New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-07

an exaRReraon 10 say tnat tne Cuo WAS run J" Vuo IN
teres Of those named not that they at all purposed
this desired It, themselves consciousoi
1t, but that this became the condition OF things
Glance the above list, and note the curious fac'
that the are, oil ministers twith one eA>
ception), and they are sometimes preachers
knowledge of fact explains the deep theoogcal
coloring given to all the essays aud conversations
Whatever the theme introduced theology always bore
down upon and captured IL before 1t could get away
And the theology moreover, was pretty much OF one
kind that II OF "leftwing $50 caled) UNITARIAN
descent The two favorte Club questions were. hrst
shall We shall We not. call ourselves Chrsnans'
The second was less definite, but was something IKE
this What the exact amount OF imperfecuoh III
the human nature of Jesusp When we remember that
one or the other Of these questions in amostevery
time the Club met and that they were always discussed
with In the narrow limits of the aforementioned theoi
ogy 1t will be understood how extremely hairsph.np
how intermnaby wearisome and how utterly Hui.ess
were mony OF those famous Radical discussions Inis
universal theological twist in one peculiar direcuon
given TO all topics principal reason OF tue 1aii
ure of the Radical Club.
REASONS FOR FAILURE.
second glance over the above list Of names gives
another reason this failure The Club leaders not
only held quite similar theological views but they all
belonged to pretty much the school OF philosophy
a compound OF the intutonal aud transcendenta
schools will not say that they were all discipies Oh
Emerson but they all belonged TO that sehoo OF WHICH
Emerson is the most shining example. Ii may answer
occasionally for great man 10 10 10 Tue eAtie"o
intuiilonalism, when lesser men follow tue great
man. 1t need not be surprising If the light OF their
though sometimes seems TO come through glass;
da,kly" good portrait of those above named cannot
be better indicated than by quoting of MiPs para
graphs which he says 1t is one OF the character
istic preiudces the reaction OF the nineteenth cell
fury against eighteenth TO accord to the unreaon
ing elements of human nature the infalnoity which
spn
the reasoning elements For the apotheoss OF reason
we have substituted Instinct and we call every
thing Instinct which find in ourselves ana TOT WHICH
we cannot trace any rational foundation What ME-
Mill here calls instinct" Dr. BartOl would call tine
spirit" Col. Higginson would call "the heart Johh
Weiss would call "the mmanence OF the Deity out
they all the same thing VIZ that whch 'hey oe
ueva and for which they cannot any rational
foundation"
TINS is no, caricature though il may be q somewhat
rougl-shod criticism From the beginning the Radical
Club rgdly to ignore facts. III was devoted 10
theories. 10 pure speculation II theory presented
was wholly imaginary without slnge fact 10 suostan-
tate It, so much the better apparently, If 1t
were only set forth with sufficient vividness
and brillancy of word painting Tact became an IN
truson. All present supposed TO be superior 10
facts. Only low materiasts went in search OF such
common things. If you could not follow marvellous
speculation without looking around for fact to rest
upon this of itself, sufficient evidence OF your vu-
garty You had not long enough associated with the
gods. II, perchance very stubborn fact seemed 70
tSc '' and I' this sort Of gymnastics was highly
regarded; such questions as What reasons would
unwecome questions to some OF the most lrcIueni
speakers and the so-caled conversations often had
tendency to become beautiful dreams rehearsed in a
kind of ecstatic mOnOOgue. was present once Wheh
an attempt was made by misguided young man to
change the character OF the Club. It's Subjects ne
claimed. entirely too speculative; iet IL a est
day. With unusual emphasis Col HIgginson imme:
diately replied that he was glad of the opportunity OF
speaker The club does not desire be practical
We all Obliged every day to he more PTaeea than
we wish The very purpose OF the CIuD Is 10 en-
able its members to get rid a time of everything
practical ana speculate 10 our and there
were no further efforts make the Club practical
MARROW LITERARY AND THEOLOGICAL TONE
cannot too strongly emphasized that the whole
tone the Radical Club narrowly literary and the
ologca On occasion some reference was accident
ally made TO the subject with which the name of Mr.
Darwin is SO intimately associated Something had to
be SAID upon his theory and the stum6ngs and hangs
all Greek tragedies from memory were really PAIN
full SO apparent their deficiencies that professor
IF our literary friends would only look their
science primers occasionally 1t miGht save them some
mortifcation and would make their remarks o little
more edifying" At a subsequent meeting one Oh the
younger members. W. c. Gannett, read very complete
and clear exposition of the development hypothesis,
though the usual theological TWIST Dy way
of application When he had finished Ills paper tue usual
ready takers were either silent nonc0mmta Then
visiting clergyman whose fame extends over Two
about the subject and wondered that young head
had acquired and able 10 contain so much inior'
ton Then followed another short period Of unusual
restraint Tue reputation of the Club for rapid and
brilliant conversation was certainly IN danger, when
one OF the asked why 1t is that Mr.. Darwin
says nothing all about personal God, and what are
his probable conceptions of the Deity Restraint was
gone in q moment. Here was subject about which no
one present knew anything whatever Inere was not
single embarrassing fact on record The takers pumed
their pinons and scared sereney al0ft al once Inc
reputation Of the Club was saved
Not every meeting OF the CLUB, OF course ended as
absurdly as this. 1T is wholly within bounds TO say
that many of the famous discussions OF the Radical
Club OF the character indicated in the latter part
above ncident-tnat Is they were upon subjects
susceptible OF neither proof nor dsproof the treatment
most imaginative sense OF word and the result of
the discussion OF winch always was ana could only DC
subjects gave opportunity for the display OF extended
classical reading, Of charmngy pictured castles IN the
keen repartee. Ii extremely enjoyable sometimes
for hour two and watch these literary cham
pions their points in the adniring circle When
Higginsou Weiss, aud WATSON were az their best, the
frOstng as at the confectioner was apt TO be mncn
excellent, OF its Kind 1t was bright lnspirlng
hopeful !4sre Wa M a mae sn M M rpg
friends in Its praise II may have been snuiaing, IL
nutrltve Ii was the wine without the dinner
"PERFECTIoS IN NONSENSE"
In Mr.. E. b Tylors work on Primitive Culture there
is a paragraph which might well have been written
after visit to Chestnutst Speaking Of the doctrine
OF brute SOULS" he says The doctrine has fallen
from high estate. 1t belonged originally to
real though rude science 1t has SINK 10 become
favorte topic that mild speculative talk which still
does duty largely intellectual conversation and
then its propounders defend with lurking con-
seriousness Of It's being after all piece OF sentimental
nonsense" o, Radical Club how much mild specua-
tive talk" have you made TO DO duty as intellectual
may their c0nsciences forgive them Tor the amount
theT oSn Where did Tylor get his
that particular meeting OF the Radical Ciubi mean
most cultured sons" talked dvinely about heavenly