As a teacher, Dr. Wayland had preeminent gifts. If he did not, like Socrates, follow up the pupil with a perpetual crossexamination, he set before himself the same end,-that of eliciting the pupil's own mental activity. He aimed to spur him to the work of thinking for himself, and of thinking soundly. He had a spice of humor in his nature, and this lent additional zest to his terse, colloquial expressions in the classroom. The truth that there is nothing new under the sun, as far as the essential traits of man are concerned, he embodied in the saying, that "human nature has very few new tricks." On one occasion he had listened with his usual patience to the persistent questioning of a pupil as to how we know a certain intuitive truth or axiom. At length, his previous answers not having silenced the inquirer, he broke out with the emphatic response:-"how? by our innate, inborn gumption !" In these amicable conflicts with his pupils, he never took an unfair advantage, or contended for victory. On the contrary, he seemed desirous, as he really was, to do full justice to every objection, and, in alluding to writers who differed from him, to speak of them with personal respect. When the class of which the writer was a member took up the introductory part of his Moral Science, he mentioned that his views on the theory of Ethics had been controverted by Dr. N. W. Taylor, who, he added, was the ablest metaphysician in the country; and he told us where to find Dr. Taylor's adverse criticisms. Dr. Wayland exacted work of his pupils. He did not adopt the notion that studies are to be made so easy as not to require exertion. He thought that the mind should be trained to wrestle with a difficult subject. To remove from the intellect its infirmities and distempers,-as it were, with the aid of chloroform, the patient lying passive,-was not a process that accorded with his ideas of education. He demanded of his pupils carefully prepared recitations, and called on them to give, in their own words, an analysis of what they recited. Dr. Wayland was a plain, thoughtful, solemn preacher. His early discourse on the Moral Dignity of the Missionary Enterprise, is the most famous of his sermons; and it contains very eloquent passages. The whole tenor of it agrees with the lofty tone of his feeling. But that discourse does not very well exemplify the ordinary character of his pulpit addresses. His method was to unfold his theme by lucid explanations and arguments, and then to add a very brief conclusion, in which he threw the responsibility upon the hearers for acting in obedience to the truth which had been presented. The marked characteristic of his preaching was his habit of addressing the conscience. This he did with rare directness and strong effect. His entire freedom from every species of religious cant, and his obvious sincerity and independence, imparted peculiar force to his declarations. It was evident that he felt himself what he he wanted others to feel. He had himself thoroughly assimilated the truth which he inculcated upon his audience. Dr. Wayland is widely known as an author. The missionary sermon, to which we have alluded, appeared in a volume of well written discourses, which early gave the writer some celebrity. His University Sermons are of much later date. They contain his views of Christian doctrine. One of the most, perhaps the most original and characteristic of his productions was the little treatise on the Limitations of Human Responsibility. He probably did not adhere to all the opinions expressed in this book,-for example, to his idea as to the power of Congress with reference to slavery in the District of Columbia. But his strong respect for the rights of the individual, and his predilection for personal, as distinguished from associated, action, is forcibly brought out. His Elements of Moral Science has proved itself a useful and popular work. The theoretical part is not marked by any special discrimination, and is, on the whole, inferior to the practical, in which the wisdom of the author has an appropriate field. His textbook on Political Economy presents only the bare rudiments of that science, and does not prentend to originality. Yet it is our conviction that, had Dr. Wayland devoted himself to the investigation of this subject, he would have made himself a master. The simple but comprehensive generalizations of this science, not less than its direct utility, were congenial with the prevailing bent of his mind. It was natural for him to give a large space in his Intellectual Philosophy to rules and practical counsels for the discipline and use of the intellect. It is another proof of the decided predominance of the practical over the speculative elements in his mental constitu tion. Dr. Wayland's conversation was quite attractive. His mind was always awake and active; he was quick at repartee, and his manners were courteous. If his remarks, made without premeditation in the family, or social circle, could be gathered up, they would form the most valuable monument of the character of his mind. It was, however, in the capacity of a religious counselor and friend, that the noblest side of Dr. Wayland appeared. In the administration of the college discipline, he governed with a strong hand, and students feared his displeasure. The prompt. summary measures which he sometimes took, might strike the offender, at least, as somewhat despotic. The Doctor often expressed his admiration of Homer's picture of Jupiter, wherein the god is described as shaking Olympus by his mere nod. In the exercise of authority he aimed to be as sparing of words as possible. Although he had a paternal feeling towards his pupils, the spirit of his government, combined with the perceived dignity of his character, excited a degree of fear. They looked up to him, admired him, were proud of him, but in many cases never came into any closer relation. But when the opportunity was given to him to impart religious advice and encouragement to any one, he appeared in a wholly different attitude. His whole soul was moved. He seemed then to be fully in his element. His tones and words were marked by a fatherly tenderness. He became in spirit a child. He listened with unwearied sympathy to the recital of doubts and difficulties, and the suggestions that he offered were most apposite and judicious. We are inclined to think that when he was not engaged in the direct work of recommending the Gospel to the souls of men, he felt himself to be aloof from his highest calling-to be away from home. Hence, towards the end of life, he doubted whether he had not made a mistake in leaving the pastoral office. Religion was the controlling motive in his character. His strong nature needed, and it experi enced, the tempering influence of Christian principles. Under their power, although his indignation was easily kindled, it was generally directed against things that are morally odious. His oldest colleague,* whose noble and lovely traits of character are a theme of common remark among all who have enjoyed his instructions, has paid a just tribute to the humility and magnanimity of his friend. Dr. Wayland was no sectarian. The atmosphere of sectarian animosity would have been too confined for him to breathe. In many conversations which the writer had with him on topics of religious doctrine and duty, he never sought to exert an influence in favor of the peculiar tenets of the respectable denomination to which he himself belonged. He never adverted to them in any way. Once when the subject came up without any suggestion from him, he remarked that when the various Protestant denominations came to the hand-to-hand conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, each of them would have to give up something. He left on us the impression that whilst he agreed with his denomination respecting the proper mode and subjects of Baptism, he was not an advocate of restricted communion. But this is, perhaps, more a conjecture than an inference, and may be quite incorrect. Of this we are certain, that he was a truly liberal Christian. At the outset of these remarks, it was said that there was more in Dr. Wayland than any analysis of his mind and character would be apt to suggest. When he died, a great and good man passed away from the earth. *Professor Alexis Caswell. ARTICLE X.-THE REFORMATION OF THE SOUTH. Presidential Proclamations of Emancipation, and Amnesty. First Message of President Johnson to the Senate and House of Representatives, December, 1865. Official Report of Lieut. Gen. Grant, July 22d, 1865. The Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, passed by Congress during the session of 1864–5, and submitted to the States. Reports on Evangelization at the West, and South, and on Church Building adopted by the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States, convened at Boston, June, 1865. Annual Reports of the American Home Missionary Society, American Missionary Association, American Congregational Union, 1865. The American Union Commission, New York City. We have been looking about for a proper title to this Article, whose theme can be easily inferred from the references at its head. Reconstruction is the popular phrase, which is blazoned in capitals at the top of leaded editorials, and among the published resolutions of caucuses of all political parties. We demur, however, against this term, because of the idea which it contains; and if we eschew the thing we are not going to retain the word. Reconstruction is rebuilding on the old site the structure which time or violence has destroyed, and implies a retention of the original plan, and of similar materials. He who should erect a marble temple where a Bastile had been burned could not by any proper use of language be said to have been engaged in the work of reconstruc |