The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-02-18

Mr.. TAYLoRs REPLY.
X. r. HowIsoN. Esq.-Sir: Your letter of the
Esd ult has been forwarded to me-
acknowledge your candor; though might
naturally have looked for more courteous ex-
preston oft
Ny literary connection with the New York
Tribune is Of twelve years standing. 1t is indi-
Gated in most Of my published works, and SO well
known to those who know anything Of my his-
tory, that can scarcely conceive you were e.
norant of it. have visited the Southern States,
as an avowed correspondent of that paper, have
lectured in Kentucky and Virginia, and received
cordial invitations from Nashville, Memphis
Augusta, and Savannah. Hence ! considered
your own letter of invitation as another evidence
that, however politicians might differ, there was
no 'ssecticnalism" in the world OF Literature and
Art, and even made arrangements to lecture be-
fore your Society, at some Inconvenience to my
SELF 1t was a pleasant reflection that, while my
friend, John II. Thompson, Esq, of your city,
was receiving in our Literary Associations OF the
North that respect to which his talents enti.,e
him, /, Northern author should at the same
time appear before Richmond audience. have
heretofore supposed it possible that might pri-
vately hold the opinions of Washington and JEFF
ferson on the subject of Slavery, veto long as
| should not publicly express those opinions-be
sure OF respectful treatment in the State which
gave thase great men to our common country.
You speak of my lecture on Humboldt with so
much assurance, that presume you must have
heard it. cannot suppose that you, the Presi-
dent of an Association which claims to be pre-
eminently Christian, would make so grave a
charge againstsany oae from hearsay or imperfect
knowledge. You kaoU, therefore, that the only
points in that lecture which have any reference
to religion are these: defend Humboldt from
the charge Of inidelity, stating INV belief that
deep religious feeling formed the basis of his
character, and, furthermore dissent from the
assertion OF few narrcw-minded theologians.
that Science Is necessarily athestic in its ten
denotes. / confess to profound establishment
that you should consider such opinions an cyi.
dence Of ''scepticism, indicating want of belief
in 1.-THE Divine inspiration and authority of the
Sacred Scriptures" If the belief that Humboldt
was not an infdel, makes me one, by the same
logic, II | believe him to be an infdel, prove
myself Christian.
in all the principal portions of the eartl,--that
know all forms of government and sll religious
crccds, from personal observation and study; hat
that nowhere, in any Of the lands or races most
bitterly hostile to Republicanism and Christian
ity, have ever been subjected to narrower or
more insulting censorship.
Yours, for free thought and enlightened Chris
tianity. BAYAaD TAYLOR.
ECLIPSE Or THE srx.-The total eclipse Of the
sun, which win take place on the 18th Of july of
this year, will be very important one to the sci
entiic world. II win commence in California
and terminate ON the borders Of the Red SEA-.
Passing along about the Both degree Of latitude.
and quitting the American continent ct Hudson
Strait, it will cross the Atlantic to the gnanish
shore, and, for some minutes something like one