The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-14 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPT. 14, 1869.

A hundred years ago, to-day, there was born at
Berlin on the 14th of September, 1769, as the in-
fant son of one of the wealthiest soldiers in the army
of King FREDERICK the GREAT of Prussia, the future
author of " Kosmos," the Baron FREDERICK HENRY
ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. A century having
thus elapsed since that now most memorable date,
the fame of HUMBOLDT; the author of " Kosmos" is,
upon this anniversary- of his first entrance into life,
being celebrated with all befitting solemnity in the
two hemispheres. Germany, the land of his birth
and of his death, the depository of his remains, the
home in which be passed the chief part of his long
existence—an existence extending over 90 years alto-
gether—Germany, but more especially Prussia, bears
the memory of HUMBOLDT to-day in proud and re-
verent remembrance. America, at the same time, but
especially the United States of America, exults hardly
less in th 6 opportunity of doing honour to the name
of her great Explorer, of the philosophic Traveller,
who, next to COLUMBUS, has the • glory of having
the most plainly revealed her wonders to the
rest of the world. That name of HUMBOLDT is
already ,indelibly emblazoned upon the chart of
America. Between the range of the Rocky Moun-
tains and the range of the Sierra _Nevada eastwards
of California flows the River Humboldt. Upon the
eastern shores of the Pacific, not far south of
the State of Oregon, there flourishes the Town of
Humboldt. The seaward streets of that town look
forth over the Bay of Humboldt. Running due north
and south upon the Western side of Utah (with the
view already mentioned meandering at its base, across
the adjacent State of Nevada) there extends the noble
range of the Humboldt Mountains. The author of
"Kosmos," it is therefore needless to say, has
already his memorial monuments monuments
befitting in their vastness the grandeur of
his reputation. Looking back to the century
during which the physical sciences were illustrated
and advanced by ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, while
BEETHOVEN was foremost among the musical com-
posers of the age, while THORWALDSEN was wielding
chisel and mallet as the arch-sculptor of the epoch,
while, as Conqueror and Lawgiver, NAPOLEON the
GREAT was bestriding the kingdoms and empires of
the old world like a colossus, one need not recall to
mind an era anterior to the Deluge in order to assert
with truth—" there were giants in those days." It
was only a month ago, on the 15th of August last,
that the centenary of NAPOLEON'S birth was cele-
brated throughout France, but more especially at
Paris and in the island of Corsica. And now to-day,
in the old world and in the new, at Berlin, and at
New York, honour is being done to the name and
fame of ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, on this 14th of
September, being the date in turn of his centenary.
In the Central Park at York there will be in-
augurated a column bearing upon its summit the
statue of the great Traveller. At Harvard University
there will be established a new School of Science hence-
forth to be known as the School o f Humboldt, an eminent
Professor, whose name is honourably known to us
all, Professor AGASSIZ, being the one entrusted with

the privilege of delivering the eloje, which will
iloubt: ess constitute the chief part of the inaugu-
ral address in celebration of this new school's
foundation. It was in 1786 that ALEXANDER VON
HUMBOLDT commenced his own study of the natu-
ral sciences at the University of Frankfort-on-the-
Oder. In 178 S he removed thence to _ the
University of Gottingen always, we are
ashamed to say, associated in our mind with
the ludicrous by reason of GEORGE CANNING'S pre-
posterously absurd "refrain" in the Anti Jacobin
about—

" - the LT-
Niversity of Gottingen
Niversity of Gottingen."

It was in 1790, within the first year of the Great
French Revolution, that HUMBOLDT, the future explorer
of the new world, began his travels in the old world,
in Holland, in England, and in Rhineland. From
1792 to 1795 he was a mining inspector at Bayreuth.
From his " earliest youth," as he himself tells us, he
had felt, however, " a burning desire to travel in
distant lands unexplored by Europeans." This aspi-
ration thereupon in the twenty-sixth year of his age,
he set about realising in earnest and systematically.
It was nevertheless not until after two or three years'
preparation, at Jena, for the task he had set himself,
that he was enabled to start upon his varied expedi-
tions. During those years of preparation he had won
for himself the intimate friendship of GOETIIE and
SCITILLER. He had written books both anatomical
and chemical. He had thereby created for himself
a reputation as a natural philosopher. Traversing
Italy and Spain, he embarked at Corunna, in the May
of 1799, for the Spanish provinces in South America.
Five times within a very brief interval he crossed
both the Andes and the Cordilleras. In the June of

1802 he reached the highest point ever attained by
any buman being on the surface of the globe,
ascending to an elevation above the sealevel of 19,300
feet—namely, to the •skyward top of the mighty
peak of Chhnborazo. Both the great American con-
tinents were traversed by his daring footsteps. Re-
turning to Europe he published, section by section, his
encyclopmdic " Travels"—extending over 20 volumes
and embellished with 1,200 engravings. Afterwards,
advancing through Russia, he penetrated across a
distance of 2,320 geographical miles beyond the
borders of the Chinese frontiers. When between
70 and 80 years of age hebegan his " Magnum Opus,"
the grandest intellectual achievement of his life, his
Physical Description of the Universe—" Kosmos."
At ninety he died, and, now, upon the centenary of
his birth, his splendid career and his glorious labours
remembrance,
t
more
as a philosopher are not unnaturally borne in grateful
in
enthusiasticthe
among World
his andma
niny
the
Old
by h
ear-
nest and devoted appreciators.

IT is perhaps fortunate that the cruelty practised
in the transit of cattle should have been brought
under public notice at this season. In the hurry
and excitement of the parliamentary session political
topics are all engrossing in their interest, and social
questions of vital importance are apt to be altogether
overlooked, or, at best, very cursorily disposed of.
Every year we have to lament the postponement of
much-needed reforms, every year we have to submit
to the reprieve of long-condemned abuses, but so long
as our legislators find the excitement of a party con-
flict so much more attractive than the social regene-
ration of the people there is not much hope for a
speedy amelioration.

With regard to the needless cruelty inflicted on
the unfortunate animals who are removed by rail-
way or steamboat from one part of the kingdom to
the other, the interference of the Legislature is not
immediately necessary. The recent Acts of Parlia-
ment have empowered the Privy Council to interfere