New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-31
THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY.

a
rprnrrrps IN THE MEMORY OF PROF HADLEY-
ppoapEss or TIE PALESTINE EXPLORING ExPE-
DrrioH-PAPERs ON EASTERN LANGUAGES AND
LITERATURE
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUSEI
BosToy. MAY 22.-The American Oriental
Society rather modest assocation ana Vneh IL coeS
to Boston to hold its annual meeting USUALLY comes III
by the back door aud goes cut In the same private way
Few besides the regular members OF the Assocl@t'on
knew that 10 II hold Its meeting In Boston yeste
day. Yet there very few societies Of equai nenoo'
ship that can boast Of quality or more reserve
power II some method could only be devised to bring
this power action. the Society would be fortunate
indeed During the last year 10 has sustained an re
parsbe los the death OF its President, Prof Hadiey
OF Yale At has lost several other active members fer'
haps 70 his and the want Of adequate programme
preparation for the present yearly meeting may be
attn ute1 the lack OF brisk and fruitful session. No
body Du one or two Of the officers knew who was TO
read aud wat was 10 be read The number OF com
munieatOns wa very small, and the results OF the
meeting viii hardly compare with the record Of preyi
yous.
b., the kindness Of the officers Of the American Acad
emJ II Arts and Sciences the Society met their rooms
at tl~ Ath, neum Among those present were EXPIRES
id.,nt Woolsey OF New-Haven Prof. w. ID. Whitney OF
Yale Rev. Rufus Anderson, ID. D., Secretary Of the
American Board OF Foreign Missions; the Rev Joshua
Ward NJ 7he Eer- York Independent Prof Ezra Abbott
LIZ D.. OF Cambridge; Prof. Goodwin OF Harvard, J. H.
TrumbIl " Hartford, who has made the American In
dian languages a special study; Prof Il. j. Young
Here Professor in Harvard the Rev. Allen Hazen OF
IndiA DIR. ioppin. ana DR. NJ. @. Clarke. The meeting
wa oaod 10 order by the Rev Dr. Anderson one Of the
Vic, Pfssit nts considerable portion OF the morning
ses spent in the election Of officers and In minor
bus acss IA alters. The Treasurer's report showed
balance % hand OF 5000 The Librarians report showed
that Important exchanges had been made with the
Asiat, Society Of Paris, and valuable gifts received
from the American Board Of Commissioners for Foreign
Is ons With the complete publications Of the London
Pathological Society Some valuable Oriental books had
also been received from the Rev. MI Waugh,
lei .ionary OF the Methodist Board in India
The Publication Committee reported that the journal
Will rca0Y for publication at the next general meet
ing comoitt,e consisting OF Prof Goodwin. Dr. Ezra
Abbott, AMI the Rev. Joshua Ward, appointed to
D. epare resolutions the death Of Prof Hadley. APP
proDrlate remarks were made by Prof Whitney, Prof
Goodwin. and eS-President Woosey. President Wool
sey paid lofty tribute to the character Of the deceased
with whom long association had rendered MIN so
familiar. Abiding TO Prof. Hadeys playfulness and
sense of hsor he illustrated 1t by relating college in
cident in which the Professor disposed Of squeamish
and bigoed parent. In the Junior Glass, IN college,
there was colored student who "a very good
scholar and dstanced many OF his white competitors
One day Prof Hadey received letter from the father
OF one of the students, saying t was extremely I'M
peasant for his sit by the cOlored student-tne
arrangement being alphabetical and both their names
beginning with Band asked tnat his son might be re-
lieyed Prof Hadley replied that the members OF the
cass were very soon to arranged in three divisions
according 10 their standing and that the dtieulty
which caused him 20 much trouble would t6en Dc
obviated as his would go into the third dlVlslon'
while the colored student would go to the first
The Rev Joshua Ward OF The Independent then gave
the latest news from tho Pal Jtine Exploring EKped
ton When last heard from, Lieut.. stevens and Prof.
Iobn " Paine were exploring a region east OF the Jor
dan Having been detained much longer than they ex-
pected in Beyro they had improved their time In study
ing Arabic and searching for inscriptions in the VICINITY
and we're successful In finding three long ana valuable
Greek inscriptions never before known impressions
were TO be taken aud sent Othis country Also impress
sions OF certain inscriptions in Layarfs BOOK by per
mission OF the Turkish Governor at Beyrout they were
privileged TO see the famous Hamotch inscriptions
which are now exciting much attention abroad They
are inscriptions vet deeipherabe, Ia language
back 20 the ear lest period Of the origin Of writing
The following 0ficers were elected TOT the He1t
President E. T.. SALISBURY VicePresidents, N W. CLARK
ID D. the Hon Peter Parker T. d. woolsey Treasurer,
Addison Van Name Corresponding secretary ana LIBRA
ton prof w. W. Good win Recording Secretary, Ezra
Abbott. In the afternoon the cAalr was oeeupiep ~
Prof Goodwin. PrO.. Whitney read paper oy FrQl
John Avery OF Grnncl, Iowa. on comparison OF tne
forms Of San,rrt verb IN the later classical htera
Vedc style. This paper was OF much interest Dr.
Elston aims implrtiay the literary charac-
Ter OF these Psalms. Vhich lave hitherto enjoyed mueh
immunity from tlis of criticism Nedic scholars
have hitherto concerned themselves with the relation OF
forms aud words. 4 favorable opinion be thinks,
has been en:ertal OF their literary merits, and he
ma kes Max Muller responsible for good deal OF this
false opinion For th most part, DIR. Elson thinks,
these hymns devoid OF human inspiration as wen as
divine OF them arise 10 suhlimtY IN the contem-
paon OF wonders OF nature, but for the most part
they are VI interest and pervLded Oy singular
mOnotOny.
Unity OF and nan is not usually found. They con-
ast separate petitions and passages OF praise ana ues
crp.Ion strung together like beads on string there be-
ing nothing event the ranSpotOn OF any one OF me
yersfs another place in the hymn IN whlch IL STANDS
IL the whole COeuton were passed through sieve Tor
The purpose OF rejecting all repetlilous ana parallel
passages, the nnil T. nainder would be small. Dr.
Eastnn notices feqneu5 recurrence OF the eptne IN
tine Vedie hymns AMI lie H0merlc poems, aud hnds
parallel TO this Gjacuatory character OF much
modern extemporaneOus prayer He assumes that the
Vedo hymns cotempOTane0us IN their origin FrOI
Whitney remarked that 10 will be one OF the important
elements in TIE advanced stage OF comprehension OK the
Vedc hymns To see how Tar there Is present and
conspicuous this element or repetition; TO see how much
OF It is machine poetry tae grinding over OF common
places which have been worked repeatedly Oy thOse
who have gone before
Win a morning aui afternoon session the Society was
enabled finish AL business, and then adjourned To
meet in New Haven Oh the 10Th OF October.