The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-19
FOREIGN ITEMS.

Some remarks on the French nation made
by Justus Won Lebig in recent address to
the Bavarian Academy of Sciences show a
kind and philosophical spirit which is now too
seldom met with in the speeches and writings
of German professors on this subject ''We
look upon the heavy sufferings," he said,
(which the French people formerly brought
on Germany as on disease whose pain is
totally forgotten when the patient RECEIVERS.
We do not ignore our obligations to
the great philosophers, mathematicians, and
naturalists of France, who have in so many
branches of science been our teachers and
models. Eight -and-forty years ago L came
to Paris to study chemistry; an accident
brought me under the notice of Alexander
Won Humboldt, and his recommendation in
duced Guy-Lussac, one of the greatest chem
lists and physicists of his day, to propose that
1, boy of twenty, should continue and
complete, with his assistance, an experiment
1 had begun. He accepted me as his
assistant and pupil in his private laboratory,
and thereby determined the whole of my sci
entiic career. Never will 1 forget the kind
ness with which Arago, Dulong, and Thenard
treated the German student. How many of
my countrymen-physicians, naturalists, aud
Orientalsts-could L name who, like myself,
have grateful remembrance of the practical
support given them by French savans for the
attainment of their scientific aims! A warm
sympathy for everything noble and great and
a disinterested hospitality are among the
finest traits of the French character. They
will revive on the neutral ground of science
on which the best spirits of both nations will
have to meet in their efforts for common
object and thus will the indestructible
brotherhood of France and Germany in the
field of science contribute to alleviate the
hittarnpSS n GprmQnu uhi tha
deeply wounded national feeling of France
is filled by the consequences of a war that
was forced upon us"
An unfortunate gentleman, says an Eng
lish paper, against whom it was proved re-
Gently at the London Central Criminal Court
that he had married three wives-taking to
himself second and a third while his first
was still hving-pleaded in mitigation of
punishment, that he had married neither of
them for money, and that he had up to the
moment Of being arrested "been at the ex-
pense of maintaining them" Apart from
| legal considerations it might no doubt be
argued, with some show of fairness, that it is
nobler to support three wives in comfort than
to abandon one in indigence. But these
are the principles of Mormonism, and
have not yet been generally adopted in
England. The view held by the accused was
that, far from having failed in his duty as
husband, he had, in fact, performed it three
| times over; and if the judge had been in a
position to decide the matter in the same
| spirit without reference to the mere law on
the subject, he might appropriately have
sentenced the man with the three wives to
dwell with them all together. There is a
Russian fable on this subject, in which the
very punishment we have indicated was pre-
scribed. ''That was no punishment at all, 1"
says some thoughtless person to whom the
story is supposed to be told. ''Was it not?"
replies the narrator. 'In ten days the man
hanged himself I"
The Prussian FCultus- Minister" Herr
Won Muhler, seems to like fighting for it's
own sake, or he would not so constantly get
himself into hot water. Having very nearly
been turned out of Office through his nju-
dicious interference in the affairs of the Mu-
sical Academy-which led to Joachim's resig-
nation, retraeted only at the Kings special
desire-he at once took up arms against the
Academy of Arts 1t suddenly occurred to
him during the recent exhibition that paint
ing of Christ hung too close to that of some
Greek deities of the opposite sex, and with
his own august hand he instantly removed
the offending heathens. Not content with
this, he took it upon himself to lecture the
academical body in the newspapers on the
'Befitting in Art, of which he understands
about as much as he does of many other
things. To this double insult the Berlin
artists replied in a very sharp (though la
mentally ill-written) protest, wherein
they threatened as a body never again
to exhibit under the auspices of the
Government, if these unbeftting and most
silly interferences on the part of Herr Muller
did not cease at once and forever. This pro-
test also went to the newspapers. Tho next
step taken by the enraged Minister was to
single out one member, to charge him with
the publication, and after a volley of terrible
abuse to threaten him with tue punishment
of depriving him for year of his academical
vote. The whole body of Academicians have
risen like one man to tell his Excelency that
in the first place he has grossly transgressed d
the limits of his power, that he has issued his
remonstrance on the ground of an abrogated
statute of 1890, and that they, one and all,
are fully responsible for that disagreeable
protest, its contents, as we'll as its publica-
tion. Nothing remains for poor Muhler now
but to dissolve the Academy by coup d'etat
to send the single members to the House OF
Correction, and to elect new Academy from
among the most God-fearing house deco
rRtoTs.
Madison, Wis, possesses thel horse which
! Sherman rode to the sea.