The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1860-11-22

The Museum Of Comparative Zoology,
at Cambridge, Mass, was dedicated on
Tuesday by appropriate exercises. A
mOng the speakers were President FELTON,
and Professor Agassiz. In the speech oi
the latter We find the following interest
ing statemnets:
When came TO this country in 1876,
l had not thought Ots'aying here. l had
come upon an invitation of Mr.. John
Lowell, TO deliver course Of lectures be-
before the Lowell Institute. had taken
leave for year and halt from the col
l+ge of Neufchatel, with which | was then
connected, aud it has pleased the King
of Prussia, at that time Prince Of Neu-
fohatel, TO grant me the means for a sci
entiic exploration Of some parts Of tSis
continent.
| had not been more than year here.
when the convulsions which disturbed Eu-
rope led me to consider seriously wheth-
er is would be advisable for me to return
10 my native country, or TO prolong my
stay in America.
While was hesitatIng, the late Hon
orable Abbott Lawrence one day called
upon me, and explained to me con6den-
tally his plans respecting the foundation
Of scientific school in Cambridge, sta
ting that it would be an additional reason
for him Immediately to carry out his IN
tcution i'll should except a profsssorship
in that school. | did not feel at liberty
10 decide before having obtained regu-
lar discharge from the college with which
| had teen connected for fifteen years.
This was. however, granted in the most
c0nsiderate manner; and in the spring
term OF 1S48 | entered upon my duties as
professor OF the scientific school-a post
which still hold.
One ofthc most tempting inducements
| had for staying in America was the offer
made 10 me by the Superintendent Of the
United States Coast Survey, 20 avail my
self of the facilities afforded by the differ
ent parties carrying on the work Of Sur
vcy, to visit in person the coast and col
lect the animals living along our shores
with most accurate indications respect
ing the nature of the bottom on which
they are found, the depth which they oc
cur, and other information for which ma.
turalists sigh, without having frequent
means Of oh aiming them. To these fac.
ulties | owe part Of the mos. valuable in
formation | have been able to obtain in
my life.
Placed as | was at the head of a new
department. Of public education. Ihad now
to make the necessary collections for my
instruction, as none existed in the Uni.
versity; and during my vocations l visi.
ted successfully. for that purpose, our
southern and western Statos, delivering
lectures on my way to defray the expen-
ses necessary 10 make extensive collec-
ii ,ns. which to ne were very heavy, as |
never had anything but what l earned from
year 10 year.
10 1852 the Treasurer Of Harvard Co..
lege obtained by private subscription the
sum Of 5 1000. amounting 10 the expen-
ses mad thus fai incurred to secure as
property for the University the collec,
,ions had brought together. With these
new means at my command, and some
additions, | have gone on cnlargiog The
collection, until, by succession OF for.
tunate circumstances, movement was
started to found public museum.
Professor Agassiz gave sketch Of the
preliminary organization Of the Museum,
Acknowledged, the liberal grant which had
been made in its favor, defined his idea of
what such an institution should be, and
concluded rs folows;l
Now gentlemen, the position OF men of
science in this country is not what it
should be, / do not say that they do not
enjoy all the privileges Of all other citi.
zens; they do enjoy them fully, the REQ
oguition science receives from among us
is gratifying in the highest degree. But
how is it abroa1? singly the mon who
have distinguished themselves receive
due distinctions, but they feel themselves
isolated. They stand in the position Of
men wi h liberal ideas forced by oircum
stances to rem lin in country destitute
of free institutions.
Such men may within their own souls
live the life Of the free, but their acts
are doomed to be in accordance with the
institutions Of the land, And 80 is it
with our scientific men, they must look 10
Europe for their reputation, because the
institutions with which they are surround.
oil are not on level with their own scien-
lifc attaiuments, they may te hailed
abroad as men deserving recognition and
receive it, but that recognition is not car
ricd across the ocean as natural conse,
quence Of Il position earned at homo.
Ifyou will free your best men from
that tantalizing position, raise your sci.
entific institution to level with the fore
nest in Europe, that tho American man
of science may, like the American free
man, have the satisfaction of knowing,
when he visits the Old World, that ho is
backed by tho institutions lie leaves at
homo--in so doing, you vii! gain another
advantage--that Of freeing yourselves
from the opportunities Of those preton.
ders in sience who surround, themselves
with fictitious 'pulalion, made up Of
newspapers article, and supported, per-
haps, by correspondence with some
tenlh'rale scientific men in Europe, whom
nobody knows in their native country.
The Garibaldi Fund.
To tho Editor of the Nev York Tr1Yne..