, 1874-10-04
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
LIS First Meeting for The 1F;::tcr
Season.,
Inaugural Address CT Presiden
Thomas.


tne E1E1S or the Society.
Tho first meeting this season OF the pldlo-
sopl':cal Society was held yesterday evening. in
the hall Of the Bryant l. Stratton College; on
tho corner of Washington aid Madison Etreets.
There we1e Present about 200 members, ~ho
TOOK lively interest in the proceedings. ION
motion, tho clair was taken by Gen. Buford.
Er Il. ". Thomas, President Of tho Association.
read the Inaugural address, as follows:
In obedience to the wislce OF the Executive COM
1nittcc, anl i'll cs'EEance will whit lrol
or nnutr tie circumstances. have
lefo7e yen With such tlouEata L., DIR ::sdss Of
uAilE nt4er pressing duties, have lr.n ahle lii pre-
1art. Tno rt.>uus not wanting why this hour
sheEd la one o: E1ura than orla4ry interest and Of
eyen tet deep i,d stass mingled s!noon ~ l. Is M !ns
nd iourn1nert fer the~ eumlEc- months. aud
there Is lecr:iar pleasure in renewing
th.: formed du-:, ss,,S::.siols in the Ias
-fri.-l,lps craving ou O: Tie common inter
walks Of lite, bEt founded ia The rcaious Of
mind to mind aud hc2-t 20 heart IS, }r'i Ivy the hnd
Of truth, We i"1rneycd side by s- There il sa is
fattio and joy Also, III being permitted to resr to
lAbors tos mutual m ru. eac1 2nl the din usion
Of knowledge" Then there is
SPECIAL INTEREST
gathering about the f4rt 1u4t tiis evening 1nErEs
our en:rics uton the SECOND yer vi o1- sosiey
existence 11ld work. That tho Society in 1irrt yer
ol its fc e,bed to ltrtet IL organization, to
1tas L membership u it'll. 3Ed tu 1ive to the
P:i'lic rty ya!ts le te.tures ccve;lng wiIe
range Of topics, and employing Of tlr best talent
III tue country, uui :!su to furnish course of very
able lectures Ancient Al,i Mud Philosophy. Ilu.
what If remarkable fpr os"l icra. 70 keep ant Ct
debt il certainly matter of coasra:t.ia:on. That i
soclety staining bro.d lltjJtIn, a1l.l sseAtH1
to cover wide fed u il::e ti.atiou, aul
10 unte in the onb interest OF truth thinkers from
AVOID AWAKENING THE !FAh~ OF ss'HE IlAD PEOPLE
.tl coeoCE:e7:t thu n1tcston Of others, w;.7. Ter
hals, to uch to expect IN world Wit I'll ara Ed
fltiLle, and wcre il il difficult ior the Wisesi
and brnt scuis to be free from asson a1i prejudice
Yhe wcuter ra1hsr is, il:t ya-t Grd difficult
undertaking succeeded "a well; 1sA! vast treause
the Suc.Gty essa,ed Very uca:ly The Wilele tic Of
human inquiry; au1 ditcut, bttalse iaa'iy hare
,.t failed reach that exalted plan. Where they
loot with c@nilor and generous a:,i'r.eiation
upon those w:4o, with equal sincerity, hold
q nons ., differing -. from .to-, h.r . Gsn f,r
that lengthy aud lire deliberations wee market!
with sincerity. AID cA"rActeriAed by te'n.r1*b;e
uuauinlity; nl li4av 'eclure. were he:rd with
e:1nest respectful s.r@a:on aid criticised in the
tpri. Of calt.ur. And IL tl.=, II, ,;hcl s
rho!e city @ud the lui'tic mini ':'cSly wcse IL
state OF singular e1c.tt::r.t fc1 thtr. was, 1.!n
c4u... during last w'E:rr and ring. tli strange
mental condition that Gl.ups lE e;ibjttt or to.:
aeetd ony 70 he to'itIt! WIN tho s;ghtett sark t.
INSTANTLY knd!e tu great blaze. l1lis il was *7tl!
tho Temperance cru=aac -Ad ihe bitter Theological
quar,e4:. IL MAS .i4e VIXEN minds uf usdn2ry co1il-
losu:e wtrc
a,lu only Tie '.Ei3 Ase.' t-cir L. snninEs
a.-d fcu TIC s;rn ov:c Tia, tie. @.d 1."t
drittt1 tor far, .ail demo something TO lc
ashamed Ct III more thoughtful lauinris. /.
ez,:l,-,tly hitting that uudtr sas circumstances ta'
Il'es >,I'c1 So2e.y fA5uld remain calm Aud 'cf-
oossc*EtG, Seeking its r-i:sts. and IL
c=zrv fo,wa:l its ucrk: bearing :e@ni!ue w.th-
orr comIatnt resentment tile unjust a,:sritloEs
sud criticisms that 1clIe upon it, knowing that
with the aid Eetier Understanding, of its objects
aud labor. would come i!s ssr4 viEtic4sic!l.
II seemed uot ilrlloptr to nl*ke these illusions
ast history. s1lt it is tioe freely,
knowing huw auc Of all that W. Eow rt.:nr1lbcr with
s.titfsscn due 10 the gentle presence tie kindly
manner and the commanding in:iaenes, Ct him vaon
shall eee il our midst 10 ntore.
The death uf orr late ITez'leE;.
THE REV. DR.. JOSEPH HarrS.
IS our one sorrow toEt.t. IL = cur rGr: arabic lost
Eysef. Nor c@n YOU lie more cous o4's i&1l Ell u
tu great distance .gc culture, and experience
this d. feel 1y :nuaili:y to rightly fiji lla ilISe
ren.r1.lDer le:.:nG sclne years ago wH:h called
the Corsolatious Of PA;:oso!hs." oy Doc:iss Tie
learned Iut uEiar:u:.2te lived ii the lie nus
Of the decline ut the t'ta En;tr', AMI letos1.nE
ent@ugied III the Allan -ui Oc1.udp1 controversies,
sas inst tu:o prison und-: of death, k,
by :he En." juiIn. all, whist sl!ern lis
ius1len1 aud aw2;tiEg Lis excc1;itu IL wEot. i4:!A
work, which lie represents fair and lovr1E female
cxl 1essiol, and garments tuged with s;r-Eee
EGEt, coming aEd kl1lilg by Lis co!Nh. aud
Wien, with gentle Aan, uet: W: led away tie eas
from bis eyes IL SAW ;ia: It's fair foin! VS. PA'so-
rhy-tLe iiusv.y of ealcralsce, a'lu a!ienre,
ind resignation, aid dizzy. amidst the nuer;:::u and
chau1eiul scenes of tine, tat he lad taught whcu
for.Lns SMILED upon him which tc14et to have
deserted u:In il tEr dIy u lis Calamity. In eu'it
ccl,aons4ip Boe:ii!,se !'*nd his r:o alace, sld
lis uratk, yclI caused soon atel, ru:rlse +ad
corpaatc!. And SO IL oEr SORROW ". SCI down sli,l
wcl,t when our prcsien: away, iut :au words
G1 te afa lie is u ~ vt s lad @ and he ae s
sur+nce ,l@t he n4i gcr 10 the fellowship ci Tx vie
zad the go'l in ti1: IL: u1.1ncasu7d by years. cal:
anu cusu.ed s, and ua!t 3 te sl1ou and rue iii
ou1 time should 70 20 hence, wneu God graAt,
We :n@, u,.r dc.:-iscc ::ic:4d.
And 50, Aiding 1o.r d."!.:cn.
ACCEPT THE t1.-1nEscY OF Tu1s SOCIETY,
nnd, knowing that fh: Lave .ol:r needed tur:car-
aoce. and .=satarc shall DO the best CAN to fulfil its
tu:lcs; and I1ay cot nek That tc cne Of you. aud
q: who sal: lie with us, consecrac your uis!i-
sud LIST e1e.gis 10 n:ale Tia Society increasingly
worthy cf ile u~Elu /: bears.
Ills htur Icing Introductory 10 tho work Of the
n-e:cn r:s,ou, it may e proltuhe 10 spoS suggest
it is not possible to 10 nsort-u.o:l
THE CENTRAL SUBJECT Of PHILOSOPHY,
ard the nature Of ctr uudei akll:.
The Term Philosophy is CT GTets origin, b:'ag .
compound OF riios lover, or f-isEd, AVID toiAta
Fhiloso.li,ral Society il siu4'ly conl-:y Of the
friends of truth. THIS lcau:ifnl ar1e14a:iono: is
one tnat it would seem eI zho;a M lie :VilI'nt;
any o1., unlcxs, indeed, there is Al uacoisscio:;
Slipping from e uo'leEt Socra:i meaning 70 to
nuce ;rrt=uoEs ide. :ssHtnp:;cu If w:Rtcn i6cf
that Ii, Of being sL.,;y the lovers q wisio1n
but the wEe. term from wicL we l1'sat al modst!y
shrink. II is only the young and the 1uost tule1tla
Those who .4re ;i.iuk Al al will not step short Of III
Fort i. least, to e.. bcue1th the ra:lo and look Ut
the thing. What, thar, is Philosophy:
It would ic easy I'll! no. oai; :c'turc. hut vol
a1,c with The definitions thai have te.n 81 en and tho
on a.a Wiz 'sy s rest v.! e'ei un,:. lew
C;".ro says Philosophy ais ths sci.Ece OF things
human a.lu divine, aai 1Le i'll witch they are
cau..n:." Ho,ts calls the silence ri effects ly
tEe!r cauSes. Lebnitz expresses il "a tho ar!e2c'
Of sufficient reas9ns," a1d Descuras tic science
Of things evidently ded'sccd from FIST 1r'n-
ciples,' willis, Kant makes it the science
Of tie relations OF all knowledge to the Ees-
es.ary ent:u oi human rc.son,' and krug the
original fol n Of The ego. CT mental sef But d.h-
n;ions in philosophy, Ike cTrets III religion are the
las. things reached IN the PROCESS Of tlolg, and TO
be understood require At least partial KNOWLEDGE
Of tie things named defined Hence tho
unwisdom Of requiring persons 70 sub !!
scribe to d-Eniticn thai labels
philosophy, theology, biore they hsve bIsn quite
well instructed in the LiDgs themselves. We're 10
ve.:;,lre nr,on dehu:t:': u my OWN. and ono that
might rosFi..y te less lialc 10 lie objections or -
ruiit uaucd j: would b. thus: would say. philoso
phy -
! DEPOSITION, OR FEELING, or THE 4:1SD,
.pd method, 11.t1 rtsE!t. Az disposition, It Is
love Of truth and method it Is the tElEds wv of
oo:g at ,hnga. .o;.g always TO thsir lo:4nlatvu*,
or the re4so1s Gu which they rc7t, ad eer:ius their
,.r, f3r 1HftE fvHt