The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-10-09
PROFESSOR PECK'S NOTION.

i liz IOilS.
PROFESSOR PECK'S NOTION.
Professor Harry Thurston Peck
(whose parents probably had him
baptized as Henry lectures to the
students at Columbia University on
English literature and talks to them
and the public on such other subjects
as suit his fancy. He is the one
writer who thinks the Trusts are a
grand thing because the children of
the Trust magnates will constitute
an American aristocracy; that, hav-
ing no need to work for a living,
these favored children will have the
time and the benevolent disinterest-
edness to think impartially for the
people (who are incapable of serious
thought because they are under the
pressure of toll for bread and butter)
and the cultivated brains to think
wisely. At the recent beginning of
the one hundred and fiftieth year of
Columbia University Professor
Harry returned to his favorite theme
the Americans lack of ideas. He
denied in his address that we have
the originating genius, the creative
power, with which we credit our
selves. The American he said, has
infinite intelligence a very little wis
dom; a swarm of clever notions, but
very few ideas; he achieves invention,
but he falls short of true creation; he
is master of makeshifts, a very
prince of patchwork
DOUBTLESS the airy Harry thought
he had concealed an idea somewhere
behind these expressions, but prob
ably he was mistaken. At any rate
he was mistaken as to the fact. He
has been blinded to the wisdom of
the American by the brilliance of the
American in the practical application
of his notions The Professor as
sumes that intelligent execution pre-
cludes depth of thought. Anyhow,
nothing is more vain and deluding
than to attempt to describe what
the American is or is not. Because
the pressure of need compels certain
American inventor to apply in a
practical way recognized principle,
say of mechanics, is no evidence that
another American is incapable of the
discovery of a principle. Because the
circumstances of American life have
been such as to give especial import
ance and prominence to inventive
skillis no reason to conclude that the
creative power has been denied to
the whole race of Americans.
Gas matter of fact, there is no de-
partment of human endeavor, includ-
ing metaphysics, theology, art and
whatever can inspire creative effort,
in which America does not offer some
original thinker. 1t happens that
the conditions of society are not such
as to give evidence to the labors of
creative thinkers in this country, the
overmastering interest in commercial
undertakings absorbing the concern
of the great majority; but this does
not mean that all power in the realm
of ideas is impossible to the Ameri-
cans. We are going through an es-
sential stage of development and
have shown ourselves superior in the
matters which are of the most peril
nent Importance.
at appears to be the disposition of
some Americans to assume a patron
izing tone toward their own people;
to pat them on the back for inferior
qualities and achievements, while
denying to them equality with other
peoples in higher matters. There is
no warrant for an such attitude any
more than there is warrant for as
Stunning the braggart tone which was
once charged against us. Just as we
have developed practical workers
when they were thesupreme requisite,
so we shall offer original thinkers to
the world when we shall have reached
the stage of their necessity. We are
all right and Professor Harry Peck
has no call to blush for us."-Phila-
Ja1nh,o PaonrH