The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-28

/ MIR. Kent bsafs OF ion6fs worth ststyf,1c
for; besides this medal, he takes his lib. r.
diploma and the, honorary scholarship "a
haYtng been the best editor for the session
/ of the. -URpersitg Xaguzine.se he wa
greeted with applause and flowers. .
The orator OF the evening was Mr.. Lang.
F1ay, from Virginia, IN abstract al whose
address we give, He haa p good delivery
had some fne Passenger In bis address, and
some hits which elected she most raptUrous
applause and cheers. = 49, 80. .'.,s
ABsrRAcr OF .rHs MAJ oR1rIoA. sestis
Subject: Science not Science. q 4 !.
After brief but appropriate exoriinn
the speaker proceeded to- define bis sub.
ject-yiz., Before any subject can be organ
lied scientifically 1t is requisite to know ali
and laws. This hmpfs statement, in the
present impeTfection of our knowledge; In
,dicates distinctly enough the lowly position
Of our sciences when measured BY the alti-
tude OF perfect science. 81 Is,fa8 Il
1t is the fashion to extoi the achieve.
ments Of the age. I extol the achievements
of the ages to come. The achievements Of
the age are, however, a. convenient theme.
How they startle and impress us! The
past Is out of sight, and has no orator ex-
cept in the meagre dialect Of history. The
future is revealed only to the prophets.
The all-absorbing looming, stirring,
astonishes the senses, chains the attention,
and progresses the understanding. And,
besides, we are heguiled by an optical ilIu-
SION, forgetting that objects near us look.
vastly larger than distant ones of the same
dimensions. ~ ..<iH EDI5
r The age is the predict Of preceding
ages-the achievements of the age are the
result Of all the force that bears upon it, and
these are largely antecedent. If the Geno-
csc Columbus had not discovered America
in 1892 some other Columbus would soon
have made the discovery, for in the in
crease and diffusion of knowledge the rea-
son Of man was rapidly driving to the COM
clusion that inspired him. If at later PEI
Rod Capernicus had not revived forever the
true theory of the solar system some other
astronomer Would soon have accomplished
that result, for the inconsistency Of the
Ptolemaic theory, with observation, would
have left the minds Of men no alternative
but the truth. The laws of thought are as
sure as the laws Of light. Then followed
the argument to show that science was
known to the aneients, proposition which
Is sometimes doubted, but also to show,
upon comparison with the present devel-
opment of science, that ancient science
Hardly deserves the name. Then slight
allusion to the political state Of the country.
The man Of the telescope points the, In
strument to the vacant sky, and instantly 1t
sparkles with worlds never seen by man
before. He exchanges the eye-glass for one
of still higher power, and still fresh objects
enter the field of his enraptured vision and
when he has applied the maximum power
Of the instrument, away beyond what he
beholds his strafned eye catches some be-
wildered line that tells Of some hidden
wonders longing to be reyealyed. His sue
cessor, with improved glasses, extends the
discoveries only 10 know that hey too, has
almost discovered what still eludes him, Of
which the struggling conception swells his
heart and exalts his nature. He feels then
Tie grandeur Of bis incapaelty, and Illus
trates the truth Of the adagey He Is a
t;o11ra. the sentiment Of Paul, "When Lam
weak then / am strong" Just SO 1t is in
eyerv department of scientific observation
and Thought. In every direction from the
kingdom kng,cn the mind presses hard upon
the boundless regions Of the unknown, ad-
vancing its standards, and-a spiritual 20,
Misunderstanding possession in the royal
name but its greatest thought, Its ioiaest
conception, is Of the littleness Of its posses
sions contrasted with magnificent, illimita-
Die nelQS DeyOHu. y,
AS Illustrative examples of the general
propositions maintained by the speaker, he
glanced at philology, geology, astronomy,
botany, and the science Of duty. :
The speaker made the following excellent
point on geology: -, j
But so long as our geoloy-nnan hints q
discrepancy between Gods record Of His
Word and His works so long rs he as
sumes to know more about what occurred
ten thousand centuries before he was born
than the Oniniseiert 80 long as be main
tains rs demonstrated that certain forms
of animal life have been extinct
millions of years, and the next
hour presents the very animals alive,
dredged from the floor of the deep
sea so long as he remains almost wholly
ignorant Of the esverns OF Old Ocean, and
Knows very little even of the surface OF
the land; SO long Us he has failed to pene-
trate earth's crust more than one four-hun-
drGdth Of the distance to the centre, and so
far only by few pin holes 80 long as the
ploughshare goes into the earth about as
deep rs his intelligence-so long Us all this re-
mains what presumption of presumptlons
to claim for geology tho rank OF absolute
science. The granite boulder, strangely
out of place upon the limestone mountains
II G1OISauu DlilcS IL Olil IIo hao1NO oSa5 SoeA~A
it speak, could tell you. o, geologist, more
than all you know! The murmuring sea
shell.-the poet says-carry it where you
NAV. sings forever Of the murmuring sea.
OF What unthought-of seas the fossil-shells
of Won Blue Ridge would sing had they q
long, long memory and voice :.
Tile orator then gave us stirring perora-
ton, exhorting his audience, especially the
Young, to enter upon the noble work oil
evolving and organizing under the power oil
human knowledge as 1t concerns nature,
man, and God, and concluded with 6eautl-
ful yaledictions to the retiring. members OIL
his Society, the Jefferson Society, the ail-
dienee generally, the professors OF the Uni
yersity, and the ladies especially.
The lawn tonight was most Drllilantly
Illuminated. The houses Of professors,
furnished with refreshments, were open 10
every conner, and the lawn was Tiled Wild
nromenaders until late hour.
Anniversary OF the Young MEMS
Christian Association OF the UNI
yerstty Of Virginia.
The anniversary meeting of the Young
Mems Christian Association OF the UnlVer'
sity of Virginia was held last nlght ID tns
public hall, which was well nlled WIN ai
appreciatiye audience, consisting OF W,
students, faculty and their families, large
number of strangers who are here 10 attsnt
the finals, and citizens of CharlotIes!lne-,
| the churches there being closed. Their mai
was brilliantly illuminated with the gas Jets
The music was by an eclectic choir, com
| posed Of the Baptist and PresDyterlal