The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-31
THE LncrUAH SEASON.
Smithsonian Institution.


method in CEREAL, Professor Hopkins said he
should then proceed enquire as 70 the correctness
OF tas propositions OF Lors Bacon: That man, in
being enabled interpret nature, obtains that
knowledge which constitutes power. All language
il conventional and arbitrary, and il composed Of
sounds and chsr aoters, which, however differently
expressed, IN osrrent lang ages convey the same
meaning. Tho dfhculty OF explaining the process
BIZ which langr 80 is acquired, is because we learn
il at an early ago How natural is it for child
to spcsk, and every word that il utte-s was, at
Srst, meaningless And so il is W it'll every one OF
Us, in leaInrg he significance OF sgus when ad.
dressed to the lye. Still, the eye Of itself would
not convey a kus Wedge or an object /. becomes,
Therefore, niece ~ to assist the sight with some
thing that IL kHoNn TO ourselves, aud which hes
tangible properties In doing this, we bring touch
aid her5e IT Is ty the sense OF feeling,
not OF sight, tia re discover iron TO be har5 and
water fluid II viii also be found that u person
who judges correctly of distance on land will fancy
himself heaIer an objeot when on The water than
he really is, Let man see iron for tae frat time
and be will Lot know that il IS hard, until ne
teuches it; 81 hcn tie color OF the iron will be-
como ~ him tt sieu Of its haT iness. Every orc
who has seen a panorama, knows that the artist
has arranged toe objects ia their natural order
aud that the eye arranges the distances as
they appear in nature The distance may be
ten feet, bat ~ the mind ii is ten miles. Thus
II is with two rsinsaof cars, one of which is ia
motion; and person sitting IN OF these cannon
tell whi ID Is IL 3Fug, because the impression and
the sign is the Hence the ventrie9 ust can
make scuuGs . pear to proceed from another qusr-
ter tan thst which they are uttered; when, in
fact tie bearer deceived by tue direction that is
given to the ey Il will thus ba found, that signs
in nature are Analogous to what constitutes Ia
sposeu and written language, and may be commu-
nicn.ed by otjecss animate or inauimste. Thus
the tvitehing II the muscles Of the leg of frog,
was the indication Of power. which has since pro-
duced revolt in science, ana by which th light
may be sent rcuud the globe. Sir Isaac Newton
saF an appletaIi 10 the e. ound anu It Indicated TO
him, tae ran g gravty-
Thst power. which mou.ds tear.
And BIDS it tfickle from its source
That which upholds the earta a sphere
And guides the planets in their course.
Let two person. walk out tngetler-one ignorant
o. the tcence botany and the other is qusinted
with that department ot nature; 10 ono IL would b
an unknown l&IE uEge-to the other, every leaf and
a0EeS would eXdbrt characteristics stamped by
God By stusylpg the phenomena OF nature, some
thing also may he leatnt OF what exists below the
surfsce. In thI way 1t Is, that tho geo.ogiet and
miner knows Where 10 seek tsr anu select that
which be lequirce, ct an Immense SAVING OF time
and expense What Is it that enables the physi-
clan TO ascertain q oisease, but the symptoms By
which natpre Indicates its dlstreas and teLegraphs
for AID, 1t was said Of Cuyier, tina. give him q
bone. and he would construct an animal. So il is
With lauividuais; and from a single expression or
trait stranger viii often discover the Cd aracter.
istics ef another with whom he is conversisg When
knowledge Of the phenomena of NJ .ure is acquired
as Indicated by signs, we find that she speaks in
tbs present, and also IN the future tense. Aside
from divine revelation it is from this that we
acquired knowledge Of the future There are, in |
al languages. consecutive forms by which We OBJ
tain a knowledge of the meanin Of speaker, when
he ss0ps short, hesitates, and suggest the con.
ciueion. Thus il is a nature which mas regular |
forms o. construction, so that the man who under
stands enc woTG he has uttered can anticipate |
what will come next, and enough is thus known for
al purposes Of practical good When the morning |
star appears, we know what will follow in the good
providence Of God. Not 50 when we see the Bios.
SONS Of spring then we only know that they may
be the iorerunneis OF 1rult. And although there is
great variety in the opera ons OF nature still they
are uniform. When nature speaks in the future
tense. soc sometimes uses the Imperative mood,
ano, IN that case, what IL applicable 10 genera
tion is applicable to all. But when she speaks in |
the potential mood, and says may or car, each |
gene atiop is thrown its own sagacity. And |
bow different Is the sagac!ty Of men, One man |
LOOKS out IN the morning AID says toe day will be I
fine another does the same and toretells foul /
weather; one navigator disceTns al approaching |
hurricane, where another perceives no appearance
OF danger. While men, ne said can observe and |
OF the times. Nature, however. speaks not only in
the present and future tenses, but also ii tAe past
1t is 10 this thai the science OF geology consists
geoiogist, the lecturer said, was sort OF 6 Old
Mortality" wandering among the rou bs-orr rather
TIE enbstones-of creation TO discover the record
oil ths world. To lin tae stfs "a o. the globe are
a a 0B.l
resd he telslarge tories. The book too, il DID, aud
has passed through several editions, the latest Of
which 3A.es from the time OF Adam tie finds but
here ana there plainly written sentences, and hence
there IS much Of uncertainty belonging to this
science. 80 il tho minayets, monuments, mounds
ard rains e. ancient states we find the records of
nations, some OF which h9urished Thousands Of
years ago, And here Professor Hopkins stated
ihat he lad received two specimens sent from Nj
nsvah by the celebrated Layard, which, although
with inscriptions cannot be read. When
r allure epeske he said. II not only lnstTucts bus
commands. She bids the hungry eat the thirsty
d.Ih, but not the drink Of the drunka.d she tells
ma, 10 be emperate in all things, and then to en-
force BET commands, she has laid up Tor the future
tyigs AID rods. She always takes care that her
CONN anSs are reasonable, ard she never Furnishes
IN passion: but let her laws be outraged, and che
will lay on TO some purpose Obeclsnce to her
Commands viii meet with a corresponding reward;
violate them. and 81 lcngth she spelas me word
the lat Pulse hrobs under the icy touch OF delth,
and all il still Having spoken OF tie moods lenses
and dialect Of nature, the next subject OF inquiry
was, hos the knowledge thus obtained became
power. Ana here, he observed, that the know
ledge 81 nature becomes power only in two ways
X may enable VI to act on nature, so as 10 modify
or Change her couTse-or We may modify our
own couorct. II viii give us power TO foresel,
explain. o. modify tie phenomena OF nature,
ana tlus acquire control over The future
AXE . tree. fer instance, and let the process Of
nature % on and IL would produce cra5apples
graft OF i another branch, and Ii viii yield pip
pins or pears. Here Is q ZueQlb .at0n u the Laws
Of nature Induce htr 10 turn ASIDE from her
course art The lightning sill PASS along tbe rcd,
thus gtnd sriue hsrmiess . force that would other
vise have ocsroyei the building. Professor
Morse, be said. I'm ayaiiad himself ot this know
ledge loc Some purpose D4t II was Dt Franklin
v . Carobt and aaIlcsalu tbe horse Tor lf0tescor
MoIsq t. ride % is owing to thosigns Afforded by
nature, thft NC e I'd ont low - monfy our own
eOul6. ard 81 30 regulate our aG-Ira as "a ercape
CaUHer ard difficulty. & The prudent man t4fe.
sectp tho evil. and sdetu himself TIE fool pssscta
or, ana "a punished" When tie mariner Psrooiyes
tie huuics ne approaching he does not attempt T.
arrest =, Dut prepares LIS vessel % ~. astaDd
i!s coming. Il mey know how tho gU'f stream
sets or tie trade winds blow, and viii shape his
course accordingly 20 there are gulf streams and
trade Winds IN lfc, ana men often sali against
them Bot it IL the true moral hero who avatls
b imseH Of tncir force and direction and it i only
when lie ais the behest Of duty calling on him
IL orsast their fury that be tar - The PROV Of his
ii II " IL to E--roL In faalhRrQY manner