CRITICAL SKETCHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1861, 22 July 1887, Page 34

CRITICAL SKETCHES.

By Aristarchus.

RALPH WALDO' EMERSON.

Here is another biography of the Sage of Concord, by Oliver Wendell Holmes. It is not only biographical, but it is also, in respect to his works, analytical, critical, and explanatory. The head of the most original and influential writer of America was very small— only 21£ in in circumference. From Unitarianism Emerson early drifted to Theism, and at times to Pantheism. He refused to administer the Lord's Supper, and resigned his pulpit, for the rite " confused the idea of God by transferring the worship of Him to Christ. Christ is the Mediator only as the instructor of man." The Psalms of David Emerson regarded as the sublimity of thought, and the poetic beauty of expression. Books he, rated as aids to reflectionHe did not start from accepted dogmas, like men of talent, but, like a man of genius, from his own sight of principles. Theodore Parker, who contended for immanent as. against traditional inspiration, was a disciple of Emerson. Both believed in an " intimate divinity," or the grace and presence of God. Emerson supplies us with impulses rather than methods of cogitation. " The highest compliment man ever receives from Heaven is the sending to him its disguised and discredited angels," or men of genius. The intimate divinity is the divine voice which speaks authoritatively in the soul of man, and is indeed the source of all wisdom. " Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet." The man who stands by himself the universe stands by him also. This is a cardinal principle o'£ Emerson's creed — self-reliance. The moral sentiment he held to be the foundation of culture and character. Both he and Parker held that the essence of Christianity is its practical morals. As to immortality, he did not rely on logical proof, but on the higher evidence of universal instincts. He was not a great scholar, nor an extensive reader, but he appropriated many foreign thoughts. " The wide flood of Emerson's discourse has a hundred rivers and thousands of streamlets for its tributaries." His study was his workshop, and he embraced solitude as a bride. To him Christ was only a divine manifestation, as all great souls are.

VICTORIA'S HIGHLAND JOURNAL.

The Queen has published more leaves from her' journal, extending from 1862 to 1882. It is illustrated with portraits of herself arid suite. From north to south, from east to west, the Queen made excursions to the most celebrated, beautiful, and picturesque spots, villages, towns, cities, rivers, dales, plains, straths, and vales. She sketched, painted, drew, read, wrote, and otherwise engaged herself amid the Caledonian hills. She has considerable facility in description of scenery. Her visits to Blair, Dunkeld, Invertrossachs, Inverary, Dunrobin, Inv'erlochy, Glenfiddich, &c, are intensely interesting. She makes no efforts at concealment. We see Royal life behind the scenes. She acts the part of a noble and prudent and benevolent woman, whether in the cottage or in the castle. There is a constant alternation of high and low life, and intermingling with patricians and plebeians. Altogether the Queen is an excellent character. ' DANIEL THE PROPHET.

Here are seven sermons by D. ,L. Moody. The charm is not in' the composition ; it must have been in the delivery. Like Daniel, we should " do a thing because it is right, and not because it is popular. The outlook may appear like death ; but do the right, and if we stand firm God will bring everything for the best. It does not pay to be false ; it pays to be true. It is best to be honest, even if ie means having, very little money in our pocket and very little position in the world. It is best to have God with us, and to know that we are on the right side. Whenever a man stands by God, God will stand by him." The manner and mode of the delivery of these plain addresses must have been peculiarly earnest and singular to move such masses of human beings. Verily sincerity is a potent virtue ; it has a magical fascination.

GENERAL GORDON.

Rev. Reginald H. Barnes and Major Charles E. Brown give a graphic sketch of Gordon's life in this book. We are literally inundated with lives of the gallant hero, as if to make amends for the neglect of him when alive. He firmly believed that God dwelt in his body, and he had great faith in God. " The union with our God in Christ is our force." We are assured that "he never let himself rest short of the hope of complete union with Christ," He found his " sanctification through union with God in Christ." This consciousness of " the Holy Ghost's indwelling " ennobled the hero, and caused his military and moial qualities to shine forth resplendently. He was brave, disinterested, generous, charitable, benevolent, and beneficent. He was always just and straightforward. Hence his influence over the Chinese and Soudanese. He was decisive in action, and pitiful in the presence of misery. Like Cromwell, he was under the influence of the unseen world. " They had the same vigour, the same control over a naturally fiery and masterful temper, the same hatred of pretence, the same' unflinching determination, when the path of duty seemed clear, in marching straight to their goal. And both were equally remarkable. for their power of fascinating and dominating other minds." His defence of Khartoum is heart-stirring, and his death reflects disgrace upon the Gladstone Government. He displayed to the last a dauntless spirit and inexhaustible resource. W. E. LILLEY'S LIFE OF GENERAL , GORDON.

Here is another book on the life and work of our hero at Gravesend. W. E. Lilley is the author. The preface is by Miss Gordon, and the introduction by the Rev. H. 0. Wilson. The work is a fine record of his philanthropic labours for six years in Gravesend. With all his excellencies he was occasion*

ally impulsive, irritable, and severe upon impostois. He was a man of untiring industry. Whittier, the American poet, said that " for centuries no grander figure has crossed the disc of our planet. • Unique, unapproachable in his marvellous individuality, .neibelongs to no sect or party, and defies classification or . comparison. A providential man, his mission in an unbelieving and selfish age revealed the mighty power of faith in God, self-abnegation, and the enthusiasm of humanity." Evidently, Gordon was an excellent man. SOME IMPRESSIONS OF THE UNITED

STATES,

In this book of 300 pages Edward A. Freeman, D.C.L., LL.D., gives us some very, valuable information regarding the North American, Republic. He makes the startling assertion that he saw less difference between England and the United States than between England and Scotland. There is a real unity between Old and New England in all essential points. Not only in America but in the British colonies is the art of naming places one of the lost arts. Vulgar settlers cannot be expected to be adepts in nomenclature. ■ Look, for example, at the names given to places in New Zealand, Australia, &c. , American orthography is -distasteful in some particulars to Mr Freeman, as to every other scholar. In. America, as in Scotland, " many good' English words and phrases which have gone out of use in England, and which ignorant people call Americanisms and Scotticisms," arepreserved most conservatively. In America the lawyers figure largely in the legislatures, even more so than elsewhere. Human life is less sacred in New than in Old England. As in the colonies, there are no clearly defined parties in politics. It is a mere question of ins and outs. In fact politics are left to professional politicians. Indeed, a Ministerial system has no place- in a republic. Corruption is the peculiar outcome of a republican form of government. Still, America is essentially an English land. Freeman humorously snggests a panacea for the Irish difficulty — to wit, that " every Irishman should kill, a negro and be hanged for it." This would do away with " the baleful nature of Irish influence in America." As to the blacks, emancipation was a mistake. " The law may declare the negro to be the equal of the white man ; it cannot make him equal. There is an eternal physical and intellectual difference between master and slave. Education cannot wipe out the eternal distinction that has been drawn by the hand of Nature." Nowhere accordingly has the negro made any approach to real social equality. The Indian is dying out, but he is superior to the African. Strange there is more ecclesiastical conservatism in America than in England. Freeman was amazed at the great number of universities and colleges. In Ohio there are 3a institutions that grant degrees ! With a few exceptions American colleges are very mediocre indeed. The learning imparted is superficial. There are few real scholars. But in all the colleges — Gerard College 'not excepted — religion forms are important factor. There are chapels, and worship is conducted in them. This is better than New Zealand, where the colleges are opened and closed without prayer ! The curriculum in America extends over four years, as in Scotland. In New Zealand it is only three ! In republican America every man must have a handle :to his name. Spurious titles are universal ! ' American life centres in the towns, and yet there is no real metropolis like London — consequently no national feeling. There are no decent roads anywhere. American newspapers are purely provincial, and far below the English journals. They are full of vulgar personalities. They are " clearly written for a class of readers inferior to the average reader of the English paper." English institutions are greatly " modified as change of place and circumstances called for." But all this is not for the better. The Yankees did not like to hear of a disruption. But yet " there has been a disruption, followed by reconstruction. What happened to the American Union in the nineteenth century A.D. had happened to the Achaian Union in the third century B.C. In both cases there was disruption ; in both cases there was reunion." So, Mr Jonathan, there is nothing new under the sun— hot even your bloated mobocracy! The American is a creature full of '\ national touchiness " about the criticisms of English scholars. He professes to despise,' but he really longs for the good opinion of his ■ mother: This book is manifestly the production of a classical scholar, after Oxford's own heart and soul. It gives us a good insight into the internal economy of the Republic of Washington. EMERSON'S LIFE OF GORDON. George W. Emerson's life of Gordon is really better than all its numerous predecessors already commented upon. As soldier, administrator, and Christian hero he is unsnrpgssed either in ancient or in modern times. Further remarks are obviously superfluous.