New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-09-16
Two DISTINGUISHED Germans.
PAuLUs AND OXEN.

Our recent European advices announce
the decease Of the two eminent thinkers Iust
named, who, in their respective spheres OF htera
ture and science have filled a large space IN the
development of German speculation duungt the
last halfcentury.
PAuLrs was theological professor IN the Uni
yerslty of Heidelberg, and the father OF the
school Of criticism which explains the miracles
of the New Testament 10y the operation Of ma
tural causes His elaborate commentary on the
Gospels, which is read by all who have any tine
ture of the German theological literature, Is
crowded with rich and various learning, and is
marked by spirit Of unmlstakabe sincerity and
earnestness but ii swams with 50 many iancl-
ml hvporheses, and exhibits such numerous H.
stances of ingenious subtlety, that Us effect has
never been so great as might have been anlc-
pated from the enOrmty OF It's heroSlcs. The
system of Rationahsm, 50 called. of which he
was one of the prominent leaders, has since
found advocates of different order, which fact,
combined with the tendency to od-iashloned
lutheranlsm by many active and powerful minds.
has. of late years, greatly diminished his theolog-
ical influence His published works amount TO
between thirty and forty Most OF them are OF
critical and eNegetical character and IN spite
of the great changes IN more recent times Will
continue to hold an important place, at least IN
the history of German theology. PauluS was
born Sept L. 100 and was consequently upwards
of ninety wears Of age at the time OF his decease.
He was made Professor al Jena IN l7s7 al the
recommendation of the celebrated Gresbach,
where he renamed for several years, but was at
length obliged TO resign the office on account OF
impaired health I'm 1911 ne was appointed Pro
lessor at Heidelberg, where he continued 10 re-
side tall ms decease He was released from ac-
tive labors in the University about seven years
ago. by reason OF hi> advanced age, but We are
/ informed that he retained his cheerulness and
mental activity until within recent period
/ OkEN belonged to class of thinkers which is
scarcely known beyond the limits OF the lHNurl-
/ ant and tangled wilderness of German phlle>o-
ph,. He was At once a uaturaliS and a meta
/ physician. Combining a remarkable acateneSs
I and PATIENCE OF observation. with The most dal-
: ing flights Of phiosophc fancy. he was equally
/ distinguished a. q di>covercr and syStom-5ulld-
en-. H envelopcd the Noes, results of physical
research IA cloud OF transcendenial theories
which have no parallel even IN the gorgeous
+ cloud land Of his bulh. OkenwaS born at Ofen-
urg m l17g Hccommonced has career rs Pro-
feSsor m the University of Jena M 1907, devotlng
himself to the study and teaching of Natural
History. especially Zoology and Comparative
Anatomy. and vegetable, animal and human
Physiology HIS lectures on these subjects were
m the highest degree startling, and attracted
great attention \ periodical publication entI-
tied The ISIS contained a more complete *
position OF ms views, which n length excited
50 much CONTROVERSY that he was forced to re
SIGN his protes>orShie lie was aherwart ap
pointed Professor al Zurich, where he pursued
the INVESTIGATIONS which have since given HIN
50 much celebrity ID the learned world. His
great problem was the construction of com
plete system OF nature which should embrace
an lis elements and phenomena M rigid, CO.
herent and scientific order. THIS OF course he
ialled 10 accomplish and az the same time IN
duged to - great an extent N mystic and rhap-
>odical expressions, that he real merit OF his re-
searches was greatly obscuTet. His leading
discovery OF the relation Of the skull to the veI-
jebral column Is SAID to have cauSed a revolution
m anatomical science. The merit of Oxen Is
beginning to be Acknowledged IN Great Britain
where his views have been IN some degree Illus
raiet ana populau1ed by the admirable re-
searches Of Professor Owen but, - we think,
ne time has not Vel arrived for a true verdict 70
be pronounced en- lis scientific claims.