New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-12
LETTER FROM HUMBOLDT.
Pyo~ Tas Posecs ctsyt~.


LETTER FROM HUMBOLDT.
ryo~ Tae Bossos css,t-.
We have the pleasure VI laying b~forc CTR resdsu
the Translation OF letter addressed oy to- u itfs
Alexares, Won Humboldt to our towpss.aa, N.
Tioknor. twill De perceived t1st tae paoHc ,uoa q
in &C rformity With the request OF the "rse' iodse1
lie privilege q a purely retsonsl conmunestcss
osried TO such worlds -ride sud long rnsrt>ined -,
lebniy as hist o, Humboldt; everything thA b
writes belongs T. uarb nd. he now p1esoaE 70 eu
ss,ouihrert sud sGnir.ton the spectacle OF na
Of the highest order of intellect az tbs sdvsaced ~
Of ~. IN the ful possession Of al his powsrs, sA
busy engaged N the conpesion OF Sers IN
vsstest scoPe ana 'he nos, proi11au .csnJn' e1ss
In modern times, for any parallel case Ine nexx
sprrosches TO It are those OF serssnt Maynard, vN
Was di-cbsrgicg at sS with vigor ara soty, tae d.
ties of Lord High Commissioner, saa .. t.lso, "
ssy. smiling old msn, % Coleridge calls hin, WHO'S
So and for ten yeaFs more Wa painting picture
hardly Inferior 70 those of his prine. But mere
one OF the grsstest Of men, Arved ~ an sxe
which oroinsry men become OBJECTS Oh inietes' ~
reverence ala VITA not spot OF decay spon sne taA
orbed Glory Of his setting san, Ii is good Tor US
be living 81 time when We can witness saoh
spectacle. .,
Homboldt, il spite Of his ininite syocstions snd
his vast correspondence with whatever Il mo'' disue
ruished in the whole circle OF the globe perseverrsa
the hsbts of his lorg life, sno newer on sny ocessioe
EMPLOYS apother TO wIts for him. W ma. s, peruspA
quite as remaik sble, there are TO more siSps Oh ae
a
hougbis The original letter, OF when the toAoNas
sst,sns,stou is IN s hard differing 10 no petoepnbs
particular from manuscripts written oJ nin iosp
years sgc lie is enabled to- 80 through as I'm iess
'abors by bis habits of regular industry, shd by As
gortupste peou.isuy of hi- constitution, which sea-
bles him 70 live with comparatively httie Sleep No&
OF his hard work is cone az night wnen Others are
Urnbolst hss had the wisdom To keep bic persoai
s,,schmerts in constant repair and now enjoys the
devoted regard of men who are the grand.chldren Il
his coteup sries with whom he began NE. And hs
mss never allowed his inte Aectus enence OF nis $50
10 rrancipste him from the discharge OF the conmoa
duties and sr all cour.esies Of fe he msn full q
tful and obsery art his honors
With a graceful gentleness that establishes ties f
sympathy between him and men wac ean os nsasst
to him Intellectually; and thus he receives iron ~
community sround him Al eiiecnonate reversacs
which his genius snd learning alone ooa4d not aAvs
secured.
"To GEORGE TIcXSoR, esq;
"MY OsAR AND EXCELLENT FRIEND: Bonds d
friendship, which have thsir origin so TAI 0sct nv
f5mily end the affection felt for you by my brotaa
William Won Humboldt, when you lived In Gsrmsny,
a. q young man, to impose on me ths very
pleasant duty Of giving you seme sgn OF hfe--thatn
10 say q renewed proof OF my attschment to yoa sd
my interest 10 your country, and biet account OF NJ
labors.
"My physical strength declines, but il declines
slowly My steps are more uncertain in their dlrec
ton, owing 10 ieeb'epess rclaxiugl OF tue ixs-
ments OF The knees; bu. can remain ssardnS LOT =
hour without beifg tAtigued. continue WORK eaisny
a, night being ntingy prosecuted by my cores
poncence which increases the more as one Decomes n
object Of puShc curiosity. What Is called literary
celebrity is especially the result OF long e.au,aeceo
life. tune Tongue patcncs de- vvre This kind OF ema-
renee increases therefore, in proportion "a imbecltsy
becomes more manifest l an never really ILL., bat
often incommoced a. Is to be expected at the ags d
eighiyrine.
execution (the unfortunate Carlos do Montufar 90
of the Marquis de Selvsleg'a of Quito, tell vctlun
his love for the liberty If bis country) IL someWh9
remarkable that we should both have reached 80 -
vanced an age. Bonplsnd, still much occupied siA
scientific sbors, even cheIshng the hope OF visiting
Europe again, and of bringing IN person back to Para
his rich and beautiful collections N botany and geolo.
gy IS years DID, land enjoys greater strength than
"Ihave just published in Germany the ith volume
of Cosmos g. ard they are printing the 9th youme
which completes that work 80 imprudently begun and
so favorAbly received by the public. Gen. ssosss
writes that the English TRANSLATION is finished ed
will appear Immediately. The same news comes 70
me from France, from NJ. Galuzz, who hss been pas.
ing the Winter in the South, st Cannes.
"The great and beautiful work Of AgassIz tthe trS
two volunes) reached me only few days since. IL
will produ great effect by tho breadth OF iis gt
eral vie and by the extreme sagaci:y Of its special
enbryoogical observations. never bolisved .ha
this illustrOus mad who il no ess Of . con-
slant ard oesuiiful nature, would accept the osrs
nObly made him in Paris. l Was sure that gratitude
would bind hun 10 new country where hs finds
field iLnnene for bis researches aid great means Of
assistance. hope no may be inclined, together with
his great anatomical and psychological labors among
ths inferior organisms, to gvo us also the specific
technology Of the numerous basins Of the Far WeA
beginning with the Holy Empire of the Mormons.
Science las lately met With al immense loss here
by the IpeCted death Of the greatest anatonst OF
our country, Prot. johann Mlilsr.f This loss 10 =
great for science, as was Tor art the deah OF the m
mortal Brulptor Rauch.t The universally Of his
al knnV Vledu in ha At
placed johann Muller nesr Cuvier, having great pro
emnPnce in the delioscy Of bis nomical and physio.
logical work. He made long and painful voyages ss
his own expense on the shores OF the Mediterranean
an6 n the Northern Seas: IL Is scarcely tTo years
since be came near perishiug by shipwreck 90 the
coss. Of Norway. He sustained himself by swimming
for pore than half an hour, and considered himself
quite oft when he wonderfully rescued. lese IN
him q friend who WAS very dear 70 me. He was .
man of great TALENT and at the same time OF noble
character. He YVES admirable for the elevation and
nde ependence Of bis opinions. by making enormous
sacrifices ne able 10 form choice library, not only
of anatomy, ply sioogy and zoology, but that ek
te need over all the physical sciences. IL c0neisS
more than three thousand volumes, well bound al
Of many vOlur ss containing dissert atoms,
difficult to collect. Mr.. Muller spent nesrly 800 thsen
year 600 dollars] for binding alone. 1t would b
sad to collection dispersed and broken up, wicA
wss mace with much care. Since duplicates ass
dreaded 10 Europe, cannot help fearing lest this h
collection should cross the groat Atlantic rtcer.
have almost the air OF exciting your appetite wnen
thus present myself before you "a q citizen OF the
world while the Church journal Of Vienna calls me,
in capital letters, a naturalist assassin of souk,
SeeleL- L-morder.'
Accept, beg you, my dear and respected friend,
the renewal OF the high and asc,0nste stoa
which, for many years nave given to your tslsns
ard 10 your character. A v. UyHBOLDr.
berlin, Nay. l253p
"SiLce so many benevolent psrsoDs colored "a wsA
es white in the United States take an Interest N me-
rTtlAh he IA 70 daa