The Portland daily press., 1865-10-28
M. e.. Maury.

III. f. I1GuTys
We had almost forgotten the distinguished
philosopher whose name stands at.the head OF
this article, and might never have recalled his
achievements in the field of science had we
not met With the following highly compliment
t.rv notice In the Portland Advertiser:
Iasut. MsuTy the former head of the National Oh
seryetcrv ~ Washington, who preferred Joining Wy
rebels ~ ire SonoTs and emoluments OF our govsrn
nacnt has tAken mp his residence IN EnSl.na, where
he eE@-sa ksrdscfne living from the Br1tlsn Iner-
eSsvss and ,,svai men who reap the benefits of his
taiets. Es has lately been IN leAloo Mhele MS son
has entsted TIE service O Maxnlla an, Al men
the rsAafs kxs his folly not more apparent than
WIS tAss n IFS Writers who had petted Maury be-
fJ~e Sus af.er the rebellion commenced deemed it a
pat4otte drty to denounce him as a humbug from
the beginning. There is not man living to whom
marthe commerce Is so much indebted as to this
Maury He has made it safer to sail tie ocean,
and shortened the distances from land to land.
"a fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind r
The weakness" OF Lieut.. Maury for treason
is of course quite pardonable, as viewed from
the standpoint of the Advertiser. There are
those they are few, thank God VINO look up
on Booths pencbant for murder with great al
lowance. Butwe have no disposition to speak
of Maury's crime in joining the rebellion. We
desire only to enter our protest against the UNI
fair criticism which seeks to raise him to the
pedestal from which he has been deposed by
the unanimous suffrage Of all competent judg-
eS
1t is not true that Mauiy was petted before
and denounced after the rebellion By the same
men. lie was petted by the men whom he
followed into rebellion. His position afforded
an excellent opportunity to bring his name IA
military before the public. This opportunity
he improved with astonishing impudence. he
could not write dramatically; for proof see
any page Of his most popular work-the "Ge-
ograpay of the Sea-" yet he passed for elo-
quent. He was incapable of using the rich
scientific material in his hands; yet he pre-
tended to be philosopher. He was indeed
the worthy Archimedes of the Southern Re
bellion-the sham philosopher of sham re-
public, which ceased before it could fairly be
said to be. His pretensions were laughed at
by men Of science abroad; his popular repute
made the judieious grieve at home, long before
the rebellion. Xxx
For single example, we may refer to M.
Lartigue's numerous proofs adduced in the
NoaoeIleS 4nnaIes Mdritimes de 1860, of the
pointed disagreement of facts with Maury's
faYorite theory of the winds. Additional
proofs have since been drawn by NJ. bourgeois
from observations made on board the ship lie
Duperre, the frigate La Forte, and other yes
sells of the expedition to China in 1S60-61.
AS this theory Of the winds is Maurys scien-
tile chef dgurre, and as we do not purpose to
review his failures, this must stand as speci-
men. We desire it to be noted, however, that
M. Lartigues criticism of Maury was not sub
sequent to the rebellion of 1851.
Maury's services to the American CONNER
cial marine were rendered through the publi-
cation of certain expensive volumes called
Sailing Directions" and of "Wind and Cur
rent Charts" widely distributed from Che Ma
tional Observatory, under the name of the
Superintendent. The fate of these publica-
tons closes what we have to say on this ocea-
sion.
In 1868, the Chief of the Bureau Of Nayiga-
ton, Admiral Charles H. Davis, informed
Secretary WeIes that he was prepared tore
commend the discontinuance of these charts
and sailing directions, which were regarded
by photographers and scientific men as being
prolix and faulty, both in matter and arrange
ment, to such an extent as to render the limit
ed amount Of original information which they
actually contain costly and inaccessible" In
order that the question of discontinuance
might be decided with proper deliberation, it
was referred to the National Academy Of Sci
ences for investigation. The committee ap-
pointed by the Academy, consisted of Prof.
F. A. P. Barnard, Prof j. Fl. Alexander, Mr.
j. P. Lesley, Prof Alexis Caswe!I, Prof VIM.
Chauvenet Prof. J. II. C. Coffin, U. S. n,
Prof j. 2. Frazer, Prof Arnold Guyot, Mr.. ].
E. Hilgard, Prof BENZ. PIERCE, Prof j. D. Da-
ma, and Prof j. Winlock, U. s. N. These
men, whose names are known and honored,
whose motives are above suspicion, after ma
ture consideration adopted with entire unan-
unity the following resolution: s s. ~ aor4
ResoIDed, That In the opinion Of this Academy.
the volumes entitled ''Saiiing Directions" hereto
fore issue to nayigat0rs from the Naval Observatory
ana the "Wind and Current Charts which they are
aesgnod to Illustrate and explain, embrace much
srascs 70 @asosJ i1 philosophy and little til tbs proc
ttcassy @es and chat therefore these publications
ought no longer to be issued in the present form.