New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-25
ILIUsTRIoUs DRAD OF 1873.
DR.. j. n. Walkers Remarks ON the Res.
vlutions Before tho New Orleans
Academy of Sciences Relative to tho

olutions Before tho New Orleans
Academy of Sciences Relative to tho
Death Of the Lamepted Agassiz.
Mr.. President-The loved and lamented
brother Of whom we now speak stands last
on the mortuary list of one of the most dis
astrous years the world of literature and
science has ever known. Among the illus
trious dead OF 1873 for whom the nations
mourn, England has lost her Bulwer and
her Mill, America her Maury and her
Agassiz.
Bulwer. the philosopher Of romance;
| Mill, the philosopher Of mind; Maury. the
philosopher Of the seas, and Agassiz, who
may, perhaps, be called par excellence the
philosopher of nature.
1t is a somewhat remarkable coincidence
| that three Of the four remarkable men who
| have thus left this life within the space of
| twelve months also entered it within the
same space of time, having each attained
| the age of sixty-seven years.
Of the four distinguished mon whose
names have thus brought together, linked
| as they were by dates Of birth and death,
| each one chose path of his own by which
| to climb the mountain of fame, each attain
| ing lofty eminence and each standing
alone on a solitary pinnacle.
Bulwer who had selected the field OF
! y
| was the first to pass on. Scarcely were the
! festivities of the new year over than, on
! the eighteenth of January, joy was turned
| to sadness in many hearts by the announce.
ment that Bulwer was dead.
| It has been said that "every great man
| owes his greatness to some woman" Bull
| wer attributes much OF his power to his
| mother, from whom he received his early
! education-that which more than aught
| eli 1Ia Nb6, oh and ahanpS the
| career.
Scarcely had We realized tho fact that
Bulwer was gone, than on the first of Feb
| ruary over the wires flashed the message
! that thrilled through every American
! heart-"Maury is gone" Maury. who
| made man master OF the waves and Tn G
winds; revealing the secrets of the deep;
! tracing the currents OF the ocean; tracking
| the winds in their most eapriciOus wander
! ings; every phenomenon of the sea will re-
call his image, and the ocean itself will be
| his imperishable monument.
I John Stuart Mill died on the eighth OF
Nav. Few men have had larger intlu-
ence upon the thought OF their own age
than he. Hampered by no unreasoning
1 reverence for the ancient; clinging to no
worn out landmarks; propounding with
| calm and courageous reasoning the most
| advanced and startling ideas, he lived long
enough to witness the beneficial results
of the practical working of theories which
he was the first to promulgate. He also
exemplifies what great men owe to woman
The tribute which he pays to his wife, III
page after page of glowing eloquence, has
never been surpassed. He attributes to hel
| vigorous intellect all the most valuable
ideas of writings, all which have been mos,
fruitful of important results. In all tina,
concerned the application of philosophy te
the exigencies of human society and pro
gress, he claims to have been her pupil.
On the fourteenth OF December came the
news of the death of Agassiz, last but no.
least, and, Mr.. President. will take occa
sion to remark that l have never had thu
pleasure of listening to set OF resolutions
read before this Academy on similar oc
casion, which more thoroughly meet m,
idea of good judgment and correct taste
and am exceedingly pleased to see tina
they recognize the fact that a very larg
portion of the benefits we have derives
from the life and labors of Agassiz we ow
to his wife. But for her flying pencil "tak
ing notes." the glowing eloquence of his ex
temporaneous Iectures-the result of tn
| inspiration of the hour-would have beel
! lost forever to all but his immediate listen
ers. To the eloquent tribute just paid t
his memory by our fellow, Professor For
| shey, can add nothing. ] can only say b
| WAS worthy of it.