The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-07-16
o6 d. Jsnn's college, Ford

| commsnssmsns of d. Jshn's cunlsgs, Ford
The nrst annual eommsncsmsnt Of this newly ipcor-
poratsd College, took place at Fordham yesterday After
noon All the regular trains of ON the Harlem
Railroad were crowded during the morning, and at l
O'Clock P. NJ, extra train Of six despatched
to take up the passengers whose business other
gagements, kept them In the city until that hour.
The exercises were conducted in large tent erected
for the OCCASION the beautiful lawn in front of the
college buildings where after the passengers from the
last train had taken their places there present
about two thousand persons, among whom observed
members Of the city legislature, officers Of the army
and other public persons besides hundreds of pretty
girls beautiful young ladies, and good looking matrons
On the stage were seated Bishop Hughes, Bishop Nc
Closkey, Joseph Chandler ESQ., Of Philadelphia Rev
s asa RES, hsS
this city, and the faculty of the ColegeFather Angus
tus J. Thebaud President; Father John Larkn, Vice
Luques Father Lewis Petit; Father H. Du Merle.
There only four graduates upon whom deyoved
discourse on Russia by Mr.. Charles De Bull It was
crediabs performance showing considerable historical
knowledge and happy turn Of thought-rehection
| based upon past occurrences
The next grafton was a Latin performance, De Laudi
bus Lngna Lst Oratio By McGoysrn VINO arsiSp =.
Latin speech OF considerable length
The third a discourse on O'Conns, by +. McCar-
ron, who with Q modest introduction prefaced some
quite eloquent remarks In laudation of the amentod
| Irish statesman
delivered by MIR. Andrew j. Smith, who was also the
honored graduate who delivered the valedictory Ad-
| dress
The last discourse we give below 1t was the
best and In consequence reserved till the last 1t
WAS written and delivered by Mr. 3, H Rossncrans
whose father s now Professor OF Civil Engineering al
West Point. 1t was entitled
NOTHING ORIGINAL.
MANS, indeed, fsarfully and wonderfully made; his
ously oontrved the end OF his being lie unspsakaby
grand but It has not been given to to create He
aud follow premises to their intricate and
conclusions he subtle to discover the hidden purposes
which hng Ss he give new
to start up into the graceful statue and the dull
to CLEAN with images Of breathing life but he
originate nothing 1t Is very common impression that
not only can originate, but has originated many
things We have grown into the habit Of considering
by which civilized Is distinguished from savage life
having created drought out Of nothing into exs
tence BY human and of looking upon the hsto
~ Of arts sciences, and in short ofcivzaton,
history Of the productions and not record OF the dis
coveres of the human mind Hence when We go BACK
the yet unfinished earth mere expanse OF land ana
water-the water trackless waste of blue, the land
| savage wilderness through which men, IN company
with beasts feeding roots and acorns roamed with
| out dwelling hxed abode-a voiceess and brutal
herd and from them trace along from age to age,
the adoption of successive comforts and convenienoes
imagine that reviewing the additions made by
human ingenuity to the Sssn. creation Ana e. esen
die in pstriarchal days, or steam engine In modern
times, say behold manifestation Of mans crea-
tive power behold the cunning contrivances with
which he eaboratss the rude tenement wherein he s
doomed to dwell! Wherefore find much that is
worthy Of wonder and praise in modern days The In
ventions of the last centuries almost innumera
BILE Gunpowder the art OF printing the telescope the
fHa !ns So in
last days the genius Of man. developed by long ages
sharp experience, opening its treasure house. and
Ceres.ke filing the earth with plenty Now, at last
manifsstng his true character superior to the
planet whereon deves After 5000 years Of progress
be begins be master Of matter Now at last h intel
leot leads captive servtude all material elements
The blasts Of the hurricane he has hitched to Of
merchandise and the red lightning is his swiftwnged
the hurrcanest will he can produce the lurid light
ming fash Nov hi. cra .,i aver aver al things
oh ye peope-ofer incense In the temple OF science
sing psalms in the workshops unto this god who is mani
sonacatons Of this creative divinityiuveutors-
made to be gods dsmigods Our inventors Of steam
engines and gunpowder have eaped from the roof Of
the temple the breezy top of many peaked
Olympus; and the Lofty olympian dwellings which, IN
the poetic mythology Of the dreamy Grecis1s OF od
the cloud pser are beg tho sbodes of Dr. Faus
tus and Watt and Galiso.and host Of others deiaed
ing ave. offer incense of panegyro and sacrifice Of
printed praise.
Yet ii seems to me that the ardor of admiration
will somewhat coo approaching more nearly to them
analyze the actions tor which praise them and
that when the distance which lends enchantmen to
vew is taken away and the mists which round eyed
wonder has wrapped around them dissipated, our
awe will yanish-and shall discover that we lost
sight of what they did honored them what they
did not. Certain am We shall find that they men,
endowed with only human faculties Of which they made
any addition to the original world they fell very far
short Of discovering half the wonderful things whose
existence is twin born with time. For inventions are,
properly only which the inventor creates
nothing really new, and in which he simply makes
hitherto been ignorant He does not repeat create
his discovery As Columbus, in the first voyage
the Atlantic created none Of the islands forests or
who In the Of his Investigations arrives at
use to which material force may be applied creates
much reasoning, to the conclusion that steam,
from Its expansive property, would force the piston
wards, he did not create the expansive property
Of steam and when the Idea Of having condenser
from the IT 10 ne aa not
vessel apart from that in which expanded The steam
that from the caudron In which Pelops boiled
supper to the gods by afterwards naughty Tanta
lus capable Of violent expansion and sudden
densation which pulled from the high pressure
the old North river And had Tantalus in need Of
steam engine then, without creating any thing, but
clustering about his memory all the laurel leaves that
deck the brow ofthe inventor Of the steam engine
Or, again, when the namsless unknown who invented
gunpowder discovered that 10 Of satpetre IL Of
charcoal and 10 Of sulphur, would form explosive
MIXTURE he did not endow saltpere charcoal sui
phur, with any property, but simply brought to
light property which they had not been known to
possess.
II you say that although he did not endow these bo
dies with any property, yet by peculiar combna-
ton of them, he produced body which had not before
existed, and which, therefore, admit 1t will
ngyfor to combine bodies and change their exterior
forms, Is by means to create Precisely In the
manner mechanic, who is making article Of fur.
niture, may by some mistake, give to 1t shape which
mechanic had given before And he do he has
produceda body which existed and which therefore,
snew. Andsof an apothecary In compromising any one
mixtuI shouldby accident minge his ingredients
in different proportion from that In which they
to be mingled then he has BY peculiar combination Of
his ingredients produced body that before exist
ed and which is therefore Wherefore, both the
| awkward mechanic and the laundering apotheosry
entitled to place among those who by originating have
unto themselves deathless name; and ought Of
right to eat ambrosa by the side Of Watt and Calico
in our scientific mythology. But this 10 absurd" you
will . haze DIM ut