The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-18


atss and my ewp observations, satisfy me that many
ofyou VIII grow weary peace establishment and
having formed other and hope, happier connections
in life, than cold and gloomy old bacheorisn affords
tremendous applause from interestsfrom convent
ences or from necessity Of you will retire from
the army But your usefulness, to your country need
not be lost The works projected by the general and
State governments, by the enterprise of corpora
tons, and private individuals, afford an empIc
field for the scientific engineer profossorshps in
leges-tbe learned Professions volunteer corps
scientific agriculture, and the sacred desk,
have heretofore received valuable accessions from
the halls of West Point wide field of useful
may be properly rewarded, and your taste grated.
This institution is to the literary system of this
try, what the heart Is to the human system IL
csives the learning the discoveries and attachments of
all nations through the veins and having properly d
gesied ana improved upon them sends them forth in
heaithfu arterial streams to all the other institutions
OF our country 1t thus elevaes the standard of learn
ing ut home Indeed to homely figure, it is the
great city clock. by which all the smaller clocks
watches regulated. But say nothing more Of the
advantages afforded to literature in general by the
lights Of this institution let turn for
that class who denomnate themselves uttarians who
reject or discard every discovery Improvement in
science that does not have some direct and
connection with the thrift comfort or
of men. What has enlightened science DONE and
what is she daily doing, to advance these ends! In
our almost magic flight from portion of splen-
did country to another stop to reflect how
much we are indebted to the midnight labor and vgils
OF some deyotee OF science. The rich products of
fertile sell find distant market and rapid cheap
means OF transportation. Land has advanced popula-
liou has ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, wealtn anu manutac-
lures have doubled-cties towns, and villages, have
sprung up if by enchantment under the system Of
with astonishment-we admit their utility-we praise
the elegant execution of the workout little of
our admiration is ordinarily bestowed upon the labors
OF the scientific scholar who first discovered the ap
pcaton of propelng powers made the scientific sur
veys and plans for their construction. large majo
rty OF these works have been furnished with engineers
for their surveys construction from the halls of
this national nursery If this institution was deemed
of great national Importance, by Washington by whose
and recommendation 1t first established
how much greater Importance ia it in this freat age
of wonders and inventions We live in an astonishinp
age-we travel by steam and converse by livhtniur
How fortunate should esteem ourselves that we ars
permitted to live in the middle of the nineteenth
century. Future ages will be, doubtless far more adj
vanced-but age will witness more rapid pro-
erosion in will discovery follow discovery ia
more rapid and startling career. Wonderful epoch
a century is no longer a hundred years a &C nturv of
improvement crowded into ten years of time Favor
ed age we hold UP the mirror of science before us
and whole stream of ancien mt and modern learning
for 5000 years, is presented almost at glance Con.
bursting upon our vision and we stretch the
almost the curtain that wells the rich store house
of futurity. The question is longer asked how
much will vet be discovered The question is not
where will discoveries uate-but the proper oues
ton is will they ever end will they not be coexteu
sive with time Will the electric flash that sets
the world on fire. llumne some new discovery as it
springs from the great laboratory of the human mind
This Is indeed the are of reasou-the vast imnrove
ments in the art of printing and the rapdity of on
yeyng intelligence have produc ed wonderful reyolu-
ton Mind has triumnhed over nh vsicsI force-tha
world is now governed by intelligence-the impulse
that agitaes the great capital of Europe imparts its
thrill instantaneously all others-the sensation ia
simultaneous The world is strangely a nd startinply
convulsed-thrones are crumblin g-dynasties are
tottering to their fall--the iron heel is rob-
bed of the power of oppression Who can tell
in this vast whirlpool of confused clements
what results may be produced Who can tell in its
wild career but it's vortex widening and deepe
may yet reach shores Who can tell when
this threatening volcano may begin to spout forth
burning lava, from what particular apex! This g-
ntable needs but the magic spark to again
ope the world in flames. How may meteor,
all more than meteor-some comet come and again
arise, which shall roll the urd cloud of war over the
farest portions of Europe until the curtain may drop
at some second Waterloo We fondly hope that the
murmurs the threate volcano may be sted and
the bright rainbow of peace may span the world But
truth is clcar-we cannot hide it from ourselves.
God has decreed that man shall be freethe right d.
vine" has heard its final knel But whether this gori-
contamination is to be attained by the slow and
peaceful progression of learning, of civilization of
Christianity the dread ordeal of and voc nee,
He has wisely concealed from feeble vision
my feelings perhaps my Imagination, have borne mo
wide Of the object which set out to present to
the excellence Of West Point Academy. The best test
Of the value Of institution Is to be estimated by
its results The worth Of this institution best be
seen by visiting It, and especially at an examination
becoming acquainted with its officers and professors
witnessing reviews drills parades, and military
cises-hearing the classes the
manner of imparting misunderstanding the thorough
of the coursesthe discipline police and admins-
tion-the urbanity of its officers and professors their
bright moral department and oiccr-like example But
without the advantages of visit the community may
properly estimate its by the history Of its
results, and the war just happily closed Individually
have had some experience that enables to judge
Of the efficiency Of many of the officers gradua here
Being connected with the army Of the west under the
command OF that gallant and accomplished soldier,
Gen. Kearny had ample means of becoming acquaint-
ed with many officers who had received their military
education here-not only Of the regular army but in
the volunteer corps. without military education,
myself and without any actual experience in war; af
ter our separation from Gen. kearny were thrown
upon resources IL was fearful responsibility
and one that would gladly have foregone-per-o nai
danger is matter OF little moment to soldier, but the
lives Of thousand men-young. brave, and generous;
many of them the sons of my friends and neighbors
the honor of the corps. the reputation Of tho
State was in some degree at stake have always deem
ed 1t very fortunate that we had been for three
months with Gen. kearny and his regulars Our
officers and men had been drilled by officers
Of the regular army before departure from Fort
Leavenworth; and like most other volunteer
mands, we had some officers who had graduated, and