The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-27

4
introduction with some applause, most oil
the assembly, however, remaining quiet.
Somewhat nervOusly he began with para
| phrase OF a passage from de Tocqueyillc,
"who ffty years ago prOphecied The uniyef-
SALTY OF democracy" The speaker here
announced that be wouId throughout use
the word democracy IN It's brondest sense,
and stated that England is now practically
and France ayowedly republican, Spain
and Austria likely TO become so, and Russia
alone, Of oil Chrislendom, gives no Outlet to
the wilIforce Of the people. This change
in the state OF Europe within the last TWO
hundred years is merely The result OF
physiological laws (D. Ii Is now brain,
moi Drawn, that tells, and il Is all the result
OF the law of development. "If evolution
be true-and IL is-aiI comes from germ"
The speaker would jusi as lief be descended
from a monkey as not, provided be were
far enough off-a remark which provoked
much laughter and far warmer applause than
that which greeted him at the beginning.
He then entered upon hlsty account oi
the development OF humanity through the
nervous system, ending with the announce
ment that Il perfected nervous system Is
spirituality. The tendency Of everything IS
to educate mankind. Hunger. thirst, pow
erty. distress, all brutaliies, in shOrt, have
n tendency to elevation by teacbing hnmaDi-
ty to take care OF itself The Egyptians had
the first schools ~, then came the Greeks,
and now all men are trying to educate their
youth. I'm all Europe the people are trying
to get schools for their children, and the
Governments are willing to allow them.
Why is this? Because Governments lind
educreh tUasses more profitable than
the uneduclted. II Is the misery OF the
commoDality that causes the demand. They
are better of pbysicilly than thev were two
hundred years ago, but worse of mentally.
because they have learned tc think. When
mans son was almost a slave, it was not
hard to be slave, but the slave remlined
al the bottom and the son rose in the social
scale. Yet the rCfectiOn OF greatness and
elevation goes downwardS, and so rCuscs in
the lower stratum desire to rise. An allu-
sion was here made 10 jacobs ladder rs a
symbol of the rise from ignorance 10 know
ledge. Kings are in favor OF education
now, because they flud it easier to govern
knowledge than ignorance. Now brains
make better soldiers than muscles. In the
old Gretian days Il man need not think (ac-
COrdpg to Homer, brains were OF use even
them; he needed but 10 be heavy TO be
effective in the phalanX. Now the most
valuable soldier is one who has been edn-
Gated. There never was poor community
that vas intelligent, nor rich one that was
not 30. In this country there is great cerc-
bration. All are on the stretch. They
leave school only to enter still more stlmn-
lating field Of labor. There is stimulation
even in the Church, which may be divided
into the docirinal, emotional, and deyO-
iional sects; all Of which, in different ways,
are stimulating 20 their followers. All this
produces an increase in nervous disease,
but gives us nation Of fifty millions OF
thinkers. and makes democracy possible
ga government OF the people, by the peo-
pie, and for the people," And yet we
manage our Government worse than
ANYTHING else we do. 1t is the
most complex in the world. Forty
States, e1ch hlving its own laws, are over
shadowed by one central government As a
dome crowns vast cathedral. The result
is cOnflictions Of jurisdiction in courts,
State and Federal-dispuies as to law and
petty disputes without end. Added TO this
we have eight millions Of foreign voters not
born on the soil, who know and care no.
thing OF our institutions, the whole being
pcppered with four millions OF Africans"
Our law. makers are elected by the whole
combined. Here followed humol Gus de-
scripiiOn OF the average legislator, whose
first care is to get back To his seat II he can
his second, 10 place himself in the bands Of
that special Providence who cares for legis-
lators' salaries; bis third, TO look after
the PARTY; and Qf anything be lefD
his fourth, TO look after the good OF the
Commonwealth. Yet, after all, our, is the
best Government, the proof being that here
we have fifty millions OF happy, thinking
people--a sight TO be seen nowhere else on
earth. Then followed dissertation on the
greenback theory ard capital imitation Of
General Butler. \ most amusing nlluSiou
was made 10 the mistakes men make rs TO
what their property is worth when inflated
by paper currency. A pi0us man thanks
God for being worth 1000, "wbile the
angel who carries the thanksgiving up to
Heaven SniCherS all the way up az the fact
that it is only worth $4,000 after ALL"
(greenbacks at for 1.) The speaker stated
he was glad Of the greenback heresy and
wished 1t had gained the control OF the
Government. He was glad when he heard Of
a new bcresy in science, In religion, in any
thing Men must think. "Lettbe grindstOne
turn that the tool may be sharpenCd." Now
knowledge j. more dlifu>ed. Law, medi-
cine, and religion have become more nearly
the property of the common people; yet
physicians were never moSe learned nor
lawyers more profound. The latter never
have had larger Interests committed to them,
nor were they ever 20 largely feed as now.
As for ministers, he thanked God they were
never 80 little respected for their office,
while the true "man OF God" never had
50 much influence among men. The speaker
clCscd with cheering eXhortatlOE 10 trust
ia God and be thankful for what we have.
On The whole, the lecture was exceedingly
amusing, and as il progressed was warmly
applludcd. Judged by this effort, scarcely
a fair test, we imagine, Mr. Beecher is more
OF pleasant speaker than an orator. His
mimcry is inimitable. As for logical argu-
ment or deep thought, il there was any in
the lecture we failed TO see il.
THE THEATRE LAST NIGnT-THE llUNCH-
BACK.-lf our anticpatOns, which had been
so highly raised by the many superatiye
eulogies the press OF Baltimore and Wash
ington had seen nit to bestOw upon her,
were not realized on the FIRST appearance OF
Miss Calhoun in Richmond, we yet recog-
niZed the true merit OF the young actress.
And 10 accord her, who Is yet but deJu-
taate, the praise OF an acceptable portrayal
OF Juliet was no small cOmmendatiOn. In
=. The Hunchback last evening We were
better prepared to take her for what she is
a novice in the drama, with scarce four
weeks experience as a professional actress
upon the stage. The play last evening
proved an agreeable presentation, since IL
was far better suited TO the abilities OF The
company than the task OF the previous eve
ming.
We cannot term il forcibe, was intel
lgent and altogether pleasing. The audi