New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-18
GEOLOGY IN AMERICA:
AN ADDR ES S
Delivered at Providence, R. l., August II, 1856,
BY PROP. JAS. ID. DANA, OF YALE COLLEGE.
BEFORE THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS FoR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE

BY PROP. JAS. ID. DANA, OF YALE COLLEGE.
Grs1LnxTs or The A.socIArIos: II is q noble ob
iect thar invites to these annual gatherings Leav.
ing the bros OF the world to Others we come 10
template together the teachings Of God in Nature.
We come with faith in that Word which is written
around and within us-believng in the truthfulness Of
the revelation and knowing that be who appro
i: with nquring, teschabe spirit, ever wskefu to
the still small voice. and forgetful Of ambitious elf
shall find the truth and feel lis benign influence. We
amto deciIber some pew words in The Volume OF
Nature, thai We may lean the will Of Him who has
ordered all things well, and comprehend more fully
His laws in the government OF the unive'se.
In the use OF this word lac a. applied to Nature,
we are often grossly misunderstood recent wri'er
says, somewhs, contemptuously, The philosopher
knows better the cause OF the law OF gravitaon
than the ignorant man The author 10 his sim
pcity is unaware that laws not are the end
of true philosophy. We seek TO study out the
mothod Of Coos doings in Nature, and enuneia-
tons OF this His method will what Is meant by
the Laws of Nature" If those who look coldly on
Science knew better it, aims we should hear less Of
tie infdehty Of the term iar, and find fewer inhdes
or reecers Of that revelation which God has spread
out before
We know that this is not the only revelation: that
another t. lis man Of his duties and responsibilities, OF
the ceestiai sympati which surrounds him. ami ms
immortal destiny subjects far beyond The teachings
of phytica or brute nature The one il bot tho go
plen,eui Of the other; the two-harmonious IN their
! t1uihs or in their exalted origin. .
Although different in scope, they teach alike humll-
itv and revere CO. To tue vision of Science there IL
| nothing IL Nature minute or unworthy. Ii pies the
| feeling that would turn with contempt from the mean
| est created thing. For it stops not with mere eA-
,-ofr. rolo nd mil
venaI Jews beneath the surface. Exhibit the Leaf of
ulapt or an animalcule under microscope TO per-
son Of good taste, the phrase Is, and he VIII ap-
ureciate the beautiful coloring and the won1eriul
ios dIs layed; for I'm and cOlor me liza OF real
beauy in Mature, and there are eyts enough 10 al
| mne. Bot let another look whose mind has been
deeply imbued with science, and profounder beauties
ouen 10 bis view: the obe not isolated thing OF
exquisite tnis or admirable shape takes It's place
Ia The vast system OF Manure and dc ives era deur
hey nd estimate from its relations TO that system
Nature becomes living expressionas iu as u pos
able IN finite lunguegeot the perfeeiions OF tue "a
prime Architect with whom 70 create has ever been
10 evolve beauty amid displays OF wisdom and bench
! cfuce And The devOut mi1d finds deeper meaning IN
| the words Reverence and Humility, and ceasel5ss
proinptings TO s gratitude aud love
| We have reason for graduation hat correct views
retpecting Natural and Physical Science arc rapidly
b, coming general throughout our land. Among is
yoares while every new tact is heartily Wecosed 10
its place there is strong aste for human iaacies
as a substitute for divine truhs. or Tor theories WI
/ out broad basis of asceralDed faets. Moreover,
| there is al large appreciation OF the value OF
science not erely for lis baser purpose of turning
ever, thing into od bu, for ito nobIer end of opening
the earlier revelation. The means also Tor the prose
cuon of s,ience are gradually extend Dg and It "a
fayorably recognized with hardly an OK option, IN all
the literary institutions of the country though not
generally raised to that honorable place Which 1t may
! expect in the future.
Hal PLY too there is much 10 encourage extended
research, III the opporuniu now before US Tor the
| n. nri. n
deed in the small treasury OF this Association, when
boasts more Of tie mutual goodwill and the ideas II
ecis than of it's moneyed resources, but In the Trans
acton Of different Scientific Societies or Academies
and the Periodical Press, and preeminently IN the
Smithsonian institution through the mupihceuce OF
Smithson who gave his fortune expressly for this end
the Increase ana d. Illusion of knO 6lcdge among men.
Ii has been re- emily attempted TO strike out the dsd
if not the word iacrease and in equal VISION II was
thought 10 dfuse knowief ge over this extended terri
tory and the world by s'atlouing collection OF books
at Washington. Fortunately for kuowedge aud the
country such counses have not prevailed. The funds
| for publication and for Us other legitimate purposes
arc in fact lsmentGby small. An annual income Of
| s3l co., diminished oneth rd by the incidental OK
persos of the Institute meaycr allowance. The
! complete elaboration and publication yearly, OF the
met geological results from the facts constantly
coming in. would alone require half the available pub
LEGATION fund and, on acco mt OF ~ expense, has not
yei been attempted; and what shall be said Of other
departments and the costly illustrations which detailed
! Investigations require II is well the country has
what it has; il would be vastly for its intcre ,ts
and for the increase and diffusion Of knowledge among
men if the resources for publication were tonfold
| larger.
In selecting topic for this OCCASION have not
been without perpleXity. Beioe an Association for
| the Advancement of Sconoe-Scisnco IN its wide
range-a discourse on the pTogress Of Science in
lea for the past year would seem legitimate, let B
fact that original memoirs in most departments pub
lished within tnat period would make very meager
list Moreover il If TOO much TO expect Of any oOe
| TO roam Others territories, lest he ignorsnly
| gather for you noxious weeds. l have therefore
| chosen TO confne myself 10 single topic-that OF
| Geology-and PROPOSE instead of simply reviosing
retenC geool ical papers 10 rescC myself to some OF
the general conclusions that flow from the reearehes
of American Geoogisis and the hearings OF the facts
| or conclusions o. geo o. zeal science.
shall touch briefly the several topics, az L is
subject ihat would moro easily be brought into the
compass Of six hours than one. In drawing concu-
soDs among conflicting opinions, or 90 points wnere
no opinion has been expressed, shall endeayOr to
treat the subject and the views of Others 10 all fair
ness, and shall be satisfied If those who dif-r from
me stall acknowledge that have honestly sought The
| tIu b.
In the hTs; place, we should have q clear appre-
| her lion OF the intent ann OF Geological Science.
1t has been often said that Geology 10 history, the
records Of which written 10 the rocks; and sue Is
lis highest department But i this clearly appreci
| eted Ii 50, why do NC find textbooks, even the
highest in authority in the EDgsh language, written
| bsck-eld foremost-lke history OF England
meDcDg with tie n in Of Victoria In II story the
phases OF every age deeply rooted in the preceding
sDd intimately dtpeDdent on tie 8noe past: there Il
literal unfolding Of events as time moves on, and
| this il eminently true Of Geology.
Geology II not SIMPLY the science OF rocks: FOR
rocks are but incidents in the Bsrths history, and
may or nav not have been the in distant PLACES.
Ii has it, more exalted erd-eyen The study Of the
progress Of life from it, earliest dawn 70 tie appear
Of mani AID instead Of saying that FOSSILS are of
| u,e 10 determine rocks should rather say that
rocks OF for the display Of the successio Of