The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-15


dwell upon the banks Of the Amazon and
.he Orinoco, and he crossed vast plains,
overgrown with grasses. which the shade OF
no shrub refreshed, and spent months IN
the reccsses of forests whose gigantic trees
excluded every ray of the sun.
" hitherto cntirely Y unknown or misun-
derstood region of the earth wns placed in
splendid landscape before the senses Of
intellectual Europe, and rot only was the
exterior surface and It's phenomena de-
scribcd, but science was made acquainted
with the inner formation Of the land, with
its riches and its wants, with the secret Of
it's heights and its depths. with the circum-
stances Of its animate and inanimate life,
and from the chain OF comparative facts
was developed the discovery and compre-
hension of the great eternal world and life
laws of the earth and its Inhabitants"
Before returning to Germany, Humboldt
paid brief visit to the United States, and
at Washington formed the acquaintance of
that brilliant galaxy Of Virginia statesmen
and iurists who, having first aided in
wrestling the colonies from the mother
country by n successful ''rebcllior," were
laboring to rive perpetuity to a form of 60
vernment in which the civil rights and con-
stitutonal liberties of the people were,
they hoped. to be safely guarded and tho
roughly protected from TIE lawlessness OF
an unbridled majority, as well as from the
unreasoning despotism Of the bayonet. The
admiration which he felt for Jefferson and
Madison led him to indulge in the most san
guinc anticipations of the success Of their
experiment. and he died before the form
of government which he admired had been
terribly tried by the throes and shocks OF
civil war.
Mr.. Aylett then spoke Of Humboldt's re-
turn to the Old World. of his enthusiastic
welcome, and of the enduring and substan-
tial honors with which lie was rewarded
His visit to ENGLAND as the friend and com
panion of the King Of Prussia, and his cx'
petition to Northern Asia under the pa
| tronagc of the Gar Nicholas, we're also
concisely Skctchcd by the orator, and his pc,
| litical career reviewed. He then spoke Of
Ills PERSON AND HABITS.
The biographcrs and literary contcmpo
rarics of Humboldt have given interesting
and graphic pictures of his appearance
manners, and habits, and the admirable
bust, fresh from the studio Of Richmond
| artist Of great genius, which has been to
day unveiled to the admiring gaze of thi,
crowded theatre, is faithful reproduction
| of Humboldt's majestic features. The emf
nent talent of Mr.. Valentine, so powerfully
| revealed in his recent bust OF Maury, ha!
been still more marked ard distinguished
| -, ~, I,,cI nf TTun,hn1Jt
The great physical and intellectual
strength of Humboldt remained 10 the last
and his habits Of industry were almos
without parallel in the annals Of scicntiH
labor. The "Ameri0an Encyclopedia
states that he slept but four hours, rose a
6 in the winter and at in tic summer
studied two hours, drank cup Of coffee
and returned to his study to answer letters
Of which he received ahout ono hundrc'
thousand annually. From IL 10 re re
cciycd visits, ard then returned TO his stud
till dinner hour. From 1 till IL he passc
ut tablc-gcncrally towards the close ol hi
life, in company with the King, bat some
times at thc meeting Ct learned soGl2ties
1T II o'clock he retired 20 his study, an
his best books are sold to have been write
at midnight. hiss Hiartin2au tells IL
.:that tharn vas no sign OF decay 0
external sense or interior faculty, ;-hil
Younger men were dropping into til
grave completely worn out. lie was tn
last OF the contemporaries OF Goethe; an
as the tidiEgs came of the death OF cac
philosopher, poet, sta1cEman. Or soldier
Humboldt raised his head higher, al.
seemed to feel younger at having outlivc
so many. II silent, he was kind and gen
tic if talkaJiye, he would star;!2 his hear
crs with story or scene from Siberia
stepnc or Peruvian riverside fresh and nc
curate as il Witnessed last year. In til
street he was known II every resident q
Potsdam and Berlin, and was pointed cut t
strangers, as he walked slowly and tirml
with his massive head bent little fOrwar
and his hand at his back holding pam
phlet: He vas fond of the company Of th
young, and nobody in general society -
more unpretending and gay"
HIS DEATH.
After an illness of nearly two week
Humboldt died, when nearly ninety year
Of age, having ,out-liyed by many yoal
Napoleon and Wellington, who we're Dor
the same year with him and truly
was n noble sight to see, so many years n
ter the great captain had done his war:
and the great despot had expiated his tres
passes, the monarch Of science still urgin
his conquests, and winning his victories /
a career which cost nc tears, and left L
place for repentance for himself"
In view of Humtoldt's vast lcgacy {
scientific usefulness to the world, in bis Ia.
moments he might we'll have exclaimed
with an eminent American, This is IL
last of life; I am content And when "
reflect upon The gigantic proportions whic
his fame has assumed since his death, h
might, with another great man, have sal
ut the instant Of dissolution " still hre.
For HUMBOLDT DOES LIVE, AND WILL LiV
through countless ages; in the results of tn
wonderful impulse which lie gave to ever
department Of physical science. lie ca
no more die than can those mighty river
which he explored, or those lofty mountai
heights which lie sealed, or can the hcaveI
whose great mysteries he explored and mao
simple to the most untutorcd mind. Niue
has pcrishcd, and still more which ono
~ 1lhc OIl ltls-SS VI iA'ctOi i''
become dim or insignificant since Humbo!,
first electrified the civilized world with HI
wonderful wealth Of scientific discover
and research, but his fame is eternal. Ii
span Of life almost encompassed a century
the most important in great events of an
since the birth Of Christ. lie was Dor
when Frederick the Great, by the displa
of the most wonderful military talent I
modern times, was ending those memorabI
wars which demonstrated the power Of 81
millions of German people. under tie lcac
crship Of their Great Captain, TO defeat Il
armies of four of the most powerful natiol
of Europe; and he lived through the gre;
wars of the French revolution, and OF II
Consulate and Empire; and when in Il
fullncss of his fame he saw the wrongs {
Germany avenged, and the once great y: