Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-01-30
Dir. Franklin,


We make the following extract from :
criticism on the writings of our creates
Philosopher, by the celebrated JEFFREY, o
the Edinburg Review, We think it vii
be interesting to our readers, as giving
some idea of the opinions entertained by the
English critics of the great Doctor
This self-taught American is the most ra-
tional, perhaps, Of all philosophers. He
never loses sight Of common sense in any Of
his speculatlons and when his philosophy
does not consist entirely in its fair and Wig
orous application, it is always regulated and
controlled BY it in its application and result.
No individual, perhaps, ever possessed a
juster understanding or was SO seldom OBJ
structed in the use of it, by Incidence, en-
thusiasm, or authority
There are not many among the thorough
bred scholars and philosophers of Europe,
who can lay claim to distinction in more than
one or two departments of science OR litera-
ture. The uneducated tradesman of Amer
lea has left writings that call for our res
pectful attention, IN natural philosophy
in politics, in political economy in
general literature and morality.
On his laboars in the. department Of
Physics, we do not propose to say much. -
They were almost all suggested by views of
utility in the beginning, and were, without
exception, applied, we believe, to promote
such views in the end His letters upon
Electricity have been more extensively cir
culated than any Of his other writings Of
this kind; and are entitled to more praise
and popularity than ssAey seem ever to have
met with in this country. Nothing can be
more admirable than the luminous and
graphical precision with which the expert
ments are narrated the ingenuity with
which they are projected !; and the sagacity
with which the conclusion is inferred limi-
ted, and confirmed
The most remarkable thing, however, in
these, and indeed in the whole Of his physi-
cal speculations, is the unparalleled sim
plicity and facility with which the reader is
conducted from one stage Of the Inquiry to
another. The author never appears for a
moment to labour Or to be at a loss. The
most ingenious and profound explanations
are suggested, as if they were the most nat
uial and obvious way Of accounting for the
phenomena; and the author seems to value
himself so little on his most important dis
coveries, that it is necessary to compare him
with others, before We can form just no.
ton Of his merits As he seems to be con-
scious Of no exertion, he feels no partially
for any part Of his speculations, and never
seeks to raise the readers idea Of their i'm
portance, by any arts Of defamation or clio
quence. Indeed, the habitual precision Of
his conceptions, and his inyariable practice
Of referring to specific facts and observa-
tons, secured him, in great measure, both
from those extravaganza conjectures in which
SO many naturalists have INDUCED, and from
the zeal and enthusiasm which seems SO
naturally to be engendered in their defence
lie was by no means averse to give scope to
his imagination, in suggesting variety of
explanations Of obscure and unmanageable
phenomena !; but be never allowed himself
ito confound these vague and conjectural
theories with the solid results Of experience
and observation. In bis meteorological pa
pcrs, and in his Observations upon Heat
and Light, there is great deal of such
bold and original suggestions: but he evil
IDENTITY sets but little value upon them /; and
mas no sooner disburdened his mind of the
Impressions from which they proceeded,
than he seems to dismiss them entirely from
his consideration, and turns to the legiti-
mate philosophy OF experiment. with unaba-
ted diligence and humility.