The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-17


the rocks that rear their granite heads,and the
trees that beaatify our grounds and offer their
welcome shade, must be Numbered among the
things that were. As he surveyed the 9long
buried relics, and walked the exhumed streets
rof Ponpeii, then those of New Y erk the com
mercial mart of the New World with its
Broadway teeming with wealth and active
life, and Fifth Avenue with its gorgeous and
castle like private residences, he thought was
instructive as solemn, that as the first has now
70 place upon the pages of history-the sec
ond may bow in oblivion and be known only
to the searcher of antiquities, Yet there is
that which can never de- Though bis ashes
have slumbered for more than twenty acentu-
ries, yet from that land of reienee and Of lore
to every portion OF, the civ lized globe. has
spread the fruit of his labors; his. name can
not be forgotten--his works bear the impress.
of immortality. q"The Philosophy of Plato
can never die; he was another of those true
scholars who spent long life holding court
at the temples of Truth, and evernseekipg it
for its own intrinsic worth and beauty IL,
The speaker then referred TO Hnmboldt
whose loss the world now monrn, and 10 whom
he pointed as the unriyaled model Of "a Iscien-
! tifc man. with nothing of biography or,details
he discoursed at length upon this character,
in his own digni6ed, eloquent earnest and in
iapproachable manner. This, while fitting the
OCCASION. was doubly interesting for it was
known TO the audience that DR. Tappan had
been personally acquainted with the ilustrious
Pr lssian and during his visits to Europe had en-:
joyed not only his acquaintance, but from him
many marks of esteem. With this upon the
character of the scholar, he pointed to that
hof the Christian. ait 6,..t,..a
4 If the first as an example was interesting and
ennobling. the second was truly sublime; if
. the one was. important and prasworthy 1.-The
other was indispensable and God like. sou
i Said he. those attributes Of the scholar we
so much admire are to me the strangest proof:
.1ofthe immortal dsstiny of the human SOUL
Il The rude vessel of clay we see shattered
without regret, ,bnt who would not wish pre-
, served the beaniful vase Of marble which
cunning hands have wrought-and how indie
scribable-yea, how unreasonable the though
! that the mind of a Humboldt or Plato witt
its wondrous powers,its elevated thoughts ant
Unborn love of the Good, 1.-The True and til,
5 Beautiful is permitted only this comparative
? ly brief existence Then while stand her
s as the. friend of Sclence-a humble lahore
r in the field of Philosophy, and 7reeomnlen
d an assimilation to the scholarly spirit-permi
0 me young gentleman, to erhort you to priz
far above this, a noble moral individuality y AN
o ever seek as an example that Christian spiri
Y which on earth was perfected only in Jesus {
q Nazareth. ny f".l9 hasl'sfa eeg.
. The whole discourse was delivered withou
Y notes,or manuscript; there was no attempt a
d eloquence, yet it was pronounced by dignita
3, ries of the press and the bar, specimen {
Il the highest form of eloquence-it united th
# learning and talent of scholarly address,wit
Il he kindness and affection of a practical tall
e For it all felt gratifu, and permit me befor
starting homeward bound, to offer this tribu,
e of gratitude. Dr. Tappau has, more tha
q any other, made the University of Michiga
what it is. He has received the highest hor
.e ors in Europe ever conferred on an America
schoIar-his metaphysical works are with tb
most fattering ackno wled gemeats sought an
:. republshed in. Edinburg and London-th
, friend of Cousin. of 'Ampere. of Hambold
: and Sir William Hamilton, but better tha
all this is his position in the hearts of Student
as father and counsellor sr-a A F. B.