New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-13

thick, approaching TO saminetinY us vo have
been told he was deaceut, especially when no grew
ever saw; moving his lips, and talking with himself
snnx, midst o. large 0o%pa ,,l yGa
The subject OF conversation he Immediately began 10
haraague and stopped TIL he told you all ne knew
ahout a. with the utmost philosophical ingenuity. lie
knew notaug of characters and re; was ready TO
thom the slightest bnu you aed
conradicted all he had been saying carlyle telIs Us
that David Hume, like Smith, had no diseerhnent At
DUcad stewart mettions 1t an interesting eircum-
stance that ali Humes works were written with his own
hands whereas Smith dictated to u secretary as nc
walked up and down his apartment ana nints thS VIC
may perceive In the different SIZES OF nodes f study
as he wrote with his own pen, Hnme gave Rreh!SSi
and compactness to his style, whereas Smith,
in debating TO an amanuenss, kept himself more In
sympathy with his reader and was more dlsposeu ke
sneaker TO How and nueDcy. II may have been from
the same circumstance that Hume wrote with great
rapidty whereas Smith composed as slowly anu WIN
great difficulty, at last as al nrst'
Of all the Scottish philosopbersIDugald Stewart
was the object of the most profound love and ad-
miration among the learned classes of his own
country. There was prestige about his dignhed
eloauence that elevated even transparent common
places into the appearance of grandeur. His chief
work on the Philosophy of the Human Mind was
for long time text book in the leading American
colleges and if it did not sound the depths OF
thought for the studiOus youth of this country, IL
gave powerful impulse to their aspirations. and In
many cases. laid the foundation for an earnest and
noble character. DR.. McCoshs estimate OF his in
fluence on Scottish society appears to DO perfectly
just
In Scotland he Increased the reputation OF the Edin
burgh University. Horner speaks OF many young
Englishmen who had come TO Edinburgh 10 nnlsn tei
education. and not few OF these nad Deen M r
by Stewart. He has had greater influence than per
haps any other, in dhusng throughout Scoaha ,a.o
for mental and moral s v sea b nte II stewart
much Reid Reid owed nearly as much TO DIS grateu
pupil who finished ana ns e the CON-
philosophy to many who would nave turned
here am tempted give utterance to the feeling that
Reid has peculiarly fortunate IN those VINO nave
attached themselves TO his school, II Stewart helped 10
int oduce Reid to polite society," Sir William Hamilton
by his unmatched logic and vast erudition. has com
somewhat uutechnica character of his wrngs- place
in their privileged circle BY his expostions OF Reid
throwing hack tide Of skepticism - which had ap
peared III France IN the previous century IN @
back of the cenuOus regns Of Charles /! ana James ~
and in aSo asd1 e Rdd @ OF Of a. e enc
luton and 1t was one OF the avowed Anus OF stewart
sea pubcatons Which were imported from the Con
tneu" Nor is 1t to be forgotten that Stewart directly
az much as any man Of his age, to difnse throughout
Scotland for elegant literature, ana enlarged ana
As to EnSIand. Sir j. Macintosh writing Stewart
speaks Of the want oaanythinG which he could
call purely philosophical thinking; and HOrner, IN
1884, that the highest names in the estimation
OF those in the metropolis, VINO felt any interest IN
speculative pursuits. were Hobbies and Hartley Sach
works the Moral Philosophy OF Paley, were ntteu
to lower still further rather than elevate this taste
was altogether then for the benefit OF English Thought
| that Stewart did become gradually known IN south
Britain Where his style s gScd
him To many who had imbibed rs great an aversion 70
stl Engishinen who abhor the n1delity of Hume, and
who despse the plainness OF Reid. who suspect tne
nomenclature and logical distinctions of Hamilton but
attracted by the writings of Stewart which are
fields bounded by hedge-rows England be has so far
in creatnga philosophical spirit where none
| Paley He is also entitled to share of the credit
| of the great measures Of reform, which such
sell, Paimerston, jeffrey and Landsdowne carried
in Parliament. Perhaps these eminent men have
never estimated the amount of wholesome impulse
which they received in early life from the projections
| and lofty character of the Edinburgh professor
Dugald Stewart was succeeded by DR.. Thomas
Brown as professor of Moral Philosophy in 1910,
| although retaining nominal connection with the
| Office. OF the Young philosopher, at that time we
| have an apt pOrtraiture:
Even those who have seen him can form q
pretty lively image Of him at this time. when his
capable and his reputation at its hight In person.
he about the middle size; his features are regular
his eye, there is combination OF sweetness and calm
reflection. His manner and address are somewhat TOO
fastidious, to say huca and feminine, for phi
osOpher but the youths who wait on his lectures are
anence of his sentences SO fitted to win and of the
authority which he has 10 command. Expectation
on the tptoe and he fully met and gratiied His
amiaOle look his ne elocution. his acuteness and in
genuity, his skill IN reducing complex subject into
few elements his Of originality aud dependence
| the seeming comprehensiveness OF his system ana,
above ALL his fertility of Illustration and the glow like
that stained glass in which he set forth his refined
speculations did than delight his youthful audien
ce,-lt entranced them aud III their ecstacies they
declared that he superior to all the philosophers
who had gone before him. and, III particular that lbs
had completely superseded Reid, and they gave him
great credit, in that he generously refrained from
attacking and overwhelming Stewart. He had every
Ills eioquence would have been felt to be too elaborate
by q younger audience and regarded as too artificial
aud sentimental by older audience but exactly suited
the tastes of youths between sixteen and twenty
so eminenty popular among students had not,
tDk been delivered III am previous age in the
University of Einbursb and has not, in later age.
been surpassed by the fervor excited by Chalmers
burgn all Scotland, with and lawyers
fell into rapturcs when they spoke OF his lectures
with him Wilson was no philosopher. and Hamilton
stiff pedant 1t should be added mat, when the students
could answer only by exclslnations Of admiration.
How incl" How beautiful" How ingenous!"
In those the Scottish colleges which
taught exclusively by written lectures large numbers.
including the dull, the idly inclined ana the pleasure
loving apt to pass through without receiving much
benefit. - unless. indeed, the professor be very
exercises and this, rather think Brown As
he left the Impression on his students that there was
perfect did not create spirit OF phosophic reading
such Hamilton evoked Ia select minds III later
taste awakened by his poetca bursts had their acute
ness sharpened Dy his fine analysis, went away with
high idea of the spirituality OF SOUL and retained
through life lively recollection of his sketches or the
operations Of the human mind
The following sketch gives compact summary
of the principal representatives of the Scottish
School, of which Sir William must be regarded not
only as the last, but the greatest, aud in many re-
speGts as one Of the most remarkable British think
ers of the present age.
He is the most learned OF all the Scottish meta
physicians Not that the Scottish school ought DO