our readers who have not seen
nor heard him, we can give the full assn
rance that there is pluck and pith anc
marrow in this son Of the Old Nortl
State.
General Lee and the war.
In his lecture af New Orleans Genera