Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-07
FROM OUR PARLs CORRESPONDENT.
Pans, DECEMBER Is, 1853

Just READ at the Academy or Sciences an interesting
memoir concerning the group of small planets re-
volving between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Mr.. HIND, Of England, has just discovered another
making the number of these planets known up to
the present time twenty-seyen, / believe. "It is
not to be doubted" says Leverrer, that it is more
complicated than has been hitherto generally sup
posed" He thinks that improved instruments,
charts and modes of search will ere long show them
to exist in "prodgous numbers" Leyerrier rejects
as nadmissible the theory emitted by Olbers early
in this century respecting the origin of these tee
scopic planets This German astronomer who illus
trated himself in 1902 by the discovery of Palas,
the second Of the Of discovery and Of Vesa
in 1907 the fourth Of opinion that these astod
they called merely the fragments Of planet
of primary order which in some grand natural catas
rophe had been broken and scattered. Leverrier
thinks that they originally created in the condition
see them and in accordance with the laws which
known to govern the planetary system and he
presses the hope that continued investigation will d
cover the law of their distribution, and determine the
confguraton Of their principal groups 1T is hardly to
be credited" he says that these small stars scat
tered at random the whole heavens We led to
different conclusion not only by the fact that hitherto
they have been discovered only within zone but by
the logical probability which exists that the cause
which united great quantity Of matter in each one
of the principal planets will at least be found to have
distributed the in distinct groups These planets
reyove about the sun within zone, which, taking for
unity the average distance of the earth from the sn
commenceat about 20 from the and extends to the
distance Of 3.16
The object of the late memoir of Leverrier to pre-
sent to the Academy considerations touching
the quantity of matter of which the twentyseven ele
scopc planets parts that may be supposed to exist
within the limits of the above mentioned. His
cusons arrived at by calculations of the same kind
those which served Leyerriep WE'LL giving him an
immortal in the history of astronomy as discoverer
of the great planet Neptune in 1846 He calculates the
amount of matter by the amount Of perturbation which
it is observed to cause in the revolutions Of the
planets Mars and Jupiter NJ. Leyerrier is of opinion
that the total of matter constituting the small pla
nets lying between the distances go and
not exceed one-fourth of the mass of our earth.
The above aluson to LEvERRIER naturally reminds me
of the greater astronomer France has recently lost in her
ustrious ARAGo Leverrer may perhaps, he pursues
in future his scientific with the ardor that charac
terzed his early progress leave behind him reputation
seriously rvang that of his distinguished mas
ter but he has already done that which will prevent
its being said Of him. may with rigorous truth be said
Of Arago that as apant lie left behind him equal in
andpoltcan equal in France, and few ifany hon
est man. For the last five years Leveer has missed
an opportunity in public and private in the Academy
of Sciences in the Legislative Assembly, whenever and
wherever they in contact to oppose and treat with
dsrespec misrepresent detract FROM and sander the
blind and hoary of science whom the whole world
admired and respected, and whom all who knew him in
timatey loved He felt his nascent reputation
be small beside that which had rewarded the
arduous varied, and lifelong labors of Arago; and he
had the presumption to feel mortified by the compa-
rison Arago adopted in very early life liberal but
moderate political principles and he adhered to them
nsstently, unswervingy throughout all the political
changes France up to the day Of his death He kept
aoof from the first empire, from the restoration from
the constitutional monarchy Of Louis Philippe foregoing
the Office and wealth with which those Governments would
have purchased his adherence Under the Republic Of
1S48 he found opposing the ultra Democrats
whose predominance in France renders the Republic i'm
possible here and the Empire of 1852 at its advent
found him ready to resign Office which he held, and
resign its salary, which was necessaryor his support
rather than do violence to his republican convictions by
taking the oath of allegiance to Napoleon ILL., Leverrer
on the contrary, political heotrope, has heen seen
turning with prompness to every which has risen
above the political horizon in France since 1896 when
his own was heard for the first time beyond the
walls Of the recitation of the Polytechnic School,
was at Arago's funeral two months ago. followed
his body foot from the Observatory to Pere Lachase
some three miles, under drenching rain through
slippery and muddy streets There is not another public
man in France to whom would give such mark Of my
respect In the Observatory where the body lay and
without throngng the gates by thousands notwhstand
ing the incemency Of the weather. an immense
crowd Of the friends and admirers of Arago to
der to him. a man, politician, and savant, the
last Office of respect. There Of the people
by thousands, hard handed roughfeatured,
working men, and three hundred of the upper classes
colleagues in political life, his friends in social life, his
admirers and former pupils His colleagues Of the Insti
tute oo counted almost by hundreds Ministers Of State
were there and the Emperor himself felt constrained
Notwithstanding the political antpathy that existed be-
tween himself and the deceased, to distinguish the Illus
trous French saudnt by sending general of his aid
de-camps to represent his Majesty ut the funeral
monies. But looked in cain for Leperrier upon that
sion! I was really desirous and anxious to catch
glimpse Of his face in the funeral hall, for remember
with what pleasure and enthusiasm hailed the triumph
of the young astronomer in 1885, and remembered oo
with what promptitude, magnanimity and zeal Arago
himself in the Academy Of Sciences asserted the contest
ed claims of Lever to the honors of the discovery Of
the planet and advocated the proposal f indeed he
did not originate W to give to the planet the Of its
discoverer Lererri. His generous exertions however,
unavailing The planet received definitely the
heathenish name of Neptune.
Your readers will learn with pleasure that the Works
Ardgo" about to be published in Paris in twelve
volumes svo An autobiography detailing the early life