New-York tribune., 1871-03-23
BUCKLE AND CARLYLE.
r,,r posroN RADICAL ,CLtB.


CHADWICK, MRS. HOWE, AND OTHERS
PosroN. March G1.-The "Spiing opening" Of
tue rCston Radical Club, az No. II Chesinutst. yeSter
day, was remarkably well attended, though there was
r-cseut mo~c mind than millinery. In place OF Mosicurs
Weiss and WaSsoI-who are absent provohngy oiteh OF
latc-wc had lr. Chadwick from Brooklyn, NJ Y; Mr'
Acott lust r,turred from his Western conversations
aud Nrs. Howe, taking a little vacation from
lar lahers for the peace Of The world and the
caancluation OF women Most OF tho regular
army were thcrc-Dr. Bartol, the host. with his
ecrcnc face and welcoming smile, Co. Hggnson, Rev
sam Lonccow, Mr. sanborn, Mrs Cheney, and the rest,
with cIaNG OF ajmirng listeners ana lO0kerSon. MT.
Potter Of NcvGediord the essay st Of the occasion took
h.. scat uoue-ibo chair behind glass Of rcd and
white r0sc and opened the not of the roses, but OF
theories Few Of the Radicals. it is said equal Mt
Potter in breadth and depth Of scholarship; ana thhk
sJrpass him in certain quality OF calm reason
which enables linn to sec both sides Of subject and to
DO justice TO opposing opinions Tho theme OF his dis
cou.sc was "TEo Agency Of Law and OF Persons In
Eulne that is TO say, "Tho Buckle and Car
l!'c Theories oi History"
1HE ESSAY.
Thomas Carlyle says, "Tho history Of what man has
ac,cmvs in this world is at bottom tie history oil
the rrcat men who have worked here" Henry Thomas
I>u,kc saws that the history of mankind as in the
physical world. al ia order symmetry, and Ia" anu
tat is tie business Of the historian to show that te
movements II nations perfectly regular ana tha
l1c u other movements, they are solely Determined ny
anteccdcnts II he cannot do this, he may be an
arralist cr noerapher. n chronicler but Is no his
toren" These Two statements represent tWo qhe op-
rosic thousl not perhaps rn ONE esprphasiiSs
ava na--,ues the importance OF persons rs ieaqcts
O. tho human race; resolves history suoStI@.iany @ hO
personal character and votion makes II the sum os & ec
de15sii on cror-e., and acts OF the men Who nave nave
,-r e,. .f,ero1is ability in human an lr5 Inc otne
rs IIl m to discover and trace that lnd OF law % ana
lc IA human iars VIII wilct f Is Dei.' a1 ards perSons
asuGcy Tie Instruments IN the unloaIls ~ VI c'cnS n
siaas o. humanity in the mass as being peryaded'
F'.ej. crI developed by an ntelgent orce ah1 p9I p
.. Mi "a may be called divinity or destiny. ON the
,o..' te- r., limsolf the most brilliant illustrator OF
ON sGn Of 9istoFy GstoFy gives Us si,ttRS tRS
Grina;y for tho eighteenth century the letters ana
Si. Ed Tisi5ud's civil war in the seyenteeth cen.
ry: 'oUns pictures OF few leading persons ana OF
fe Ir.nch revolution. And in al TINS Carlyle % but
carries 10 the extreme what may be sSid TO nave sccn'
ii ouis recent times the general theory OF history
viiu--namely, tie chrOniclng in their proper CON
c:ol and order Of the deeds of great men, ana te @
1lc. cf their rcnre sentative leaders. On the other
H n - os hstor3cai Writers agreeng with him give
rs histories of human progress ana even OF seIdnc @
teHcc o individual men, however great and active are
y ~ to trace the progress OF events to the
,-rss az inp-rsonal ideas and Tendencies working in
A.ua society N rhe agregate ihey loioT the move
NE Of ions, Civilizations rellslCns back 10 ceIiah
t.d at.ci15 10 show how the development Of these,
lpr the various conditions Of miET3ton hereditary
tT.
M Sns ac ion and reaction Of nations and ideas upon
c.ch Other. has produced all that variety and steady
t.e tt bo,h events and ideas have been developed IN
t,yer 10 lreak or change and that even the great
.hO seem to lead are, with al their capacities TOT
'1ght ald action, the product OF past general cond
t..us oil human Development, and have not so much
j. lIcd sccieir as been nodded by H. . .
o. hese tWO theories OF history the latter Is eyldenJy
GtiaEtac ascCndoncy. Adspos!tion is gaining ground
tar IA human AFFAIRS than IN the nfnl arbitrary power
g EiG l. trust t-c os, o. events ra!lGr t4an 'ne su.
tuan he b,cx cI tie hero. More ana with every
tlaon DO events seem 70 follow the average thought
and md nccs Of a community nation, and less and
& 70 5 BY the aoR9ns power Of
% Am5,a by 1s our Tat late SFn WaF 1as s''Ins @cst
oae'y ropes war: Gld not pro
qouus Abraham Lincoln became lnOsi truly the nation.
% b We cricised linn a' freCiy While he lived and
oay caaou.4od nm after ms tIa-c aeath hecIetaIy
re entirely tnal any other, the soul OF the war; bl
s ;ysr FGe nom tue IscJ tT ne & wa o Gqe f T.S
,ho Asart O t1e nation Looking abroad, We see that
IlutCun and ,lc Reyr Party follow rather than lead
t.o English people. Italy misses Cayour to this day
1 c 4 1 s15S bS Il BE fs9 cs Of Bsmarcs lasac
aud energy; but these have been leaders, only be-
oy lave Sa4ated n for So,li thS e, time t%T
respective nations II begins to De e., s; seen (;
aopie arc perceyine that this apply all phases
departments Of human progress, religious as Wen as
soa forces laws in the operations and progress Of
oies and biographies This theory eliminates the nirae-
ulos element nom religious history and hence comes
into accord with Tie scientific thought OF modern times
II shows religion bottom to be allegiance 10 certain
Naturally revealed principles OF intelligence and rectl-
tudo than TO supernatural personages and seeks
10 explain how the behef in such supernatural persons
has out o these natural and universal religious
Te theory of law in the domain Of morals is pushed
10 is extreme by the statistical school Of moral
iss who maintain, the authority OF carefully gath
tables Of statistics that there are laws which gov
e trivial well as the Sravcst, acts or men,
that whatever individual may do by way OF stemming
To current theie must oe Jnst 90 many crimes u
makes natural protest against these sweeping asser
tOis Ore very important part OF human Eature feeA
itself overlooked wien the operations Of human society
are reduced " mere machine activity. And against
tLis extreme, the Buckle theory must be guarded by
g0eptns to IL "a very important element from Caryles
saVeIucnt Bat first let us glance moment longer at
:.e merits OF this theory OF the agency OF law in
tie worries history. or course ecclesiastical Chris
t-3dOh qafi 'a VIZ - & a. T3utu sa1e
study Christianity nom different point OF Wow regard
tt of what had gone before All religions traced back
ta.d show mark. OF knshlp Tho very sign OF the
60 ,g moro IAN any other symbol is delt lied with
siaIfy, 7as among the Pncnieians the RO-
,},.ic - ision In India ana was familiar TO the
Aztecs in America and even 10 the ancient Maya race
who preceded the AZteCs ON inc hammer OF IhOf, the
Oh God OF Thunder, Barring Gould finds the cross and
uatlOn5 whose very names are lost IN altI1Mty
80 , ~ mt ~ a4bes Of their dead The
da1.0.iatc ye" Of history. IL lends dignity to human
t4a 1es not ana cannot incaTnate himself wholly in
lie Work through the whole. But this theory
- iss dangerous and detrimental when is pus ed TO
TIC rt,cnc 0f denying altogether the agency OF per
,l v0i.Iyu aud pcI0nI possibility. IL then yO-
20 iGfii fa0i and philosophy We mast allow for the
element Of personal power lol ~hgh O@II{lo P9 Pie4s'
T0' 'w0 theories ere ~ b9 recoLced IN isnec
.,, which shall grasp and uD'te bOth atehcle2--iHe
aeerr o law ana the agency OF persons. That whlch
60 col. Las ia the universe becomes ID human persons,
vial. setcDlsciJus scliactive. Both characters ana
cF.ts must tc -'e.icd back T. one ,Is' oI
.I.t ID. e,rfavy Df q