The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-21

abundant that do not know with which u them 10
the earliest sges Of socety bare Of abstract truth
skilled In tho methods of induction hardly emsnc;
pated from bondage TO the material universe. How
wonderful u IT, then, that being whose 6rst condition
weak, 40 humble. and 20 naked and OF whom no
monument older than forty centuries can be found
should have accumulated such fruitful stores Of nte
genoe and have attained 10 such perfection OF culture
Look round upon this beautiful EARTH this temperate
zone OF the solar system and see how much man has
done for ts subsection and adornment; making the vii
derneas blossom with cities, and the seemingly inhos
able sea chesrfully social with the richly freighted
fleets Of world wide commerce. Look also at the cond
ton Of society and consider by what amenities barbar
ian has been sofened and refined what guarantees Of
intelligence and liberty have superseded the Awlessnes
OF brute force and what copous nerchanges OF thought
ana love have taken the place OF the soubrw stodty of
the savage The wanderngs of the nations greater
now than they have been in time past aud pro.
ductvc OF happier results Peaceful emigration sets
more myriads ia motion than all the hordes of armed
sarssrans whether Gaals or scyhans Goths or Huns,
Of Asia and the northern nurseries OF men Our own
city gives evidence that the civilized world ID becoming
one ederaton for II you enter the store houses Of
merchants you find collected there for mans use the
products of every zone from furs that whenes by
Arctic SHOWS to the spices which ripcned by the
burning Of the equator and if you classify s in
habitants you find people which is the representative
o. an the cultivated nations OF Europe Every climate
The minerals that lie on the peaks Of the HimmaayAs
the animals that hide in the densest unges Of Africa
the flowers that bloom in the sotudes OF SuInatra
the trackless swsmps along the Amazon, brought
within the observation and domain Of science With
equal diligence the internal structure OF plants and
animals has been subjected to examination. We may
with astonshment at the advances which the past
fifty years have made in the science Of comparative
Of the microscope, and by a number of careful
and minute dissectons, man has gained such insight
groups, but almost to draw tie ideal archetype that
preceded their creation. Not content with the study
Of his own organization and the comparison Of it with
the fauna OF every zone, he has been able TO count
the pulsations Of the heart OF a caterpillar, t
watch the aow Of blood through the veins Of the
silkworm, TO enumerate the millions Of living things
that dwell in drop Of water to take the census Of
creatures so small that parts OF their members
main invisible 70 the most powerful microscope to trace
the lungs Of the insect which floats gay the lin
Der fans OF its wings, and revel, in the full ruition OF its
transcendant powers of motion The astronomer too,
has 80 perfected his skill that he has weighed in
balance of the stars ard marked the
and the time OF their revouons while within the limits
Of system he has watched the perturbatons Of
the wandering frcs till he has achieved his crowning
victory by discovering priori the existence and the
place Of an exterior planet have reminded you of the
few centuries during which has been tenant of
earth; and Of the great proportion that the last half
century bears to the whole period OF his existence Let
consider this closely in reference to his condi
ton; for dare assert that in branches OF hui
man achievement the half century we commemorate
has done for his instruction and Improvement than
all which went before. do not here refer to
country because il is altogether though its growth
merits passing remark for within this time the Of
our land has been extended that similar increase
during two such periods would carry the stars and
stripes to the Polar ice and to the lshmus while Popu
ation has multiplied that il exceeds I've times
all who existed at the end of the two previous
turtles and probably outnumbers all the that
sleep beneath the soil speak rather Of results in which
the Old World takes its share; and will begin the
mernton by reference to an improvement which may
delight to consider our own Your thoughts go in ad-
We commemorate, steam first employed for both in
terror and oceanic navigation. We, brothers Of tho
this great achievement in behalf Of the connection
the unity Of the world is due to the genius Of of
our members, and the encouragement Of another-to
Robert Fulton and to Robert X. Livingston The same
superiority all preceding time belongs to this age
in reference to the construction Of the of internal
communication. What all the artificial channels OF
travel and Of that existed before the present
century, npared with the canals and railroads con.
structed in our time shall not pause to estimate the
number Of these newly highways their collective
length, their capacity for journeyngs and for trade
leave to Others to contrast the occasional Oriental
African with the daily freight train on one Of
our iron pathways the postcaise the stage COACH and
the diligence with the ncessant movement in the
boats and the flying OF the railroad Yet in your
presence, my brothers. remembering the eleven men
who fifty years ago. met and organized society,
must for an instant direct attention to the system
which connects own Hudson with the basins Of the
81. Lawrence, Of the Delaware OF the and
Of the Mississippi. This magnificent work, OF the
modest riumphs Of civilized men, friendly to peac,
and industry, TO union and true national glory,
effected through the special nstrumcnality OF OF
our original founders and most active menbers--the
lie Witt Clinton Who in the days when the city of
New York gcried in her enlightened magstracy, AT
the head of her municipal government, esteeming 1t
Iart OF his public duty to dsnterestedly for the
welfare Of science and the fame of the great Of the
country. The half century which we commemorate is
consider the study it has made OF the history Of the
earth. Geology in that time has assumed severe
scientific form, doing the highest honor will not say to
the ,ndviuai who have been concerned in the pur
suit but 10 human nature ITSELF by the perseyering
pication OF the system OF induction oy the mpertur.
been studied till they have been found to confirm
the general laws and men have been able to dis
cover In degree the chronology of the
earth 10 demonstrate the regularity Of its structure
where II seemed most disturbed and where nature her
self fault and the trail Of her footsteps broken,
In .tore le iust
crushed into confusion turned over In apparently in
applicable and homogeneous folds And thus the geolo-
gst has been able TO the rocky tablets which
use honorcd nature has set her inscriptions. lie has
opened the massive sepulcres Of departed forms of
Icing and has pored the cOpous records
there in stone till they have revealed the majestic
march Of creative power from the organism Of the
phyte entombcd in the lowest depths OF slura through
all the rising gradatons of animal life up to its subj
me 1t result in Godli man. Again 1t is only in
day that the has been taught to do the work OF
artist obedience to mans will the great Of
light in its Uncomfortable swiftness OF motion is
PEELED to deneate with nimable cxactness any object
at the Of day looks upon Of the nature OF electIi
city the last fifty years have revealed than the
world in all past time had discovered not excepting
the age when our own Franklin called it from the
mans faithful messenger till the mystic wires rcbe
with his passions. and bear his errands on the
Wigs bos ,hs gobe in tS invbs S mse
guides floating atoms to their places in the crystal
teaches the mineral the lines in which they should
move where to assemble together and where to lie down
and take their rest 1t whispers to the meteorological the
secrets Of the atmosphere amt the skies For the che
mist in his laboratory perects the instruments OF
heat dssoyes the closest anites, and reunites the
sundered elements 1t joins the artisan at his toll and
busy employed at rs side this subtest aud swftest OF
exenccs patiently and carefully reproduces the designs
OF the engraver, the rlastic art and disposcs the
metal with skul delicacy and exactncss which the
most consummate workman cannot rival. Nay. moro
it enters into the composition Of himself and
present the nmost witness OF his thoughts and vol-
tons These are discoveries Of our time But enough Of
this contrast OF the achievement OF age with that Of
all preceding II may to be at variance with
our theme, that republican institutions gain ground
| woman appears less the theatre Of events. She,
whose presence in this briery world Is lily among
thorns whose smile is pleasant like the light Of morning.
| and whose eye is the gate Of heaven. she, whom
nature so that the lovely veil OF her spirit
is the best terrestrial emblem OF beauty to
mand armies reign supreme over legislation.
Yet the progress Of liberty, while II has made he
less conspicuous in historic events, has redeemed he
into the Of the full dignity OF her nature, ha
made her not mans slave, but his companion, hi
counsellor and fellow martyr and for occasional
cendapcy in political affairs, has substituted the uniform
enjoyment Of domestic equality The avenue to active