The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-31
American Science.

Prof. Tyndall, in a recent lecture,
thus concludes "De Tocqueville evil
IDENTIFY doubts the capacity of a democ-
racy to foster genius as it was fostered
in the ancient missionaries. The
future, he says, twill prove whether
the passion for profound knowledge, SO
rare and so faithful, can be born and
developed so readily in democratic soci-
cites as in aristocracies. As for me, he
continues, =" I can hardly believe 1T. He
speaks of the unquiet feverlshnesS OF
democratic communities, not in times OF
great excitement, for such times may
give an extraordinary impetus to idea,
but in times of peace. There IS then,
he saws, ga small and uncomfortable
agitation, a sort of incessant rubbing
of man against man, which troubles and
distracts the mind without imparting to
it either animation or elevation. 1t
rests with you to prove whether these
things are necessarily SO, whether the
highest scientific genius cannot find in
the midst of tranquil home. l should
be 10th to gainsay so keen an observer
and so profound a political writer, but,
since my arrival in this country, have
been unable to see anything in the con-
stitution of society to prevent any
student with the root of the matter in
him from bestowing the most steadfast
devotion on pure science. If great
scientific results were not achieved in
America, it is not to the small agitations
of society that should be disposed to
ascribe the defect, but to the fact that
men among you who possess the genius
for scientific inquiry are laden with
duties of administration or tuition so
heavy as to be utterly incompatible
with the continuous or tranquil medita-
ton which original investigation de-
mands I do not think this state of
things likely to last. | have seen in
America willingness on the part of indi-
viduals to devote their fortunes in the
matter of education to the service of
the commonwealth. for which cannot
find parallel elsewhere.
This willingness of private men to de-
vote fortunes to public purposes re-
quires but wise direction to enable you
to render null and void the prediction
of De Tocuueville Your most difficult
problem viii be not to build institutions
but to make men; not to form the body,
but to find the spiritual embers which
shall kindle within that body a living
soul. You have scientific genius among
you; not sown broadcast, believe me,
but still scattered here and there.
Take all unnecessary impediments out
of its way. You have asked me to give
these lectures, and / cannot turn them
to better account than by asking you in
turn to remember chat the lecturei is usu-
ally the distributor of intellectual
wealth amassed by better men. 1t is
not as lecturers, but as discoveries, that
you ought to employ your highest men.
Keep your sympathetic eye upon the
originators of knowledge. Give him
the freedom necessary for his researches,
not overlooking him either with the
duties of tuition or administration, not
demanding from him so-called practical
results-above all things, avoiding that
question which ignorance so often
addresses to genius, "What is the use
of your work 2" Let him make truth his
object, however impractical for the
time being that truth may appear If
you cast your bread upon the waters
then be assured it will return to you
though it may be after many days.