The New York herald., 1873-12-03

n.
ably where there is wrong predisposition 1t win
assert itself, In spite OF all obstacles; hut even
here, only after an Initiation OF many errors and
much seu-ueceptlon One OF the fruitful sources OF
that seltdeception is To he found In the suscep-
tblitY OF the youthful mind. oHr sympathy is so
quick that we are apt to ascrlpe 10 ourselves the
qualities which we admire In others. II it be the
axe or great poet his numbers are
forever resounding In our ears, and we sigh
lor MS iaurcis; military age nothing will con-
tent us but 10 be at the head OF armies; n an
age OF orators and politics. we are not content 10
be anything less than leaders OF parties ana
minister's OF state. IL appears to be IN the nature
oi things that however strong may be the pre-
disposition, The instances OF success must
De rare, and in ninety nine cases out OF
. q hundred the feeling that has influenced
W Is not idiosyncratic but mimetic, and we
have mistaken quick senslbty ior creative
power Then comes 10 q young man the period OF
disappointment and dependency. TO publish
poems which no one VIII read--0ausnterl-to
make speeches which no one VIII listen; AFTER IN
our reveries conduc. ing campaiens ani councils,
TO find that on our entrance INTO real practical NC
We cannot influence TIE conduct OF the most
ordinary indivduais-al this s bitter; but all de-
pends upon how the lesson is received. weak
spirit win survive this catastrophe OF his SELL
love; he VIII Sink INTO cnroulc dependency, and,
without attempting 10 rally, he viii pass through
life a. phantom and be remembered IS an
Old man only by the g0gden promise OIL his dccep-
tive youth. (CheerS) Eut man Of sense VIII
accept those consequences, however apparently
morbllyng, with courage and candor. He Will dive
into hls own Intelligence; he will analyZe the
causes OF his failure; he Will discriminate how
mueh may be attributed 10 external and lortuitous
circums stances ana ia this severe introspectlon he
may obtain that sc acknowledge he requires, Ills
failures may be the foundation Of his ultimate sue
cess. and III this moral and intellectual struggle he
may discover the true range OF his powers anG the
r2ht pent or ms character ana capabilty. so
much, gentlemen, Tor seli-knowledge. IL i a
theme on which philosophers have written endless
ucallses Tor countless ages. l do not pretend TO
be philosopher and have not offered you
treatise, but have made some remarks which are
at least the result OF my own observations. But
Stunning tnat you have ut length attained this nds
pensa6e sell. Gno Wedge and that you have an op-
n suit n n N
bent OF your disposition, we come now to the Sec
ond and not less important condition OF success IN
me--llaYe you that other knowledge which IL fe
quledY Do you comprehend the spirit OF the age
IN which your faculties are to be exercised?
hitherto you nave beeh rs explorers IN mountain
district You nave surveyed and examined valleys,
you have penetrated gorges, YOU have crossed
many rldge and range, TIL 1T length, having
overcome all obstacles yod have reached tue crest
OF the commanding height, and, ike the soldiers OF
NenopnOn. you behold the sea. lCheers.) But the
sea tlat you behold is the ocean OF lie. III what
vessels are you so liz 70 embarkY With what IN
struments are Won urnishedg WHAT is the port OF
your destinations There is no lack OF men VINO viii
explain the past, and so ar as know, certainly no
want OF those VINO VIII predict the luture-a very
remarkable circumstance. tLaughter.l The
moment that have to deal with the present,
with that present which we see and ieel, every
one is bewl dered, most are mistaken, with
the spirit OF the age IN which We live. Whatever
our culture and Whatever our opportunities, IL Is
probable that our lives may prove q failure. When
tie young King oil Macedon DECIDED that the time
had arrived Wnen Aurope should invade Asia he
recognized the spirit OF tue age. When Caus
JuGus perceived that the colossal empire formed
oy the Senate and poDulace OF Rome could not be
sustained on the municipal institutions OF q single
city, however illlsrious, he understood the spirit
OF his age. Other examples might be mentioned.
The necessity OF this knowledge pervades the
whole system OF llfe. lake, for example, the choice
OF profession; a knowledge OF the spirit or the
age may save young man from embracing pro-
fesslon which the spirit OF the age dooms 70 pe-
come obsolete. IL Is the same with the pursuits
Or commerce. THIS knowledge may guard man
from embarking his capital IN decaylng trade or
4
distant land IRON which the spirit OF the age is
necessarily diveThng all commercial transac.
spirit OF the age is necessary for every
puoAe man. ana IN country ike ours,
else rights or to Iuldl duties which, in however
small degree, go TO the aggregate OF that senti-
ment whicn ultimately governs States, every one is
pubic character. But it does not follow because
the spirit oil the age is perceived aud recognized,
that II should be embraced and followed, or tnat
success III lie uepends upon adopting II. But,
gentlemen, when impress upon you the neces-
sity OF comprehending the spirit OF the age in
which you 1--we, i DO not impress upon you the me-
cessity, or even the deslrabilty, OF adopting and
following that spirit. The spirit OF the age Iuay be
dangerous spirit; 1t may be an unjust spirit; 1t
may be an injurious spirit; IL may be the moral
duty OF man not only TO deler to- out TO resist
and il 1t be unsound and Injurious, IN SO doing he
Will not only fulfil his duty. but he may accomplish
his success IN Lille. Inc spirit OF the age, Tor in
stance, was in favor OF the Crusades. They oc-
cas.oned a hideous havoc OF human life.
They devastated Asia and exhausted Europe.
and in all PROBABILITY IN acting IN this
instance according 10 the spirit OF the age q man
would have forfeited his lie, ana certainly wasted
his estate, with no 1urther satisfaction tnan having
some Jews and slaughtered some sara
Gems "a laugh What then, gentlemen, is the
spirit OF the age In when ourselves live, and ol
that world winch IN few years, more or less, you
Will all have entered where you are TO establish
ourselves IN lie, where you have to encounter In
that object every conceivable dihculty-perpleXi- !
ties OF Judgment, material obstacles, tests OF all
your qualities aud searching trials oi your clarac
ter, undef an "Alca circumstances knowledge OF
the spirit Of the age may enable you TO arrive al
Prudent decision, and generally with advantage to
gulue your career Ii appears 10 Inc tlaS shouid
not greatly err were to describe the spirit OF tns
age as the spirit OF equality; but equailty word
oi Wide lmPols, under which various schools OF
thought may assemble aud yet arrive at
different and even contradlctory conclu-
sous. / hold that civil equalIty--that is,
that q law which recognizes tile personal rights |
OF al subJects-is the only foundation OF perfect
order and justice. The principle OF clVi equality
has long prevailed IN this Eln9don; IL may have
been applied during the last century more aney
ana more completely TO the eyerenanaing circum.
stances u our various life, but the principle and
the practice have cen recognized, and to that !
NANNY ascioe ia Britain lor centuries the patriot
ISM OF our people lappiause) )-and believe that
II has mad more to 10 with the security OF the sol
than those geographical attributes usuauy en-
larged upon. In respect to this point, another
land, long our foe but now only our rival in arts |
oi peace thought 1T at the end ol the last century
~ construct It's soclai system ana 10 rebuild 10
on the principle OF social equality. TO effect tins
OBJECT y VAS prepared ~ make, aud il made, great
country; = swept away monarchy oi 800 years,
whose traditionary and systematic policy mad
created the Kingdom; q national CEurcn-lOr,
though Romanst, II had secured It's liberties;
. tenure of iand which maintained a valiant no.
billy. ibat never can be restored; IL connscated
all endowments and abohsled al corporations,
erased from me map of the soil ali the ancient d.
visions and changed tine landmarks and very
names Of the country. Indeed, t cntireiy effected
ITS purpose, wnlcu was avowedly 10 destroy ali tue
existing social elements and level tie past 10 the
dust. ms experiment has had lair play, and you
can judge OF its results by the experience OF 50
years. it is not IN scotland taat the name OF
France VIII ever be mentioned wltIou6 Affection
(applausel--and Will yield 20 no ScoichIGn IN my
appreciation OF tne brilliant qualities and the re-
splendent achievements oi It's gllted people. tRe-
newed appausc) NO are not bLnd 10 their iaults,
but Their calamites are greater than thoir faults
and their merits are greater than their calamics.
When neard that their bright city was beleaguered
and that the breach was In tile wall, confess lelt
that pang which remember as a chiid ! always
experienced wnen read Of Lysander entering the
City of the Violet Grown; Dut Whatever may
be our feelings toward France, may be
permitted to say tnat Of all the many services
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