The Portland daily press., 1883-12-10
SATURDAY LECTURES


thhs SnuJcCt Dy new MR. DalgOn.
A large and appreciative audience was pres
emit at the lecture by Rev. MIR. Dalton Saturday
afternoon. There has been an increased in
terest manifested as the course has proceeded,
and there is general regret that the lecture to
be given next Saturday afternoon is the last in
the regular series.
Mr.. Dalton began by remarking that the
relative value of ancient and modern ltera-
ture has always been more or less discussed,
and, of course, remains an open question.
Charles Francis Adams gave new impetus to
the controversy by his recent Grafton before
the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard.
There was nothing novel in Mr.. Adams senti-
ments, but it was new departure for son of
Harvard to utter them on such an occasion
Mr.. Adams maintains that two or three mod
ern languages should be regarded as equiva-
lent to Latin and Greek, both at the admission
of students and at the time of their gradla-
ton. The controversy will probably go on,
and will probably result In the establishment
of colleges where the modern languages will be
preferred to the ancient, or, what would be
better, their recognition in the same colleges
On terms of equality with the ancient. The
ancient will certainly not be discarded, but the
new will be more generally adopted II left
optional with the students nearly or quite half
Will elect the ancient in preference to the
modern. Their reasons for this choice are
many. The Latins and Greeks were the
parents of our civilization. Modern lam
guages, literature, politics, philosophy, art and
culture generally are mainly of Greek origin.
They (the Greeks) furnished the models for ex-
nnllA - IT.
been emulated in every age since. bat equaled
in none.
Homer is still the father of poetry and the
greatest OF epic poets, from whom no subse-
quent epic poet has widely departed. The
same IS true OF the Greek historians who have
served as models for all later historians De-
mosthenes is still the greatest of orators, and
Plato of philosophers. Phdias remains the
hrst OF sculptors, and Ictinus and Celebrates
the tirst OF architects. Pericles still stands at
the head OF statesmen, unequaled by any of his
successors. His funeral grafton serves as a
model to our orators on each Decoration Day.
In brief there is an indescribable charm in the
classical writers, which has never been sur
passed and seldom equaled by those of modern
times. Modern thought is more enlightened
modern sympathies are wider, modern senti-
ment is more refined. The love of nature is
more widely diffused. Moderns are more hu-
name than the ancients. Above all woman
has place in modern society unknown to the
anclents. 1t is her influence on modern litera-
ture which has done more to inspire. elevate
aud purify it, than all other human causes
Combined. In poetry and fiction in particular
her presence is constantly recognized and her
power acknowledged. As writer's of fiction in
particular women equal If they do not excel men
Both in prose, fiction and in poetry she is deg
tined to take still higher rank. But it ia TO onr
religion we are chiefly indebted for the moral
revolution that has been effected in life and
literature.
The next question to be considered is how
does the present compare with the immediate
past, more especially in our own country. Are
the leading literary men and artists equal to
those who were in their prime thirty and forty
years ago! Have we now historians equal to
Prescott Motley and Bancreft--for the latter
really belongs to that generation rather than
ours? Have we poets equal to Bryant, Long
fellow Emerson, Holmes and Whittier, all Of
whom were at their best thirty years ago,
though the last two happily still linger on the
stage! do our new or recent novelists, such as
James and Howells, the best of to-day, COM
pare favorably with Cooper, Irving, Haw-
thorne and Harriet Beecher Stowe? And
where to-day can we find such orators as CLAW,
Cainonn, Benton, Hayne, Webster, Choate
and Winthrop? Which of our living sculp-
TO rs equals Greenough or Powers, or which of
our painters, Aston? Is there not great and
rapid falling off here in every species of intel
lectual excellence? Doubtless there is as
1t IS diverted from these high intellectual pur-
suits and is found in the service of great rail-
roaos ana other corporations. and is carried
away by the prevailing passion for making
money. And herein lies our great peril, the
danger of the day. We are already the richest
country in the world, and it is impossible to
forecast or compute the enormous wealth of
America one hundred Years hence, while it
certain is to be beyond anything before known
10 me world. The question is how will it be used.
II devoted to material and sensual pleasures
luxury and display, our riches will be our
ruin. We shall go the way of the Roman re-
public under like circumstances. We shall
neap up riches but know not who will gather
them. The people will be corrupted and rem
dered unit for republican government In
que time race OF Caesars will appear in
America as in Rome, and all the Vices of inn
perlalism and despotsm will follow. The
drift is IN this direction, is already SO power
full that we need men among us like CARLYLE
and Matthew Arnold in England, who lift up
tnelr voices and cry .'Woe to a self-indulgent
and sinful age.''
We must not be surprised if Matthew Ar
mold should be severe in his judgments of us.
Tor when at home, like Jewish prophet, he
constantly proclaims to his countrymen their
i "a ana dangers, He tells the upper classes
that they are wholly materializsd, are of the
earth, earthly. quite destitute of love of art,
literature and philosophy, and without deep
religious convictions. He tells the middle
class, tne wealthy merchants and manufac-
tSas . .nas they are vuligarized; that
physical comforts; are without education
themselves and know not how to educate their
children to rise above their own low standard.
This is what he styles british Philistinism."
Tor which he expresses the profoundest con-
Tempt. Of the lower classes be says they are
utterly brutalized. 1t is partly their misfor-
tune, and partly their fault; their fault being
chiefly with the upper classes.
In this country we have no sharply defined
class distinctions as there are in England, but
" nave tne elements OF damages and destruc-
ton no less appalling. It remains to be seen.
therefore, which is to predominant, love OF
money, material comforts and inferior
pleasures of all kinds, or intellectua al growth,
culture OF art, morals and religion.
II we are equal to our. opportunities, choose
and follow the best that is given us, both in
education and morals loving and adhering to
whatsoever that is beautiful and true and
good, we shall become the greatest among
nations.