Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-28
LECTURE BY PROF. WOODROW WILSON.
lie Discusses Edmund Burke, tho Inter
prefer OF Engiinh Ltbprty.


auditorium OF tho New Century Club
last evening, Woodrow Wilson, PHI. d.,
LII d., professor OF Jurisprudence in
Princeton University, began course
Of three lectures on Great Leaders Of
Political Thought, Ills subject for
thu evening was Burke, the Inter
prefer of English Liberty subject
which he treated most Interestingly
and instructively. His consideration
Of Burkes principea with respect to
party we're especially interesting in the
light OF present dry politics.
Prof. Wilson came nnon tho stage &C.
cnmpanied by Miss Mary A. j. Mather,
president at the New Century Club,
anu MrR. Charles S. Rowland. chair.
man OF the educational committee of
tho club. Miss MHthar, in a felicitoun
speech, spoke nf tho pleasure which had
heen derived from hearing Prof. Wilson
in previous series of lectures, and
referreda TO him as a real voice. The
speaker of the evening was warmly ap.
plauded as he arose at Nj isa Mather's
gracious introduction.
In pfeiacing his consideration OF
Edmund Hurse, PROF.. Wilson explained
the difficulty of getting the character
of man Of letters, for character ID
always an Intangible thing, According
to Walter BRgehot, some men carry an
atmosphere about them. Such men as
Emerson and Choate made great i'm.
preston UPON their generation, hut it
is difficult for later generations to see
the cause Of their influence. Gladstone
maAe good speeches, hut they ara not
good reading. Burke did have an at.
mcsphsro in his writings. When you
road the. sentences Of Burke you feel
| that only ons man could have written
thOin. In his writings you find tho
man that wrote them. He did tho
thing not for the sake of uoipg ii, but
for the sake Of what it was to accom-
plish.
Edmund Burke, hy dying, removed
some Of tho INSTRUCTIONS from his work:
| he had an Irish trogue: lie was angular
/ and he was molodramatic 10 manner.
| Taking thuso things AWAY there was
left an atmosphere that was engaging,
tho force that was to last. lle WAS
horn of Irish parents in Dublin. but
We never think of him as an Irishman.
Goldsmith and he came to England
about the same time, and they we're
alike in como respects, but one always
thinks of Goldsmith az an Irishman.
Burke had a way OF borrowing money
from friends and forgetting to repay it,
ana thesfriends also forgos to ask him
| for it. His brother Richard and his
cousin William engaged in some uu-
Haynry transactions, hut he had no hand
in them; il was incnnceivahle that he
should have euilod his hands by it; he
was the most iucorruptiblo man OF his
age However, the Burkes made the
i sl.s L..
neyer knew where it came FROM. tie
thought it good luck to have SO much
money and did rot ask it's SOURCE.
When the scheme failoi and the men
were brought TO ruin, Burke went man
fully 10 work and supported them by
literary hack work. He read law and
thought it an interesting scence to
know hut not to practice. His father.
who was an attorney 10 Dublin, cut off
his supplies. md then, irresponsible
Irishman that no was, be got married.
He started the Annual Register a
sort of "Review OF Reviows.i' and
wrote nearly tho whole OF ii. lie
wrote an account Of the settlements in
America. lie was ono Of the group that
met at the TURKS Head, which in
cluded Sir Joshua Reynolds, Garrick.
Goldsmith AMI DIR. Johnson. In 1860
he formed the friendship with tho
MarquiH Of Rockingham. through whom
he obtained a seat in Parliament, and
made the most extraordinary speeches
of the day. We must realize the times
in which he lived to realize the effect
he prnduced. The members soon found
themselves listening to words concern
ing the general empire and that male
for liberty When they got used to it
they stopped listening, for they began
TO notice hisi brogue. Some OF the
speeches which we read with amaze-
mont we're delivered to empty benches
They were in reality addressed to
future generations.
burke was practical as TO parties
His view was that you cannot act eS-
cept in parties, and il you act on your
own judgment you would he minority
OF one, and 80 you must have concert
OF action. when men are not &C.
quainted with each others principles -
said Burke, NOR experienced in each
others talents nor az all practiced in
their mutual habitudos or dispositions
by joint efforts Of business; no per
sonal confidence, no friendship, no
common interest aubsisting among
them; it is evidently impossible that
they can act public part with uni.
forWity, perseverance, or efficacy. That
is Why continued Prof. Wilson, that
committees OF 100 seldom amount 10
anything for they have not acted
together hefors ami by tho time they
understand each others idiosyncracies,
the campaign is over and the other side
has won. Burke also said that when
bad men combine, good men must asso
ciate. 1t ia not enough that mar
mems well and always votes according
to his conscience, but duty demands
that what ia right should not only be
made known, but made prevalent.
Continuing Prof. Wilson said that this
does not mean that you must hlindly
serve old parties. hut good men must
associate in sufficient numbers 10 defeat
tho had.
lie stood with ardor for freedom anc
/ men said he belied himself in his atti.
! tude toward tho French Revolution,
: but they saw the evils of the monarchy
and not what the principles OF this
people were leading France to staggei
through. Tho rnvolutionists said, eve
, can cut down the structure of govern
ment and roar you another," but he
, said, "Change is not reform; the thine
/ you touch il alive and you cannot MAKE
another full grown in a night; it will
, rot have the gristle to last nor the
, muscle to endure; government il
, matte of the tested experience of II race.
lie feared tbs entrances Of French radi
I cal philosophy with England and fought
it with all hia might.
, Tie champouad the cause Of America
lie drew attention to tho lineage o.
the people Of America and said, "Yot
nan M morn inr poa nm than thon w.,