Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-01-04
otning short of positions in the front rsnk Of

Anu wrong AMI crime before N fee.
As darkness fees from light.
That Spirit, slesplsss, watches oar
The fresman's chosen band
Alike protects the rich and Joor,
And links them hand in hand
1t guides Columbia in the path
of glory and renovn,
While tyrants crouch before its wrath
And trembls al Its frown.
The PRESS Behold Its glory vbere
The lightning flashes play,
FOR FEANkLrN stamped his image there,
Behold he s,l = where s pure Knosiedss t.ine.
For there that glory brIghtly shines,
ana there that spirit breathes.
Oh, 'twere glorious theme TO trace
Beyond the trackIess SEA.
From cline 10 chime. and race to race,
This Spirit chainless. free -
10 mark its steps where kingly night
And men, around. were nerved to fight
For freedom or for graves!
In Europe. faint and trembling still,
This spirit, crushed shall rise
And SHOW them m1f frsss sdt51s i pIizs.
Then ruthless kings shall bow before
The peoples majesty
And dearest rights, withheld of yore.
Be wrung from tyranny
All hail, then, Spirit of the Press,
Thy mis- sion, hIrh, sub ime,
The nations. freed. shall surely bless,
through a the course OF time;
For thou hast gone abroad IN earth.
lnfuslng into mind
The genius of thine own high birth
To elevate mankind.
Then came refreshments furnished in excellent
style by Schaf sld; then more music, instrument
tai and vocal, (and in this connection we mn.t
pay tribute to the fine tones OF the piano fur
nlshed by Ellis:) and the IN the floor wa. cleared
for dancing, which was kept up through most
part Of the night. -
THH LECTURE LAST Observation-Disclosures
Ing the inclemen6y OF the weather last night.
large and appreclative audience met Professor
Dana, al the Smithsonian, to hear his lecture on
"Coral Islands" The lecturer commenced nv
saying that across the Pacific ocean, south of the
Equator, there was trail OF Coral islands. some
six hundr'd In number, and many Of them teem
Ing with the luxuriant vegetable and animal life
OF the tropics. The great peculiarly Of tbess
Isiahus Is lnat tney consist fundamentally Of a
narrow Ildge OF coral rock, forming an irregular
circle with lagoon or lake, comprising the most
OF the area, on the inside. The wipdward sids
OF these islands, (having reference to the pTe.
waning trade Wlnds,) is generally the most fer
tile, attributable, In the opinion of the Iecturer
TO its being the recipient of most Of the sea yvasb
lngs Frequently while the windward rid 90 or
s, i1 OF OLA tne Island IS covered with deep rich
SOIL and iuxuriant growth of trees and other
vegetation, the leewaId ridge is sterile or only
productive OF scanty vegetation
Ihe coral rock, of which these circular reefs or
rldses are composed, Is formed by the secretions
OF the coral insect o polype an anim,IcnJe .,
different varieties, which abounds bv yroves a,d
forests In the tropical seas. The coral forma:inn
md far
ests OF vegetation on land, and the coral insects
10 the buds and flowers of trees and plants with
this difference: while the trees and plants ON land
p,ouuSe me ouds and nowers-the coral insects
the Dnds ana nowers OF coral groves prod nee the
groves oy rising above and still ad heling 10 their
own secTetions. The structure Of the fnsect e.
self Is one OF the very lowest and mnutest animal
formations, scarcely coming within the male Of
animal life, yet clearly distingushablr from tho
vegetable and mineral kingdoms II consist.
Simply OF an anlmalcule mouth and stomach,
Win row OF tentacles around its mouth for the
apprehension OF its prey. IL has no head no
eyes, no power OF locomotion, no intestines notb
ing out mouth, tentacles feelsrs and a sto-
mach or bag capable Of receiving the sea water
and other substances and secretinp the carbonate
OF lime composing the coral rock
Inese insects have no power Of voluntary loco
motion, but when dislodged from their native
place IN inc ocean adhere to whatever substance
they may happen to light upon, and wherever
they light they commence building by secre
lion, forming In time groves and forests OF COAL
lock similar to the vegetation upon the land.
These groves and forests being broken nm NV the
commotiOn Of the sea- drift into immen.s niiss
and gradually form islands. The lecturer said
that the cause OF the lake or lagoon in the centrs
OF tnese Islands was yet subject Of dispute
among scientific men. His opinion was in Com
mon with some others, that Ii was caused nv the
sinking Of the first formation by its incrras.d
weight, leaving secondary formation in the
shape Of the circular reef or shell on the outside
This theory seems to be confirmed bv the f,ct
that In many instances the highest portions M
the interior formation have not vet entirely dis,
aPptaita Ieiow the surface Of the water, but are
surrounded by belt Of water between the m and
the exterior reef. The bright coored coral in
sects or pdlype inhabiting the immense reefs
ana forests OF ITS own secretion, give to them the
appearance OF the teeming vegetable life and
beauty SO celebrated by the poets
THE AGRICULTURAL MEETING - The conyoea
ton OF asreulturisIs, from all parts of the Union
called together by the Commissioner Of Patents.
with view to the general promotion of agricul.
ture, assembled at the Patent Ofhcs Yesterday.
temporary organization was formed by choo..
ing Hon Al; r Wilder, Of Mass, President, and
MAI Is +. Poore, OF NJ ass, Secretary The names
ofthose invited being then called over responses
were made by the following:
Maine, Or: Ezekiel Homes; Massachusetts.
Hon, Marshall z. Wilder, DIR, Charles I. Jack
son, aud Ben. Perley Poore; New Hampshire
oot, ESQ New 4ori, William 1 haWtCn Fac Hoi,
Col G C. Monell, and Rev. A. Browns Penn,
sylvania, James Gowan, esq Hon J c 6 Ken
nedy, Hon John n. Ewing, and w =. Shattuck.
Esq Delaware, Ex-Governor George H. Ross
Maryland, Clement IIIll, Joel Blew, and CharI-s
CorcoTan, Jonathan Seaver, and j. C. Lewis
E>qs., DR.. Charles 6 Page, Joshua Pierce ~
harte, and T.. kingman, Esqs.; Virginia, Col.
Milton GaInett, Lewis Baylsy: South Carolina,
James G Holmes, Hon. J. H Hammond; Indian
Territory, Col. p. p. Pitchlya; Texas, w. T.
Mecklin; Indiana, Hon ID. p. Holloway, Hon.
T. Cane; Illinois, DIR. John A. Kennicutt Dr. L.
Pennington; Michigan, Hon. II L. Stevens:
Minnesota, DR.. T. I. Mann. Hon. w. w Phelps,
J. j. Noah Ohio, F. 6. Carey, E-q wi,con.
sin, Gustavus De Neven; California, A w Nc
kee' Nevada, Col. James NJ. Crane; -egon,
Hon. Dslazon Smith; New Mexico, Hon Manuel
A H. Otero.
A plumber Of interrogatories, prepared by D.
Jaw Browne. Esq Chief Of the Agricultural Blu.
reau OF the Patent Office, were submitted, with
the request that the meeting prepare answers to
thsm The meeting then decided 10 call itself
the advisory Board Of Agriculture OF the Pat
ent Once ,"
In order to answer the interrogatories more &C.
cuIately, the Union was divided into sections
and the delegates from each division constituted
committee, as follows
LIST The New England States, New York, New
Jersey, ard Pennsylvania.
ID Delaware, Maryland, District OF Columbia,
virginia, North Caroliaa, South Carolina, and
Georgia.
ID. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Texas, Indian Territory, Arkansas Missouri,
Kentucky, and Tennessee
fth Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wis.
consin, Iowa. Minnesota, Nebraska, and ansas
9th New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Califor.
MIA, Oregon. and Washinyton