Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-12-02
Prom the Philadelphia North American.
Humboldt. og aHs


There is one name which is held in
such honor as to require no accessories
OF any sort to give ltdignity, and which
has been SO held for period longer than
many suppose. AS early as 1929, Fred
erlck Henry Alexander Won Humboldt
was appointed an acting Privy Coun-
cillor OF the Prussian Court, with the
title OF Excellency; and he retains that
postnow, as he enters, thirty years later.
on the nlnetieth year Of his honored life.
lhat honor was never before conferred
upon one Of royal lineage; and whatever
value we may set upon such arestriction
1t Is still the highest proof that the Prus
sian government could give that it for
once recognized greatness superior to
all other distinctions. aaa3h.
More than thirty years vet earlier.
humboldt travelled extensively in South
america, having left Europe by way of
Coruna, in Spain, in June, 1899. He
spent the next three years mainly in the
tropical regions of Southern and Central
America, Mexico and the West Indies.
In May, 1904, he reached PHILADELPHIA
on his homeward journey, and, visiting
W ashlngton and other points within
reach during two months, sailed from
TINS port IN August for Bordeaux. Such
was the then unnoticed visit of the great
student of physical science who now, in
the bodily weakness of ninety, years, but
with the clear and strong mind which
has ever distinguished him, receives the
united honors OF all men, from the most
democratic lover of science in the Uni
ted States, to Queen Victoria and her
royal consort on their Prussian tour.
1t is the greatest and brightest feature
OF Humboidt's fame, that it is accorded
not more because he is great than be-
cause he is Just. His character is, per
maps, more than that of any scientific
man OF any age, unselfsh. None of the
injustice and grasping which stained
Arago'S name, with a hundred less than
Argo; and some as great as he. was ev-
er charged or thoughtagainst Humboldt.
lie did not need to appropriate honors
not his own, not to ignore merit where
the public could never intervene to pro-
tect the unknown scientific laborer.-
discoveries wrought out by the hands
OF retired and non-combatant Drosecu
tors Of researches were never stolen and
put forth, slightly moulded and modi-
ned, as is own work. Indeed, the sug-
gestlon Of such deeds is almost out OIL
place and unworthy when Humboldt is
named, so far above this vice of MANY
Who seek scientific honors is all that re-
lates to this Privy Councillor of Nature
far more than sixty years.
The leading character of Humboldt's
mental organization is an unequaled
capacity for comprehending all positive
knowledge of what are called natural
phenomena and an rnequalled power oil
generalization upon this class of facts.
lhls power of generalization is q rare
one, and 1t differs extremely from the
anal ytlcal process, or that by which a |
student pursues single line Of expert.
ments until he attains to a knowledge |
OF the law that governs the facts he |
traces. rnse r.
Humboldt has no speciality, as it is
lnelegantly called, and he stands at a
vast distance from all scientists of that
class. The breadth and fullness of his |
mastery of the great science Of Nature. |
which embraces within it a hundred |
minor sciences, has been CONSPICUOUS at
every period of his life, and was guf
hclently proved by tie enthusiasm with
which he entered upon the great Amer
lean explorations at the close Of the last
century; graSping, even then, not only |
all known natural sciences, but observ |
ing and evolving others then unknown.
ana which were too great to be studied |
IN one continent alone It is decisive
evidence OF his greatness Of scope. to
see that we have not yet, after half a !
century OF unparalleled mental activity,
got beyond the work, he opened out by |
his great American journey, and put in
definite form when his equally great
Aslatlc journeys of 1628-9 were in pro-
gress.
The recognition Of this high capacity |
has been made on the reception of the |
hosmoa, and we have yet to see a SIN
gle suggestion, from any quarter, that
this Physical History Of the Universe
was conceived on too grand a scale, or
has been inadequately treated in any of
It's parts. Of what other author, scien.
titic or philosophical, could it be said
that to attempt a Kosmoa would not be
There neither is nor
has been any competent hand other than
or before his for such work, and Amer
lean readers, who find themselves bafi- /
ed in the perusal of the portion which
has already been issued, must bear in
mind that no edition has yet appeared |
which has been more than half rendered |
from the German, or more than half
cleared of idoms and technical obscure
ties, as it might have been cleared. The
fourth volume Of the Kosmoa is now
just offered in cur book markets, from
an English translation; and the fifth vol
ume is completed at Berlin, and is about
to appear there. 1t was supposed that
the fourth volume would close the work,
Dut wa hQlInva q vpar or fy-O r.