Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-14
HERBERT sPENCER's FAREWELL
SSEECH.

The presence Of the great English phil
osophic writer, Herbert Spencer, in New
York hss naturally excited desire 10 show
him the welcome of American hospitality.
On Thursday last a brilliant company, in
Guiding gentlemen prominent in literature
and public life, entertained him as their
guest at dinner at Delmonico's. The Hon
W. NJ. Evarts presided, and Henry Ward
Beecher, Profs. Sumner and Marsh and Carl
SchuTz were among the speakers. Mr.. Spen-
GERS high forehead, surmounted BY large
bald head his thin iron gray hair and whis-
ker- his keen eyes, which were specialized,
| his firmly compressed mouth, with it's
closely shaver rpper lip, and his rudy
| English complexion, were the objects of every
ones gaze. When, in reply to Mr.. Eyartss
brilliant speech OF welcome, he arose the
cheers and waving of handkerchiefs bore
hearty testimony 10 the regard felt for one
| OF the profoundest writers of the century
Mr.. Spencer expressed The grati6ea ion
! American sympathy h:d afforded him in the
course of two-and-twenty years, aud spoke
OF the generocs treatment he had received
from the Messrs. Appleton, his American
publishers; the present occasion would ever
remain one OF his happiest remembrAnces.
said, II am going 10 find fault with you"
He preceded 10 say that some criticisms he
had already pissed had been received far
more good naturally than he could have ex-
pected. The American people, in one respect,
deviate too far from the savages, the savage
will make immense forts upon impulse, then
he falls back into Incidence; civilized man,
on the contrary, is steadily industrious.
The American, in toiling for his
future good, passes BY what the present
offers HIM; his activity has reached an ex-
IRENE and there must oe reaction. Every
where he was struck with faces hardened
with care, and saw gray hair on heads ten
years younger than similar heads in En-
gland. There were too many nervous dis
orders, too much killing from overwork;
high pressure life brings collapse. Nature
will revenge herself on those who treat the |
body as vile. Exclusive devotion to work |
takes from pleasure its BOWer TO smuss, and
life becomes dreary. What Froisssri said of |
the English he would have said Of the |
Americans, that "they take their pleasures
sadly, after their fashion," There is not |
that abandonment TO the pleasures of the |
moment that is requisite, and the evil reaches !
another generation and damages the chill |
dren. The ideals of life vary in different |
ages; formerly war was the ideal, now /
II IL business; in the future better ideal i
will arise. John Stuart Mill assumed that
life Is for working and learning; but think |
learning aud working are for life. The pri- |
mary use of knowledge is 10 make life COM
plete; that of work TO supply the materials
for complete lite. There is always a ten
dency 10 transform means into ends as the |
mlser does with his money; industry is but /
a means, and it Is irrational TO pursue il as /
the miser accumulates money. Hereafter
there will come better adjustments of labor
and enjoyment The process Of evolution
throughout the world at large brings an in
creasing surplus of energies that are not alb
sorbed in fulfilling material needs, and
points 20 a still larger surplus for humsnity
for the future. We have sped too much the
gospel OF work." il is now time to preach
The gospel of relaxation. The inemperence
of work attacks most the Anglo Saxon por-
lion of the population; if this is TO under
mine the stamina OF fnlure generations, aud
cause the dwindling away of those who
should inherit free institutions, then there
will come a further difficulty IN working out
The great future which lies before the Amer
can nation. 40 my anxiety on this account
you must please. ascribe the unusual cha rae
err 1-T rsSo "a,