New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-04
TIE ALBANY OBSERVATORY.
PLEA FOR THE TRUSTEES


rounced il the controversy pending between the Tus-
tees Of the Dudley Obsevstory aud their qa0add"
Scientific Council, ought TO have been made up IN a
way TO render objection TO ts fairness merely captiou
II s clsined TO be the mode Of your pspsr, and is
certainly the burden Ct its couIses to its reade'f to
,res. oil questions equtsbly in The mater Of hea:iog
both sides and to pay due regard to evidence upon
points proper to be settlei by the weight OF III
but il view Of the pregnant admssion thai you take
your "belsf on tidst, in come measure, on the as
sulance OF Of science, whose personal integrity
"bss never bten mpescbed," Il is not quite ceItan
whether you mesrt that Judgment 10 be tnai ana ire
yocabie.
Before attempting to show .ha. the decson 10 quss-
on is er rarte AID therefore altogether unTRIBuNE
Ike let il be sad thst whs.sver Lay be the merit Of
toe Scientific Council respec. of personal integrity
inro degree, superior to that of the Trustees. 10
this relation horors are essy," a. least between the
men Of business and the mcn Of science.
II is evident enough your verdc. in the case is set
tied by the Defense of Dr. Gould by the Scientif,
Ccurc" Did it occur you tha. the psises to this
controversy are the Scientific Courci on the one hand,
and the Tiusteec on the other 1.-THE judgment Of men
of tcepce alone s 10 prevail in regard to such very
earthly matters the erection OF bulldogs, tine sink
ing of wells the puuIg up Offences, as well as 70 the
mounting OF 6strCnOmc6l lnstruuents IL uhy DC Ie-
quired that the OF science Listened to for such
purpose, shall rot be inerested parties deciding their
own cause.
The dirt ct interest the Council had in the Issue
quite sufficient to make void, as d judgment, sach
opinions as it might express but it confesses to de-
fciency fatal to suy pretensons on its behaf-that,
without the interest alleged, it could be fsr or COM
petent tribunal. The Council says Of the Trustees:
They refused to furnsh with any facts or to hold
"any inter ,ourse with u.s." yet after thus stating
disqualification which rendered Gil quallnc atoms
rugstory, it pronounces judgment under which II
is grsvey proposed to deliver these mu ser
performance is thus stated by the Council: we nave
'the encouragement, that with all the labor and paine
taken by the President OF the Board ne has no. sue
"ceeded in making single point Oh consequence
"aganst Dr. Gould" Considering tbs. on the pai |.
Of the Trustees not only facts withheld, but tna
the Council were denied such enlightenment as per-
sonal intercourse might have siioIdsd not clear
how it conrived to get ou. Of b. eat in resisting labor
never bestowed and pains never taken for 1t certlhes
that the President like his colleagues, reiused 10 ap
pear TO submit paper or to utter word 10 the case
Whether the Board did well or otherwise 10 tins rea
ton s not question just now but the tact s paenf
and fatal 10 the competence OF the Council To render
an impartial judgment that it was not 10 possession OF
the Trustees side Of the case.
The Council, Judging shrewdly tina: many who
would be sppslled Dy eighty pages Of Dscu sion
would eagerly read ten pages OF Results and tina,
"the assurance Of men OF science whose per.ona ln'
"tegity fas never been impeached' would induce
from the discussion, hes constructed the defense
accordingly. The plan not without merit, and would
be quite per feet il it could be cOntrved that sucn g.
read the eighty psges might not read the ten, snd rce
rersa for may be held that such set OF conclusions
have never before been dfaSn from like premises.
The common opinion is inst almost any cause may
bs made to seem coed when only one SIDE OF 1t ls
presented; but in this case, where the adverse party
was neither hesidro foen, the provero that :. one
"s'ory good until sLotber is told receives no Illus.
tr8tior.
In the "unmethodcal and Illogical statement OF Mr..
Olcott, there happens TO be one charge fortified oy
written evidence. The charge Is 10 these words;
/" But it is not enough for DIR. Gould to traducs the
Trustees and Observatory at home; arother letter
" from his prolific pen s sent abroad 70 be published
" and circulated there" Neither method nor logic IS
;s,v bad which found charge like that upon letter
Ike this: .. 1910
9Th. Cot, Survey ofG c0npet9p yth the oe'srv.
soiy By permission Of the superio;endeI however mss
b. eI allowed assistants TO devote our eis
are time the othe Obs,atoy st the same time
gyebooa Ie indeed Il You'd be dicnt problem 10 direct
Oheystory which has NJ means en- bald o sasre or oi
tte most necessary eNpendituTes
That this letter was written by Dr.. ould, and that
il was published in The Astronomical Journal st Alto
ns, in Germany, in May 1885, ARE treated ss facts by
the Defense
Urder the title of %. Letter TO the German Jour
ral the defense affects 10 meet the charge aud
tie evidence, that Dr.. Gould hsd traduced tne irs:
tuition abrosd" as well as at home. After stating the
obvious truth, .hs. the matter OF DR.. Gould
letter TO II. }os.nH RIc PG Dr. one as
eud his and the Government sad between the zane
eI; soupr men is pophe.ed ard s winning way, O D
Gould aye such tsadale had some re- ,ion 70
wssts s'S sS IN m the nss face ssa The des Of founding
charge Of PeeasOn upcn this les;e one Of the mos. sA AK
ITO explain the sensations of in.Osnce P5svsc,on and false
hood rI,tered sgainst the assistants Of Dr. Gog'dn
stated thus The matter the letter The Astronomical
journal Of Aons = 'nISn to b. .ps ~ o1e & .e =
The one is worthy of;he other.
it 70 explain "aocussou. Of in.oence peSsd,s,iOn snd
sehood but the des thA: could BE- made 70 serve either
sbs D.n 6 'N' nOr. aHs T s dctss to sTsas charge
made with pecfci!op bye aoo'ous deierse .s,n.t one
":.Cy has never been .mpe.shed."
asa i;am The wr. briefly disposed Of fh. cosf..,
to se deemed and tien e'sHy confusion Of Discussion
We. waics !. n.,sacsa ty NJ Ol:os b. been :r.ed BY
BE help Of tie Trustees on m Orsa 70 iis pretent
.ssers,ed Ill IL ts present Dimensions r-min4ce Of
;bs iie tery Of .x,ea'n which each one all refer to
t.. utcorcepsu see .inss i; woad have easy to
sse H. sw.a as ~es.s /, We. Wa, !: on 'ss r;I Of W;
s@pr,ehspeed and ~h., ee mnspPrebene and hos is
possible .eOr ep;o. Onte e D. 6oaa .9ui! rave Led
lie ssn,iOI3sp he9 iss w.t Q: NJ o9a ,fo ~ ndri,
,towps. with Nj ocott whca wi ;osra;e
tbe sKposioG tos 70. ncoleeP. N We're his lie iors
IL o tie fac: h,re reuain only The ssn,emsn.Iom The
West srssh the qnstoI hs. eeLems1 mas confessed
10 the mscoLcsp wny 70; ms,erA s.s.een N ,de
pubic 1--WE declare" ~ with s-h take q
belief IN -por the q Of
science whose per.oDa n,esy tss beer in
bu: Who ~i,t ir.A respect for Silence WI 10
.hs. question II Hrsi:y be:.er settled BY w.se" Of
eyidep-e ths- by weight Of assurance.
Nj Olcotit STATE mept 10 thu Very recently secIe nsu
rom he w,., csuee At re obssrsoly n Tns npe..ion
le. upop IA mind By Dr. Gonlds statement. es: ths
Ts.,s had -eri. r,a AID suppor ,s4. D.. Gold 1-d
s,s,:ss rad DC D.. gases 70 oc:lry
hen,elyes wh I'D 'hs the wa0e afar sss ia =. Ird
a shoor' The in preston, i. vii be seer. msis
sytr,i rs. i.rsv witch state Now believe ihA.
sinse ans Say cf he Poct that ne Trustees