New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-18


lectures before the American Institute delivered last
evening the hall Of the Cooper Union by Prof Andrew
ID White, President Of Cornell University, the suD9ect
being The Fields Of Science" The lecturer was
introduced by Prof g. d. Tman, Secretary OF tho Insu
tute, who said:
absence of our President Mr. Greeley IL deyolyGs upon
70 introduce The speaker OF thS geP Induces the
trustees 20 pursue the plan OF lntrOauciS ,ee
her attractive cafb Last year tine lectures were
devoted 10 "A dcscrption of philosophical instruments
This year the majority OF the lectures Will nave ~
d6itc1 ~ cs one OF tie lectures viii be devoted 10
description OF the ears crust WINE the Olher wa De ~
IsIG 10 aG o namely The Constitution Of the sun"
have the pleasure of introducing nr' A. d. mhI'e'
President OF CUrue University
Prof White on coming forward, was received with APP
plause lie spoke as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: In view Of the fact that my
studies have been rather in History than in Natural
science il has seemed 10 me not unfit that begin this
series OF lectures historical sketch bearing upon
the great subject OF your II purpose, then, to
present you this evening outline Of the great sacred
struggle for the liberty OF sciencea struggle which has
been going for so many centuries tough contest
this has been! a continued lOnger-with battles
hercer with sieges persistent with strategy more
vigorous than in any the comparatively petty warfares
Of Alexander or Cesar, Napoleon. shall ask yor TO
40 with me through some Of these mostdetermined
seges and over Of the bardestought battleheds
Of this great We Will look well at the eombatants-
of leaders, the and thrust Of champions, the weight
of missiles, the temper OF weapons
My subject, then, shall DO 1.-THE WARFARE OF
SCIENCE"
Ny Thesis-which, by historical study of this war
fare expect develop the following In all modern
history Interference with Science in the supposed inter
est Of reaonno matter how conscientious such inter
ference may have beenhas resulted in the drest evils
both to Religion and Science, AMI Invariably And on
the other hand all untrammeled scientific investigation
no matter how dangerous religion some Of its stages
may have seemed temporarily. 10 be- mas invariably re-
suited highest good of Religion and Science say
iUdrIGbly-I mean exactly that. ltgis rule TO which
history shows not one exception 1t would SEEM ogcaly
that this could not be S2 sn T GGa npo
the soul or without upon the world: A truth written
upon the human heart to-day In rs full play OF emotions
truth upon fossil whose pOore was gone mil,
lions OF years ago.. And this being so, IL would
OF these kinds OF must be followed out In its own
lines by It's Own methods 70 its own results without any
interference from investigators along other lines by
other methods And would also seem logically that we
might work on IN absolute confidence that whatever at
any moment might 10 De the relative positions ofthe
different bands Of workers they must at last come to-
gether for Truth But Logic not History History
full OF nterferences which have the earth dear.
strangest OF all some Of the most direfu OF them have
been made by the best OF men, actuaed by the puret
motives seeking the nobest results These interference
and the struggle agains! them make up the warfare OF
will not understand me at all TO say that rehgion mas
done nothing for science Ii has done much for H. The
work Of Christianity has been mighty indeed. Through
these 2OOO years has undermined serytude, mgated
afflicted light the blind, bread to the starving, life TO
the dying, and all this work continues And ITS work ior
and developed IT, 1t has given great minds TO IT, ana but
for OF the tmid It's record in this respect would
have been greatas in the other. Unfortunately, re-
lSious men started centuries ago with the ldea mat
purely scientific investigation Is unsafe-that theology
must intervene. So began this great modern war
CosMoGBAPHY.
The first typical battlefield which call attention Is
that OF COsmography, the simplest elementary doctrine
OF the earths shape surface, and relations Bear with
4 field 90 we'll 20 81 OF
We cannot overlook 1t II We to understand other
battles which follow. Among the legacies OF thought
left by the ancient world to the modern certain
ideas OF the rotundty OF the earth These hdeas
vague they were mixed with absurdltles but they
germ ideas, and after the barbarian storm
which ushered in the modern world had begun
clear away, these germ IDEAS began to
bud and bloom in the minds OF few thinking men. and
these hazarded the suggestion that the earth is
rounds globe. The greatest and most earnest men
rotundty seemed fraught with dangers to Scrip
ture by which, Of course they meant their interpretation
of Scripture Among the first attempts made was that OF
Eusebius. He endeavored 10 turn of these ideas by
the nnovators understand he and the Fathers of the
Church generally despsed all such inquiries Speaking
of the things admired by Them but through contempt of
their useless labor that we think little OF these matters
turning souls to the exercise OF better things Lac
tantus asserted the new IDEAS TO DC empty ana false
did succeed OF course Even such men as Lactsnus
and Eusebius cannot poohpooh down great new seen
uhc idea. The little band Of thinkers went on ana the
Of the rOtundity OF the earth naturally led to
consideration Of the tenants OF the eaTths surface ana
the existence Of Anpodes AT this the war commenced
bitter Those great and good men determined
TO fight. To all OF them such doctrines seemed danger
Gus, most Of them they seemed dannabe. Basil and
Ambrose tolerant enough TO allow that man
might be saved who believed the earth be round and
inhabited its opposite sides: but the great majority
the Fathers of the Church utterly denied the possible
OF salvation TO such msbeevers. Lactantlus asks
lis possible that men can be so absurd as 10 believe
hang downward, and that men there have their feet
higher than their headsi DO you ask how they defend
these mOnsrOstes how things do not fall away from
the earth that side They reply that the nature OF
things such heavy bodies tend toward the center
Ike the spOkes Of a wheel while light bodies, such
Clouds smoke and fire tend from the center toward the
ltayens on all sides. Now am really a loss what
say OF those who when they have once gone wrong
steadily IN their folly and defend one absurd
attle regarding the rotundy Of the earth but fights
the idea that men exist on the other side
ture speaks Of no such descendants OF Adam
called the flank movement as represented Dy EuseDu
had failed. The direct battle given by Lacantius Au-
fore the opponents of the ne great fortress
and retired into that IL well built and well braced
world based upon the literal Interpretation of texts OF
scripture. and its architect was COsmas According to
by great AT the outer edges OF these seas
rise immense walls closing In the whole structure
edges are oemented TO the walls. Walls and vault
shut In the earth ana an me heavenly oodie ,i Inc
carefully, and was then thought most scrpturaly.
oss,ns " HebTeWs 10 the tabernacle in the
desert, he insists with other interpreters OF his
time that the original Greek words mean-made like the
world This gives key TO the whole construction The
universe therefore made on the plan OF the Jewish
quotes those grand words Of Isaiah cit is no that
.tteth upon the circle Of the earth that stretch
eth out the heavens ike curtain and spreadeth them
Out like tent 70 dwell in" And the passage IN Job
which speaks Of the SPREADING out OF the sky.
prosafc statement and gathers therefro as he thinks.
faes Of the eafh Cosmos studies the table Of shew
bread In the Tabernacle The dimensions OF tha taDe