The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-08

Grand Jaries
Professor Leesnis and the Herald.
A little Tom Thumb of paper issued at
Yale College, by graduate editor and pub
lisher." has volunteered Us the champion of
Professor Loomis against the world, the heavens
and the HERALD. It processes to represent
Yale College, its corporation, professors alumni
and Students who it "knows, will all respond
with hearty amen" to its wish that Yale may
continue "to be disgraced by 80 incompetent q
professor" II objects to his being sent to
cultivate cabbages in rural retirement, without
in:imaIing, however, that he might prefer to
raise onions In Wethersfield. 1t also objects
10 his accepting "an editorial position on the
IISasID;' but this objection is at least prena-
tare, II not superalous, for we are not aware
that he has yet been, or is likely to be, exposed
10 such temptation. HIS lilliputian defender
eulogix,s ''his series of mathematical works,
and especially his late work on astronomy" as
having secured for him reputation second to
none in this country"--forgetting how much
wider II not more enviable a reputation his
name has acquired In The HERALD, in connec-
ton with his very latest "work In astronomy"
We agree with the graduate editor and pub
Usher when hc says Professor Loomis is too
wei, known" But IL is his own fault, not the
i.kRAID's, that his name has become 'stoo well
known," associated as it now is everywhere,
and mus, be always, with the fatal ft Of foolish
presumption and prejudice which seized him
when he maliciously denounced the HEaALD's
Greenwich despatch as spurious" His dwarf
ish champion begins 10 defend him by running
n muck Of comets which he seems TO confound
a. them Ia way hat reflects but little credit
on The boosted "scienccr fof his astronomical
professor. lie does as little credit to bis pro-
fessor of logic by arguing that .by similar
coursc IL reasosiag--that Ia. with q similar
con usion OF ideas about comets and mateors--
Professor LOOMS scam 10 the conclusion" that
the fIsRALD's despatch was "cvidently spuri-
ous.r Adopting the Socraiic method, he def
antly and trininphanty asks =" For who
believed the desp stca was true till II was con-
G~medy lie has,ens to add-but we regret
10 say in style no, very crcdisable 10 his
professor OF rhetoric" OF course we will give
4
the iiu1.LD tn credit FOR its enterprise in
securing news in advance OF The other press
(sic) OF New York. We are not Ike good
many that still belicve the HERAID's despatch
wac fslse. and only by remarkable coinci-
dence |. now has the app sarance OF TRUTH
We hope that the doughty defender Of Profess
sor Loomis does not mean 10 insinnate that the
latter IL included among these good many !"
for this would be adding insult 10 the injury
which, n his own wors. enemy, the Professor
his inflicted upon himself With a certain air
Of modcsty, Tom Thumb admits that he sean
not explain how The Professor. with his mathc-
matical precision and carclulness, should have
written such letter to the Post" unless s.upon
the ground that all men like to lead the van in
public opinion This phrase, by accidental
association OF ideas. unfortunately recalls the
refrain OF an old political song, ivan. Vans
q used up men, But letting that pass. we
think We can "explAin how no wrote such
letter" by another reason. II was simply
because he IL one OF "a good many"
silly and isnoran, persons who have not
yet ouilived the absurd and antiquatcd
notion that all the domestic and foreign
correspondence and other peculiar features
for which the HERALD Ia distinguished a. athe
first newspaper In the world" IL fabricated and
daily written on, In IL editorial rooms. What
q supernatural impression such ninnles must
have Of the mysterious faculties and influence
Of the HEnnol However learned an astrono-
mer Professor LOOMS my DO. he obviously
has no idea OF the vast, complicated. expensive
and powerful machinery which Is kept In
perpetual motion by the modern newspa-
per press, with the HERALD a. ia foremost
exponent.
In short, Mr.. LOOMS has added new name
10 the long catalogue Of instances, NJ once
amusing and huinilialing. Of the liability OF
scientific minds" 10 err. The list begins with
that weatherwisc land lubber who told Cap
tain Noah, Of the Ark. that the deluge wouldn't
be, he rcckoncd, much OF shower after all.
Then comes the astronomer Of the old fable,
whom tine peasant woman laughed at for
stumbling into hole In the ground while his
eyes were fixed on the sky. Perhaps be saw
stars afier II not before be fell which Ii
more than can be said Of the purblind
professor al Yale, who, before he himself fell
didn't see the stars fall, and therefore
WOULDN'T, believe that anybody else did.
The crudite monks whom Kaufmann's fine
picture at the Artists Fund Exhibition repre-
sen,s a. sriumphantly proving to Columbus the
impossibIlity Of bis theory which resulted in
the discovery Of America; the French savans
who let solomon Caus. one Of the FIRST discov-
eren Of the locomotive power Of steam, Ian
guish In lunatic asylum; those who ridiculcd
the lightning rods Of franklin and the steam
boats Of Fulton; the British scadcmicians who
dcnnonstr>fsa IA shn sfscfis,n of pa III rrart