New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1882-11-22
London Letter.
LONDON, November, 4th, 1882

Carlyle is certainly luckier than
his hero Cromwell. He has got a
statute. The Thames Embankment
promises to become Campo Santo
of dead worthless, mansoleum of
famous men, and Thomas Carlyle
is the latest addition to the list of
celebries headed by heroes recorded
on the meuolith known to the pub
lie as Cleopatra's Needle. Professor
Tyndall came all the way from
Switzerland to unveil the efigy of
his friend, and to pronounce a very
noble grafton. 1t beloved the
Professor to be careful in his eulogy
alike OIL social and philosophical
grounds. The ''indiscretion'' of
Mr.. Froudes has obliged even the
most protested adherents of the
Carlyle cultur to recognize the fact
that the philosopher, so far as his
inner interests and home life was
concerned, did not always live up to
his own written words. Professor
Tyndall, in representing the statute
to the people, was accordingly COM
PEELED to treat this part of the sub.
ject delicately. But all that he
said of Carlyle's earnestness and
rugged piety of soul was most true
and timely "After Science has COM
pleted her mission upon earth,"- OBJ
served Professor Tyndall, 1.-THE
finite Known will still be embrac.
ed by the infinite Unknown.
And this ''boundless contiguity of
shade" by which our knowledge is
hemmed in will always tempt the
exercise of Belief and Imagination.
The human mind in it's structural
and poetic capacity can never be
prevented from building its cas-
tles-on the rock or in the air, as
the case may be-in this ultra-s cien.
tific region. Certainly the mind of
Carlyle could not have been pre-.
vented from doing 50. Out Of pure
unintelligence he held that intelli-
gence never could have sprung, and
so at the heart of things he placed
an intelligence-an energy which !;
to avoid circuitous phrases, we call
God. There could be no better
explanation of Carlyle than that
and Professor Tyndall added, 81 am
here repeating his own words to
myself Beyond doubt the ulti.
mate belief OF Carlyle was. that on.
ly that might becomes final right,
which is the might of righteousness
and "the veracities. .
Yet nearly the most interesting
portion of the brief lecture on Car.
lyle, was the experience of the Pro-
fessor when lad at Preston
ton and a man at the Bel Alp, oyer
against the Great Aletsch Glacier.
The charming and lucid lecturer
cOnfesses to have been made con.
vert to Carlyle at the time of the
Bread Riots Of 1912, and bases his
conversation on a passage from
Carlyle, which is one Of his most
striking if not most brilliant utter.
ances. Thus the Chelsea seer
spoke at Exeter Hall; ''In thee, too,
is q kind Of instinct towards Justice;
and I will complain Of nothing.
Only Quashes over the seas being
one provided for wilt thou not open
thine eyes to the hunger-stricken
pallid, yellow-coloured Free La.
bourers Of Lancashire, Yorkshire,
and all other shires? These yellow
coloured for the present absorb all
my sympathies. If had twenty
millions, with model farms and Nj.
ger expeditions, it is to them that
would give it. Why, is one Of
those Lancashire weavers dying 81
hunger, there is more thought and
heart, greater 4arithmetica
amount Of misery and desperation
than in whole gangs Of Quashess,
Nov il this style Of downright and