Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-04-29
THE WORKS OF FRANCOIS ARAGo.
CORRE,rosDEsoE OF THE NATIONAL rsrrLIIorscrR.

coRRE.PoNDEHoE NATIONAL IsTELLIorScER
PARIS, MARCH II.
The first volume Of the "Works Of Arago the an
preaching publication of which announced some timi
ago, has just appeared The volume is introduced by
preface from the pen Of the illustrous Humboldt VIII,
was an old, warm, and constant friend Of Arago Th
preface itself is highly interesting. The mere name
its author would make it welcome to your columns.
shall perhaps include it in subsequent letter The In
tegencer has know but little space to accord durins
the session of Congress to foreign correspondence but
feel confident that will be found for the following
extract from autobogaphic sketch of what Arago him
self has entitled The History Of My Youh" After
having recounted the story of his very early youth his
aborous subsequent studies his participation in the
arduous scientific operations in Spain which resulted in
the establishment of the Metre, the base Of the metrica
system of weights and measures his subsequent peril
voyages the coast of Africa his capture and i'm
prsonment in Africa Arago tells of his release and of his
embarkng again for France The extract have chosen
at the moment of his landing on his native
SOIL whittier he returning to occupy at the age of
twenty three, the seat in the Academy Of Sciences left
vacant by Lalande. Arago says:
My quarantine over, proceeded Immediately TO Per-
pignan, to the bosom OF my family, where my mother
the most respectable and the most pous Of women caused
many mass to be said in celebration of my return as
she had caused many one to be said for the repose of
my soul when she believed that had fallen beneath the
poignard Of the Spaniards. But left nv native
city return Paris where deposited at the Bureau
of Longudes and at the Academy of Sciences my notes
and observations which had succeeded in preserving
amid the dangers and ribulaons of my long campaign.
A few days after my arrival, the 18th September
1903, was elected academician In place of Laande
There were fftytwo votes Iobtained votes
M. Poisson four, and NJ Nouet one. at that time
twentythr years Of age 1t would seem first sight
that nomination made by large majority could not
have encountered serious difficulty There was however
serious opposition made to mine NJ de Laplace prior
to the day of election nerfered actively and
to my nomination to be deferred until vacancy
occurring in the section of geometry, it should be possi
BILE for the learned Assembly to elect NJ Poisson at the
same time with myself The author of the Atchanigue
Celeste had bestowed upon the young geometer un-
bounded attachment, and this attachment was in fact
completely justified by the remarkable works for which
science was already indebted to him. M. de Laplace
could not bear the idea that astronomer younger by
five years than NJ Poisson that pupil presence Of his
professor at the Polytechnic School, should become an
academican before him. He caused it. therefore to be
suggested to me that should write to the Academy that
did not desire to be elected until there should be Sc
cond place vacant to be given to Poisson. replied by
formal REFUSAL expressed in the following terms: 81
am not at all anxious to be nominated just at this
ment. have determined to leave very soon for Thbet
with NJ. de Humboldt In those wild regions the title of
member of the institute weuld smooth of the difficult
ties are likely to encounter. But will notmake N.Y.
self guilty of unbecoming conduct towards the Academy
Upon receiving declaration such that which is asked
of me, would not the composing that illustrious
body have the right to say to me- Who you that
we had any thought Of electng you? You refusing
what has not been offered to you Upon seeing my firm
determination not to take the nconsiderate step which
he had counselled me, NJ. de Lapace adopted another
mode Of opposition. He maintained that my titles to
admission into the Academy not sufficient do not
pretend that at theage of twentthree my scientific bag
gage was positively very considerable. But when APP
preciated it by comparison took courage the more
especially when reflected that the three last years of
my life had been devoted the measurement of an arc
thpyh ad
in the midst of the storms Of the Spanish war; often
enough In dungeons, or what still, upon the
mountains of Kabyle and at Agers, at that time very
dangerous place of residence But here is the schedule
of scientific effects at that date present it for the i'm
partial appreciation of the reader On leaving the Poly
technic School had prepared in concert with NJ Blot
an extensive and very delicate work the determination
Of the co-ehcen Of the tables of atmospheric refracon
We measured also the refraction of different gases a
thing which up to that time had not been attempted
more exact determination than had been previous
B effected relation weight of air to the weight
Of mercury had afforded direct value Of the efficient of
the harometrc formula used in the calculation of heights
had contributed regularly and very diligently for
nearly years to the observations which made
day and night with the meridian telescope and the mural
quadrant at the Observatory of Paris
had undertaken, in con junction with M. Bouvard, OBJ
relative the vercation of the laws Of the
libration of the All the calculations pre-
pared and only remained to put the numbers in the
formulas when by order of the Bureau of Longitudes
was compelled to leave Paris and proceed to Spain.
had observed various comets and calculated their orbits
had in concert with NJ. Bouyard calculated according
to the formula Of Lpace the table Of refracton which
had been published in the Rscu S Tables Of the Bureau
des Longitudes and in the Coaaaaace des Temps work
upon the velocity Of light accomplished with prism
placed before the of the telescope Of the
raj circle had proved that the tables Of refraction
would for the and all the stars Finally had
just terminated, under very difficult circumstances the
grandest trigonomerca survey that had been
cuted for the prolongaon Of the meridian of France
the island of Formentera.
NJ de Lapace, without denying the Importance and the
utility of these labors and researches only saw them
good promise Then M. Lagrange replied to him in these
terms: " But you yourself Monsieur de Laplace, when
you entered the Academy had accomplished nothing very
remarkable you merely gave good promise Your great
discoveries have only come since your admission"
Lagrange was the sole in Europe who could with
authority address to NJ de Lapace such observation
that. The latter took notice of the personal all
sion to HIMSELF but added: 81 insist upon it that it is
e1pedent to exhibit to young membership of the
Institute as a reward to excite their zeal"
"You resemble" rejoined M. Halle, "that coach
driver who to quicken the speed of his horses fastened
bundle Of fodder to the end of the tongue Of his
riage The poor animals redoubed their efforts but the
bundle Of fodder fed before them prac
tce being continued the horses fell away and died."
Deambre, Legendre, and Blot insisted upon the devo
ton and upon what they called the courage with which
had combatted inextricabe difficulties whether to
pete the observations to the instruments and the
notes Of the results which had been obtained They drew
an animated picture of the dangers had incurred NJ
de Lapace finally yielded seeing that all the most dis
tinguished members Of the Academy had taken under
| their patronage and when the election he
gave his VOTE 1t would have been to me, confess
Of regret at the present time after the lapse
Of forty-two years. If had become member Of the In
tha nf tba