The New York herald., 1851-08-26
THE ANNUAL ADDRESS.


At half past seven O'Clock this evening there
very attendance Of Ladder and members Of the
Association the Assembly Chamber at the Capitol for
the purpose of bearing the annual address Of Professor
A. D. Bacbe, Superintendent Of the Coast Survey and
President Of this Association, for the past year
The President professor Agsssiz announced the OBJ
ect Of the meeting aud Professor Bsche delivered the
following address which ntened to with marked
tention -
ADDRrsss PRorEssoR A. d. BAcHE. rREspESr o. THE
ASSOCIATION, ron THE NEAR lsol, on RErIR-
FROM 1Hr DCTIrs OF President
Professor BacHr stated that, on retiring from the
Office Of President Of the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science he submitted In conformity with
usage to its members remarks in relation to the
circumstances attending its organization and its pro-
gress and considerations Of the direction In which
its greatest usefulness may be looked to.
The condition Of society and science day seems to
have called for the organization Of general association,
r the prom and Of science in nearly
every country where IT. cutivators jealous
and not closely gathered in precur
gilmore unions for the good purpose To
render such meetings practicable modern facilities of
communication are Indispensable aud when these shall
have brought Berlin and New YORK near as were Ber
lin and Paris at the close last ury may pass
from present local organization to something chara
t.rstc Of the day Of railroads and the dawn Of teeraphs
As the want to have been universally recognized
IL has bee modified essentially by circumstances In
Germany the cutivators Of science have met in social
vay communicated aad dispersed. ln Great Britain
imposing permanent organization has Kept the British
ociaton always active When not together our
association has scarcely developed decided track
its end the advancement Of scerce bu the road to that
epd left to the Tesut Of econuosance widely made on
each side Of the beaten path to explore new wayr around
or through the Obstacles
such ns cannot stimulate into being New.
ton Cuvi.r, but who can say how much more they
would have enabled Newton or Cuvcr TO by removing
the ad Of opposition TO their dissoures by brsging up
the cuyat0rs of science a. body at once To the level
Of their knowledge and by causing many 70
shine for the bereh q the time either BY reflection or by
The krdling Of fame from their erid influence
Nho will say .nat they do not return wiser better more
zsalous according to kpowlsdge. from meeting WITH
Aiugo. with Humboldt, with Gauss, with Brrwtcr With
Fsrnday and their compes rs 70 come nearer home.
with Henry Pierce. Agassiz man must b. beyond
Improvement indeed whom such compsnioaship viii not
benefit.
But il true tha, genius beyond ,bove thu su.
lus Of association Let the aai9n- whD has-.f
ever man had the true divine br ata,-teh Us Ia
simple and sngle-heartedness. whether b. left that
meeting Of the BTitih Association the sane man who
went tb,re whether the effect Il that simple and single
fgure The black board which hOEet % The ysDlozsts
Il the day discoveries 10 made founded principles
which created era Ia classification wa limited 20
bic auditors g. the culSator fcience throug
phcm they spread with lightning rap1liy anu FiViL
Lsss. Did il not react or hin
IfsUsh sss,catiors bring out Only common msn !. Il
because there others within their fhore of n
fu,nce Men a genius are stbl et1phaucaly men All
cf al otheTs tufceptbe most truly ol human and hu-
msnizng Influences of them emphatica iy q nay be
raid II they all not ray Il for themsr.ve. lJao suAi .
tahUnaft ~ oiifnilr u~yHf0
The world s. made % Il ordinary men and il T. the
part Il e. sense bot O. dfspise tneif iong Toe
specim,ns collected or The Oh-tfvatilns uate by the
humtlsft reol0gist who ever wieiit hammsf o. the
ne.k.st astrond pr who ever noted transit
psrt 81 The foundation a the superb strugtBr rid hy
Won Buck y Levtrnier II the zs 0f the clni rate
men Is varmtd into activity aud diocitd in o. level
ots by such influence The general level q science
h rsiF,d ~ slow deposit vhcb may occasion make
mountains by uphesvsl Associatn1s are not pfoposei
a. rama but only IN needrg moderate tnu-
lent They appeal t. some e the srOnget AMI bes mo
tives q cur nature.
let us briefly and rapidly glance Ia general con
dioE science among piot O. an4 at tae um- % the
formation aesocstiDn. the ob.tl, es which
presented 10 its organization and lie mode u It's f3rma-
ton.
In the colonial period of country tn professors u
ath, mates ana natural philosophy correspouded with
tIe leading scientific Il Great Britain of them
intimately They looked fr assistance in their pursuits
(ch fly those of stronomy) To then aud for direction
when cial occasions Of interest rendered their
or.raon desirable Winthrop Of Ma-achuetts auj Bit
Ter Of pennyvapia had the full advantage of such
con munion At later day Franklin, Canton. AMI
Pfesty were intimatts and CORE spoDdst fimiarly.
The 4, neaton which grew up during our revolutionary
struggle and after independence vas actoOTeixed
raturay did not succeed TO these connections Of frsn
shin The prosecution or mathematics AID physical
science was neglected indeed barely tept alive By the
calls boundary and land surveys ~ the more extents1
NV solated volunteer efforts As the country vas eH.
ucr,d and settled the unworked mine 81 natural history
vas laid open and the attention q almost al the cutl
vaors Of science turned towsrs the deveopemen ~
It's riches Descriptive natural history Is the pursuit
which ,mphaticaly marks that period A. It's exponent
nav he taken the admirable descriptive minersogy OF
which seemed 10 Gil the Of that day
ana BE- u we're its chief embodiment, appearing Just
\ do not propose 20 attempt tracing the influences
xbioh have turned the attention W America 10 a vdef
and aRspss purssit of sa,usl paTsea, aud aAtasAA