New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-14

IN such intimate relations with the Government and Mr.
iSCr tt so high value upon his services that Cabi
t meeting was hold in his office every week during the
war. Ii was Prof Bache who made tho Academy espe-
caiy valuable 20 the Government ~ his vast iaDoI'
for last year has been utterly unable 10 work
is TO be most ardenty hoped that he may soon
and resume his great usefulness 70 the country and SCI
OF TIN immediate usefulness of the Academy 70 me
country there is sufficient evidence in the fect that .o
annual report shows that the Government under ne sec
ton Of the charter given IN my mrs, lever, mas
the Academy for reports on tho following subjects
In the first year. from the Navy Department weiSn'SS
measures and COINS their decentralization, @e menouS
of protecting the national currency from pehe Vu g.
S;lcS Saxion'. acohomeer intended substitute for
the hydrometer now From the Navy Department
be protection Of the bottoms Of iron vessels from C
s;on Nv seawaer and from foung correction OF inc
compases of naval vessels, especially OF IRON Nesse @
Of ironads The inquiries as TO me e1edleh hn Ssyv
timing in their present form the publication, py tc
Department of the wind and current charts anu Vi w
sailing directions. In the second year rom the
Gonera-as to the best method of testing The pnI ..
Department-o conduct witness and report nPol cApo
aeIs on the expansion Of steam. From sths Treasury
Dcpartment-The examination Of O'0"N0 "''1
other allows for the manufacture OF cent CONS
on mos, Of these subjects the Academy mas already by
committee presented elaborate Teport' "hleh have beeh
accented as decisive and exhaustive So far as hey claim 10
30 II viii he seer that these subjects embrace matters OF
tho utmost importance 10 the country Ihus the Acaa-
envy has Endorsed tho Fronch decimal system oi "eShs
and measures as against the anomalous and puzlns lck
of system now in use IN this county and recommended
its adoption. Should hor Suggestions be followed het
influence wotd reach almost ever person IN the country
almost every day and after the change was once haue
effect him most dcsraby. 1t is 20 be hoped that tue
whole county will second every movement OF TINS KIND
when the Academy camo 10 order iii morning me l,t
popcr In order was by Prof w, ID Whitney OF Yale Cp
iege, "On the Grounds of Analogy between LllSlSle
Science and the Physical Sciences. .,.-....-,,.,
Prof Whitney reviewed briefly the considerations which
proved the study Of language TO be moral science not
physical Tho phenomena of language 60 back to human
beings their ultimate causes; human needs call for
speech; human organs make Il, under te direction Of hu-
man wills mpeled by motives Not only all the hisori-
oGl changes OF language are made by the users OF ian
gage but is ultimate beginnings have the same OIL
rim OF course there can De question that science
which deals with such product is mor or historical sci
ence Yet IL, anaoges with the physical sciences are
merou and striking. Especially its method in the col
lection and observation of its facts and the induction Of
principles and laws thercfrOm is closely like that pursued
in physical science This is because the phenomena Of
purposes FOR which the linguistic student uses them. They
satsmctons of the needs Of expression and commune
cation and that only Each byitseit u conscious act
but insofar as they form system they have historical
cDntept as they illustrate the laws Of thought and on,
they are wholly unconscious Language is not inyen
ton but an institution of gradual development wrought
out bY tho changing needs and advancing knowledge OF
the Of lis facts have an objective value, aud
may BE- treated such. Linguistic science then occupied
kind Of medical position allied 70 the moral sciences By
the nature Of its material, aud to tho physical by its
methods.
prolonged and lively discussion followed the reading
Of this paper, in which number of members bore part.
Prof Agassiz said that Il was plain that philosophy had
a geological side that without adapted structure there
would be language. Tho language was the result of
the peculiar form He had been glad TO study this mat
ter by cx8mlnng the modes in which animals commune
with each other by making sound. The human brain
not different In construction from that OF the monkey
He did doubt that the true of the fish lie
was inclined therefore, TO believe that the actions of the
brans OF the two must have kinshp, and the sounds
emitted a corresponding relation. Now comes this in
porant point; mnsmntaton-deas peryade the whole sci
ence Of zoology and he thought the same was true of
pbQlogy. He thought neYegheess that transmutation
could explain al the phenomena. lie went back TO
the time when man inst originated There IS difference
/ hafu~ at0i mn m MI lp
GENE alton have lived through an ordinary bul le and
raised great second generation without means OF intel
lectual and moral Intercourse lie believed That they
uusi have como out at once into possession Of such
means ~ intercourse in great fullness Furthermore. H.
Darwin holds is the result OF upnsmutaton from
lower ncc he thought that bis Language hnst BE held
70 have come TO Just great en- extent BY tnsnntaon
iron tho sounds made BY those animals.
Prof Whitney answered these ylcRs by acknowledging
The force Of mo 4 OF what pror Asisss lad said Sound
was physical product oubt but sound representing
ideas made spoken langanso, and is study was moral
Prof A,assis would Ike TO sur.ost to phlologists
thing: to compare the clements az the language of
nbe which has meyer fiji thc influence ciyiza
ton with those ~ the la uagc OF any civilized faton
with view to setting forth how much had been the growth
Prof Whitney explained ba this had been done as far
possible, but showed Low difficult was TO find such
uds Yery sufeetig,tion afforded ''N-
Much further lively dis lssion took place
fIo hgassh oeIed the neat paper On the Limitat on
he work q 0Esm and oRes In ills field Be SAID ba, the
sys,Snaiic Illustration Of This whole subject Is 10 be
ascrod 10 Spoke, in his Ccphaogouss Speke carried
his examinations through the whole series OF the animal
kingdom, showing that there common type which
eliminated in man. His plates illustrated the matter by
alsyersc sections Of the brain. More recently Carts
had taken tho subject with the same Wow de-
yooped under the ideas oihe German ply siophiosopher
while TN, was gong on, CusIer and Won Baer were
taking up tbs subject from different points view. Cuyier
showed that there four classes and that an
essential diiorence in plants Won Ba6r showed that
the same animals were uno.ded In tho egg in different
ways There was foundation for comparison between
animals Of 1cpl types Tho essential Characteristic o.
yenelrtes was in having central axis. Throughout tic
whole length to the Up Of the tall this structure is found
Ia arcuates tho plan VI structure is wholly different
Tie SOLID parts are outside and the artculaons arc in
that outside, while the Aeshy muscles are on tho inside
brain. Why is the seat OF sensations so different Be
cause they are built on different plan Ihe same essen
tel differences In plan is 20 be Traced Ina the lnoisks
Their oeats 40 not 10 be impaired Il either Of tle
classes above meLioLod aud The san mic be shown
OF Tie radat"s There vas no binding analogy between
these great classes Ihee was NJ bond between thou
10 stepping from one into anohc- Tho a., es Of the
tTansmuiaton theory mpst begin By showing that there
ueranees be received anything but statement OF
creed lie denied that the principles OF capitalization
which was advocated by Prof Dana, was fair basis of
eouIarson ON account OF its extra Neurological character
a, Prot Dana was not present he would not enter more
fully into Us discussion.
Walcott Gibbs. Professor OF Calsrr in Harvard Col
lege read The next paper, on N,w Method of Op,cal
Analysis This article was OF interest and value TO seien.
tile men, but was too full OF mathematics 10 receive ms
cc III such letter as this. II was received with interest
Prof Gibbs expressed the opinion that this method when
more fully caIrod out, would be found of great value
The next paper was ON recent Soindngs in the Gulf
Stream, by Henry Mitchell. He began az stating the
mode o. operation IN sounding The great 81 dpth found
statistics as 70 the depths found tle nature of the shells
Nc brought NY by The lead and the nature of the bottom
and Cuba. ''l--s51l " '
Iroi. PIERCE called attention 10 the extraordinary differ
eaee IN the results Set forth in Mr. Mitoheps paper and
oneIed Suggestion as TO the probable eau ,es. -, ,
Other 9ges 9ri ,drsNipg out father explain