New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-21
THE LECTURE.

win who said that TO person more than TO MI wat
terson was due the fact that the North "no longer
welcomed the South to hospiable graves, but 10 our
homes and our hearts affections" After this grace
f presentations Mr. Waterson and advanced to the
OF the platform In the audience were many SOUTH
residents Of this city, to whom bis face ana man
ner were doubtless familiar, but there general and
friendly curiosity to see and hear gentleman whose
name and political sentiments are go widely KNOWN
Mr. Wstterson is a man seemingly about forty years
Old OF medium height and Frame with brown
hair a moustache OF lighter shade. and
healthy color IN his face. HIS Inquire IL not
quite erect, and he possesses grace neither
OF attitude nor movement His voice is clear and rather
agreeable though by means meodous, ana bis utter
ance Is slow distinct and somewhat monotonous. He
makes no use OF gesture does he seek to render
striking passages more impressive by defamation. He
ia straightforward speaker but whatever mis- manner
may be in the excitement OF political discussion, he
showed last evening" little Of the enthusiasm OF an or
atOr.
II it be true said Mr. Waterson, that man Ia the only
animal that laughs it is also true that ne 10 the only
animal having the capacity make himself laughable
The oibes and mlsortunes OF his neighbor
arc what men laugh at LIE finds amusement m his
own. We ind the best instances Of enjoyment
when some else pays the piper Humor Is
the record Of passing events. For this reason
each nation produces humor peculiar 20 IL
self. The Average American does not read the
a snake for a bat band, would stare with blank
amazement at stories which conyulse all cockney-
dom There il a humor which is universal and ployeroi-
al and yet it may be said ofeyery people, BY their jokes
ye shall know tnem" Tnackeray has said that the wit
Of Fielding lgnts up rogue ike police
maus lantern. With Us it is not the husband
or the snob who is saticzed, it is the widow
the small boy and the motherin-law You remember tho
traveller who asked tho Mssissppian II it was worth
while FOR him 10 carry a pistol The reply was. "Nen,
stranger You mout be here months and not want It,
but If you did want you'd want 1t awfuy Sucn VIII
could have its origin only in America ana it is perhaps
here only that it can be appreciated
In the old boating times, the Kentuckan OF legend ana
romance was rambling, rowing fellow, who ended every
sentence with an oath 1t was he who made his morn
ing meal Of three cocktails and "chaw" Of tobacco
His alnusements were OF much the same simple order
He could clip the wing from mosquito at ten PAGES;
he woud stop e-boat tell his scared fellowpass Il
gers Joke lie affected bOoded stock The noble and
arstocratc gamecock his delight. The pedigree OF
race horse was him sacred thing. He was always
ready TO lose his own money and that OF everybody
else lie would fight anything rather preferring in
decd the tiger The invention Of what has been politely
termed OH the other side American whist" namely,
drg.w-poker in his ease the discovery OF another
world 1t struck aim all in heap beginning with the
name itself Drawpokerl He was in the habit OF draw
Ing on his banker his pistol, and his imagination In
TINS game he could draw all three at and the same
time This person have described mistaken by the
Northern traveller for the Southern gentleman, and the
hghning-rOd agent VINO appeared among us was 700
oiien looked uon s a specimen OF Northern character
In the old days only the side of each came ~ to
of the North and south lived had their being
in section rely inS upon personal thrift and IN
dustry to Duild up thelr lOrtus III tho Vnur sCuOn
victims TO circumstances rather than from design,
multiplying their debts as they muispi ls
i'm this and indeed events have already
srnctiye forces nave passed away. And what do
Why, IN the South, looking NOrthward we see race
kindred to ourselves little ess ehlsiye perlals Dut
nor less genial already armed and equipped 10 do battle
against the winds ana tho waves In the North looking
mass OF law harbarans composed OF large part ofmur
derers and gamblers, but great body OF Christian men
time lie sees the master yesterday the tOer OF to-day.
He sees mistress Of the mansion sun IN
10 make ends meet. He sees people born 10 rch
soil aud warm climate, and inur'd to nothing exre tue
nVati0ns and disasters Of and poverty throw tho
selves Drayey into the realities of life no way desparng
or sucn, but everywhere prudent discreet ana active
But am not to speak this evening OF such rs these.
am introduce lower 81, er 10 explain the whimsical
tiles of southern life. am TO talk this evening as the
1i ms, tho man ybo said am a wolf and tins il
NV night to howl" such man must needs play prom
nen part in the delueaOn OF those phases OF lie nom
When Southern humor is.made up. A cynic has said
VIII iles like yomen rarely grow better as tney grow
older Again told that the best stories are handed
dawn from age TO age disagree with both Comic sit.
nations have their limitations but humOr changing
and manysided, is an eXha1~tess source OF INSPIRATION
In o1r own country many natural and pOlit-
in III o c0ntrib1te TO the DEVELOPMENT OF
our humor, winch is OF low order,
literature il full OF imitation, but our cooqual jokes
are our We are not romantic people Ike the
English. nor witty people Ike the French. but
tra2rdies are enough 10 make laugh. and So
matter OF fact, are funny IN spite Of ourselves;
his sweetheart il she was fond OF beasts sne
replied Am to consider that decarationl" That
is pure French IL could not have been SAID In thS
country Our hum9r largely anecd0tal II relates to
times long ago, before the campneeting and the barbe
such GIartcrs must needs be rough We make no boast
OF quality We speak OF day that Is gone OF race
that has passed into history whose fields for century
were given up TO song and dance, and "sunDurnt
mirtn.' -. ,,,.--., - = -, -,
humor describing briefly the character OF the wors en-
titled SUIT Loyingood"" Major JOnes's CourtShip" aud
captain simon suggs ana reading one OK more
moderately long extracts nom each.
Major Jones's COurtship," was story OF interior
Southern life and dealt with clean hOmespun. The char
actrrs we're few and simple; It's adventures we're
bounded by the ba-yard and the hearthsone but pos
sessed naturalness and genuine humor which were
captiyating Mr. WattcrsOn read from this story the
elimination OF the courtship when MAJOR Jones' having
secured from his sweetheart promise that sue VIII a.
ways keep tie very large present ne Is ABOUT 10 give h
hides himself in the meal-bag whca sac hangs up
for the reception OF the mysterious GIT taptan 81
mon sugg" stood out from the canvas on which local
Rnbens had painted portrait. TO the south he
what Pickwck was to England. The captain nnally
died and If heaven each the realization OF his
fondes hopes, Captain suggs was now rednOsed angel
mounted rainbow, WIN VhUeilhg s'dIs an
about him. and giving lessons III his aYorlte
game OF poker, 20 Jupiter, Mars and saturn.
The humOr In these compositions Il true TO what was
I'm the south. has taken place. No more Is the
representative Southern man taken 10 be a Dragging
buly In the meridian OF th-ir prosperity SOuLeners
wele an easy-gOng, pleasure loving people Men
living on great estates, with few cares or excite
tnents are likely 10 grow iudOlcnt. The gentleman
Of tie south had plenty Of time, aud lie thought he
had uleu money to lose ana the lower Orders int
ed lis example But the crash came, and the pretty
fabric fell The great and the small good and the
e,ti were all eululied Wldtsprea Oyerw helm
inc min There nothing OF that gilded struc re.
IN /, no longer fashionable respectable to ritter time
away In dic costly pleasure. the 1al tie-seariSu anu
time ana oae-woru South Is most unlike the south that
was. . -,