Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-01-31
DIR sToRRs, LECTURE.

DIR. STORRSs LECTURE.
His Views on the American People
The Masses strongly Educated-NEin-
listers of the Day Preach Feminine
Sermons.
Dr. H. NJ Storrs' third lecture to the Yale
theological students was delivered yesterday
afternoon at Marquand chapel. After brief
ly reviewing the ground gone over in his
previous lectures the speaker said
''It is question of interest to the preach
er how far the minds of his hearers have
been educated. The American people are
too well educated to allow dead languages to
stand in their way. They are strongly edu-
Gated. They are not finely or highly edu-
Gated. They know more and have tenser
brains than most of us think. They analyze
the preacher. They want no nonsense, are
impatient of twaddle, they read character,
forestall words, anticipating your meaning
before it's out.
Education is, according to Professor
Shedd, the power to work with the mind.
On this definition the American people must
be considered strongly educated. We must
admit that the American people are deplora-
bly, wanting in that fnesse which is regarded
SO highly abroad. They are lacking in the
theory and practice of the fine arts in phil
osophy, in broad questions of government
and many other things. In the mass, the
American people have been and are being
educated to the power of work with the brain.
This power seems in other lands concentrated
in classes. Here it is dispersed, it belongs to
the whole people.
The most cursory glance over history
will show reasons why this is true. The first
is class of economic reasons. From the be-
ginning the American people was thrust forth
and made to scuff1e for living. We have
been obliged to clear the lard of its forests,
to lay out our roads, to erect our bridges, to
prepare the land for our comfort. There
were no existing institutions. E erything
was to be created and at an exceeding dis
advantage. Street arabs in our cities came
nearest the condition of our fathers. They
may appear dull to you and mentally weak,
but don't venture to deal with them if you
have that idea. At four, certainly at five,
they will give you odds and beat you every
time. Their thoughts are clear while their
words ring meaning Now the founders of
SA-~N
out upon the world. We have had protract-
ed conflict for existence.
HOur system of education has been extend
ed all over the country. Every village has
its free school. The people are being train
ed in these schools, not in the old-world idea
of impressing credulity and thus leading up
to reverence for monarchs, but on the Prot
-stant system of inquiring into everything.
This liberty of thought, of inquiry which
allows the student to make his own path to
any North pole he may invent, has devel-
oped wondrous power of thought. It is not
only the men who have this activity of the
mind. This training reaches through all
classes and both sexes
'There is much discussion whether Greek
should be retained SO largely i'll the curricu-
lum. I am not likely to express an opinion
here. have too much regard for old friends
But may venture to suggest that we know
something in a direction that our fathers did
not. The developments of science have been
tremendous. Human thought has been run
ming out during these years and now our
children are full of it. Our minds at this
time, the minds of the people, are greatly de-
veloped.
''The public press is carrying forward the
work of the public schools There are more
than forty million issues from the press of
our dailies and weeklies, nonthlies and quar-
terlies for the people Up in the miners
hanging on the walls, I have found the
choicest literature. The idea all through
our country among the working people is to
get all the information possible along the
lines they are working.
''The town meeting of New England is
said to have been the place where the men
got their poise. There has not been an hour
since this country was founded when the
people have not been called upon to consider
some great question of public justice, politi-
cal economy or private morals. The Indian
question, the Slavery question have been be-
fore US. Now we have the great socialistic
problems that are beginning to convulse the
world. They are in your hands. May you
work them out satisfactorily.
GA fourth great force that is educating
this nation into power to work with the
brain is religion. There are reasons in man
himself why religion should take hold of
him as none other force will. There are ele-
ments in religion that exalt his character
through the greatest questions OF the time
The pulpit to-day has its own set of diff
c,.lties. Our people do not feel any obligation
to the pulpit. It is a sad lamen-
tation that the congregations are
made up of women and children |
The men of brains not there. Now what's |
the matter. The American people is by it's |
nature masculine, but the preaching has |
been feminine. It's not because man is any |
less religious by nature than woman. The |
ndn Is IorSoICen. Inc preaching Is TO the |
women in the churches and in |
the home. Yet our American wo-
man is masculine and the American |
people are essentially masculine and their
preaching is feminine. It is presenting nice
bits of poesy; it is calculated to please The
men who go to church the men of prop
erty who regard the church good insur-
ance investment. The men of the masses
are not there. Our preaching needs to be
stronger. It must take in 9 form of power
SO that it will take hold of men of strong ma
lures and move them. But, gentlemen, [ |
will not scold you any longer"