The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
OLD AND NEW LYCEUMs.
Instruction. Not OratOry. was The
Original object of the Lyceum AZ
First instituted.

First Instituted.
NV eloaueut and talented young friend.
John Temple Graves, has been writing
/ quite graphically 81 the LNceum, ana had
! he confined his sketch to the present sys-
/ tenn of lyceum bureaus, under which ne
and Gen. Gordon and others are leetlr-
! ing iu all parts OF the country, / should
MOI seek to add anything to what he
] has so well said.
But he is too young a man, however,
/ brilliant. 10 write intelliSently OF the Ola
original lyceum or lecture system of New
| rnrlaud Long before he was born
dftv-dye years ago--l as boy OF only
10 wears enjoyed the then rare benefits
! Of that most excellent system of public
! instruction.
| In those days it was matter and not
manner thai was sought after-not the
| hrillion+ orator. but the profound thinker
| who was the most popular on the lee
t,,Yo platform we had no Sunday news
papers then. and there were few maya
| zines. and fewer Illustrated publications.
Of any kind our newspapers were really
news naners containing very little mat
ter of a literary or historical charactee
ana This created a universal demand for
In the New England city of my birth
Pangor Med we had two or three regH-
lar courses of lectures each winter, ana
mon Of even moderate means purchased
member of the family able to attend was
generally there, although it was by no
means a place of amusement or entertain
ment. as in these modern times of funny
orators, musical attachments, blacK-
boards and magic lanterns.
NV friend Graves errs in suggesting that
Henry ward Beecher, Wendell Phillips
and William Lloyd Garrison were the most
nopular lecturers of that period. While 1t
is true that there was a strong anu-slaV-
cry sentiment then abroad in New Eng
land the regular lecture courses were not
burdened by orators of that class, nor
were politics or religion allowed TO IN
Auence the choice of lecturers. There were
few universahsts or unitarians in our city,
and vet Rev DR.. T.. II. Chaplin of New
york and Rev Henry Giles of Boston,
we're popular and frequent in our lecture
! courses.
n,eased at the high standard of the lee
fures given US. There were no fashy dis
plavs of rhetoric or oratory, but sim
ME earnest effort to forcbly impress great
truths or important historical events upon
our minds Such lecturers as the distin-
gnished essayists, Edwin 2. Whipple,
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodore Par
ker. were always welcomed and their pro-
found thoughts eagerly listened to by
large audiences.
The Rev. II. Starr King of Boston, Rev
DR.. Theodore l.. Cuyler of New York, ard
Rev. DR.. A. y Willitts OF Philadelphia
were among the most frequent as they
were among the most popular Of our lee
tuners. But for myself then. as. now, l
considered the Rev. Richard 5 Storrs, D.
D.. OF Brooklyn. the grandcst figure on
the lecture platform of that day. In adj
dition 70 a superb physical presence, an
oratory majestic ia its sweep, and a style
of composition as near faultless as pOssi-
Die. he impressed an audience as no other
man could who lacked This rare three
fold combination. lie did not have the
hearty. robust cloquepce of Beecher and
Chaplin, nor the light pleasing style of
Cuyler and Willetts, but ne held his audi
cnces with "A varied style of delivery suit
Cd 20 the character of each particular sen
teuCc IN his lofty fights of olOquence
there was a grace and polish that few or
ators ever secure and improve as perma-
nent feature OF their public addresses
My early high opinion OF Rev. DR.. Storrs
has just been fully vndicated by his semi
centennial anniversary as pastor of the
Church OF the Pilgrims in Brooklyn. where
he has made a record perhaps uneqIaled
by any other American pastor. But Rev.
Or. Cuyler and Rev. DR.. Winett are still
alive, with very long pastorates to show
their merits ana popularity, and they con-
tinue to he men Of widespread influence.
When boy of dozen years, listening to
their eloquent sentiments, I never dream
ed that in my early manhood / should
have the honor of speaking to New York
audiences and congregations from the
same platform and pulpit with Chaplin,
Beecher Storrs and Cuyler. as well as
numbering them among my familiar
/ friends
Ana this brings me to the most import
ant point in my article. Without attack
ing the present money-seeking system Of
yccum lectures, / desire 10 pay due tri-
F Tn d hal