The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-12-06
ROBERT NOURSE.

| Robert Nourse proved surprise to a
majority of those who heard him last
Saturday. When he appeared in full
dress and began to lecture in an accent
decidedly Engligh, dealing in his opening
| with commonplace facts almost as dry as
statistics, a great many wished them
! selves at home. But when he reached the
subiect-matter proper of his lecture his
audience would have staid with him un-
til morning if the low temperature of the
hall did not threaten influenza.
| Tt is rarely that a lecturer combines
these qualities which charm those who
delight in humor and laughable nothings,
| while furnishing matter for serious re-
| Election to those who think lecture is
| misnamed when it is not thoughtful.
| Mr.. Nourse is peculiar in one other thing:
The rare courage which he shows in at
lacking prejudice. He seemed to labor
with deliberate intent at the outset to
place himself outside of that sympathy
of the audience which is aroused by fiat
tering illusions to national characters
tics. When Jonathan was described as a
lad, albeit one of promise, the audience
seemed to determine to become irrespon-
sive and to accept in dazed silence pile OF
disagreeable truths. But before the close
they were forced to applaud though their
vanity was hurt. 1t was a magnificent
victory of brains over prejudice. In ht-
erature, craftsmanship and oratory we
are the merest infants in comparison with
England, though our national pride and
youthful habit OF magnifying our own
Importance will not permit us to believe
it. Mr.. Nourse is thoroughly English in
everything in which he believes England
excels America; so much so that he can
hardly conceal a sheer at our pretensions.
1t requires courage to tell an American
audience that in many respects America
is vastly inferior to the mother country.
Mr.. Nourse sugar-coated the pill by ridi-
culing the peculiarities of Englishmen.
His frequent incursions into the region
bordering on buffoonery had method IN
them The audience were partially pla-
Gated and in mood to receive some more
unpalatable truths and Mr.. Nourse gave
them as beautiful repast as was ever
set before crowd.
His magnificent appeal that American
citizenship should wipe out all distinc-
tons of nationality and make us one peo-
ple,-Americans who should not be ap-
pealed to as Germans, or Irish or English,
sounded strange indeed amid the echoes
of present demands for position under
the incoming administration on the
ground of nationality.
And still Mr.. Nourse is not so COM
pletely weaned from England as he de-
mands that the naturaiized foreigner
SHOULD be from his native land. What
tribute more grand could England's most
devoted son pay her than is contained in
that matchless sentence: Measure the
ambition of America and you can conceive
of England's greatness" Mr.. Nourse has
reason to be proud Of England, and he is.
The Irishman's devotion to his native
land has in it the sympathy of q son for
mother whose heart is bleeding. Tf
Mr.. Nourse cannot forget England's
greatness the poor Irishman cannot for
get Ireland's sorrows.
The lecture 'John and Jonathan" is
without doubt the most successful ever
delivered in this city. How SO able a
lecturer can be so comparatively unknown
seems strange. He is public educator,
one who has deep and honest CONVICTIONS
to which he gives fearless expression.
He is an iconoclast but he breaks idols
which are better shattered than whole.