Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-15

The lycoum has come TO be q regular fca-
turc Of our winter amusement, not only in
the larger cities, but In almost every hamlet
in the Union, In the latter II supplies the
place of the theatre and the concert, aud the
arrival Of q star lecturer, II we may use the
term, Is looked forward to with as much In
terest and lmpatleuce as is In the great cen
tres Of population the arrival OF Lucca ora
Nilsson. Lecturing has become, In fact
regular business or profession, and is as stable
n source Of income to hundreds Of persons as
Is his practice to the lawyer or the physician.
Journals are printed In Its interest, bureaus
have been established to give information
about lecturers, their subjects, aud their
terms and enterprIslng people have been to
the expense Of building halls and 30 forth with
a special eye to their utility In this direction.
Il Is very doubtful whether anythlng ls ever
learned Of one OF our modern lectures, not be-
cause our lecturers are not competent to lin-
part instruction, but because instruction Is
not expected, aud Ia not In nine cases out OF
ten, attempted. The whole thing partakes
more of the character Of an exhibition or
show, and Is practically intended to crafty
certain morbid desire that we all have to meet
and hear to be, as II were, introduced to men
about whom We have heard, whose names
| I'LL the world or portion OF IT, whose books
| are in ourlibrarics, or who have distinguished
themselves In some particular, whether acci-
dental or otherwise. To Illustrate what we
mean In all probability some OF our societies
will give ia an opportunity to hear the emil
ncnt English historian, Mr.. Froude, this winter,
Surprising that they do, we do not expect
that the sum of our knowledge OF EngllAh
history will be greatly increased or that he
will throw much additional light on the rela-
tlOns between England and ireland, the subject
Of his principal lecture. But still the hourspent
with him will be not only probably spent,
/ but the subsequent advantages 10 be derived
from It will be very great. Those who are
so unfortunate as not to have read his mag
uidcent history Of England from WolSey 10
the end Of Elizabeth's reign will have an In
terest created in his works, and will, we have
no doubt, be melted to at least read portion
Of what be has written. Take another case;
Mr.. Wendell Phillips Lost Arts" Is one Of
the most interesting and instructive lectures
that has been delivered In years; but very
little Is learned from It, Its chief value Is
that II directs attention to the subject and
teaches us to think and study for ourselves.
| A couple Of years ago when Charles Dickens
gave readings from his own works, we be-
lieve that the majority Of those who heard
him failed to appreciate his work; but nearly
| all OF us went back again TO Pickwick and
David Copperheld and Little Nell.
The number Of distinguished men who arc
announced to lecture this winter lie unusually
large, and rich particularly In foreign celeb
rites. We do not know what Arrangements
our local societies have mAde-the Grand
Army and the Young Mems Christian Associ
alton; but we would respectfully remlnt
them that Washington will not forgive then
If Mr.. Froudeis permitted to leave our shore
without presentation at the capital. Ed
mund Yates, also, should not be forgotten
and George Macdonald. To get dowI
among the mlnuows John Hay was fallur'
here last winter, but we sec that he has I
new lecture, entitled "Washington Life" II
which he pretends to give the ms aud outs o
events at the capital. We wish that he coult
be Induced TO deliver II here. The test woul,
be a severe one, and we do not believe thu
he would care to submit to It, Major Ha
knows a good deal about Washington In MI
Lncoln's time but he knows next to nothin
about 1t now. He has not been here score q
times since, and he must, In the very natur
OF things, draw some heavy drafts upon hi
Imagination. But II he can be Induced
come, by all means let us have him.