New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-03

For the Benefit of the Louisiana Sufferers
The Hon. s. S. Cox lectured at Steinway
Hall last evening for the benefit of the
sufferers by the Mississippi overflow of the
South. His subject was American HUI.
NOR" Among other things, he said:
seeking its level, it has shown its terrible
power of devastation in Mississippi and
Louisiana. New York is behind other
cities in the matter, of relief for this one
object. Boston has done five times as
much, Baltimore three times as much, and
Albany twice as much as New York in the
way Of relief for those who are suffering
from the Mississippi flood.
Although New York city has enough at
home for the exercise of her benevolence,
che can not afford to be laggard, nor will
she be. The water drops of that great
father of waters, the Mississippi, which,
though mobile, bind the continent in unity,
have given occasion for the exercise of that
charity which is better than laws or arms
for differentiation or interdependence. NY
subject pertains to humor, and my lecture
is TOR the benefit Of those who are sad.
This is another illustration that the sin.
cerest laughter may be fraught with tears.
Without further prelude l will proceed to
show you why Americans laugh.
Mr.. Cox continued with an analysis
of humOr, giving Its literal and derived
meanings. The word originally signifed
moisture. He compared humor with wit
and farce, and distinguished them with
cuts. Humor tickles, humor smiles; farce
grins; wit. is polished and sharp. Humor,
when genuine, is founded on Deep
thoughtful and manly character. Wit is
not careful Of moral consequences; it looks
to its own brilliant flash. VOltaire, the
wit, was contrasted with Cervantes, the
humorist; Thackeray with Dickens.
The lecturer then entered upon the dis.
cussion of American humOr, just meeting
the objection that we could have no pecu.
liar humor, owing to our cosmopolitanism,
and contending that our originality was in
the mosaic character of our humOr, which
was the most homogeneous, grotesque, and
odd ever known in history. 1t was this
mingling of all humOrs which turned us
from the English channel, where we should
always have been copyists, into new chan
nels of our own. Our plenty and our free
dom aided its development
The fashionable fOllies which follow in !
the wake of our riches were held up by our |
writers, Curtis and SAKE. But with few ex- |
ceptions our humor was not reflected in our |
literature. In our newspapers and our ora
tors it was to be found. The lecturer con, |
sidered the general sources of our humors:
that humor which belonged to all ma.
ti0ns alike-a translatable humor, then
UhO pCouAldA cUuICC5, ILLUSTRATING
he proceeded. The exaggerative ten
dency OF the American was the promi-
nent point made by the lecturer, who estab-
lished his point by many amusing illustra-
tiOns. The cause of this exaggeration was
found, he said, in our extensive progress in
political power and material greatness The
mind keyed up on one subject becomes in
tense in all others. From the time of the
declaration of independence was
itself splendid exaggeration-to the
present, our dialect, ideas, and conduct,
have been of the superlative.
This was illustrated with great variety
of amusing incidents. The lecturer con.
cluded with some practical suggestions as
to the necessity of more refinement in |
American humor, and more moderation in
temper and mode of living. He thought
that genteel humor needed crossing with |
that of hearty toll He believed that if
more of it were diffused less asperity would
public discussions, and that
more tranquility and happiness would in
spire domestic life.-Ne,9 York Tribune.