New-York tribune., 1874-06-23

" The principaI feature OF the headquarters when
the Blue Light was aosent,as happe9sa 10 @ the
laboratory. 1t rarely obtained 80 esgaha a, q uTs Tn
1bem IL was "a merely the shoase To all appearance
1t certainly unpretending. both within ana "noi
was originally Quilt hard to It's wide doors
indicated a stable or barn; but why shoulu any 9ou,
choose the head of a dock for such strneturei ~
might have been meant grocery store II thefe had
been village behind 1t, but the three dwelnghouse,
on the rising ground could scarcely nave Waf,ant,eaa
such speculation And 1t was evidently not lntFnusu
for residence Whatever II was built for suteu Tue
Fish Commission TO a nicely.
The enthusiasm OF the naturalist In the pursuit OF MS
vocation receives a touch of poetical embelshmen IN
the following sketch.
Professor Morse ploted the writer without chargel
inio the laboratory The first story contained inde-
scribabe variety of tackle and gear ana seaarlng n
celauy We assembled narrow staircase witn2nt @ phl h
listers. Sometimes the floor OF this room looked IKE tue
sea-shore where fishermen hauling their nets ahd
miscellaneous creatures are Hopping about But even even
though there had been recent use of tho broom crao
rarely wann Thefs Tn , were So ni YOUR
feet successfully to clear pail basin, acan OF alcohol
other receptacle of specimen you were quite hcy
them down some treasure OF the deep-perhaps
10 crush a lively "horseshoe qlahaug, OF a sea'
urchin, TO slip on mass OF sea.weed or sp2nge'
Around the the tables OF the naturailsts,
each with one or TWO microscopes and lamps and
plentiful supply Of tubes aud bottles The shelves on
the walls LOOK like drug shop with literary turn;
they mixture Of bottles and books, wlth here ana
slender and other specimens huhs up 20
dry. Through hole in the ceiling nets were Visible ~
the cock-loft. The whole place had curious smell
fshy marine, scientific. alcoholic KEROSENE, lie&er, &
waist and proceeded TO execu.e watz among ,n, pas
painting. aud looking around 81 love 1t all. Tue very
smell brings back my happest hours when was tlus
engaged With every day dredging there u the cnnce
OF rarity novelty. When you come to ex mime un-
der the microscope the days haul you may MA some
new creature something that no man has seen or
ar ali events recognized before Tell me, you who sit at
of news Is there any thing that come. 10 YOU
| in the midnight hours by telegraph steam from tine
ends has half tue novelty freshness
this g. and he pointed 10 some strange WrgSers III
| pan Of salt water.
| card N ha
| mission Mr. WyckUR remarks that IL has been the
| means OF a vast extension OF the d0m;sn Of human
knowledge, bringing to light many facts about the
structure. habits, and specific food OF marine animals,
that had heretofore eluded the notice OF observers
striking paper entitled one of Many IL devoted to the
exploits OF Lieutenant Commandant william b. Cushing
during the OF the rebellion presenting an example
of brilliant courage and resoue deeds the like OF which
fortunately was wanting TO the country III her
hour of peril. Mr. Partons article on FdlsehOod in the
Daily Press" il always pquant, II not always conclusive,
and many OF its statements admit Of qualcation The
number greatly indebted for It's attractions to its ex-
client Illustrations, which are in keeping with the hIgh
character OF the letter press.
POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.
An original article entitled The Chain OF
Species" by the Hon. Lawrence johnson, OF Mississippi,
takes commonsense view OF the relation between sci
ence and religion which might serve 10 soften the
ureudces of the scientist and to aay the terros of the
relgionist Tie question OF evolution Mr. johnson
maintains devoid of religious interest as the theo-
res of chemistry geology or any other pure science
science deals only with the laws Of Nature, and can
| never extend to primary 1t does not exclude
the conception OF the supernatural but leaves its do
main TO another order OF inquiry Tlc end Of all phi
losophy is to attain to rational explanation of facts
But no explanation solve all mysteries, re-
| move all difficulties Explanations only connect the
known with the unknown, the less familiar with the
| boI Ipa
fed facts All science consists Of this correlation OF
ideas. Now If the Of science confines himself to
the correlation OF phy scal facts he cannot encroaeh
upon sphere OF religion which deals with supernatural
beliefs and hopes. Religious faith steps in when science
fails and shows how the Cosmos began, and is sustained
IN perpetual harmony Physical science knows nothing
Of first flnal 1t is higher logic that must
decide on the question OF the OF things. IL Is the
OF creation and not the fact with which natural
science has do There more danger to ornodoXy
argues from tue endeavor to trace the sue
cessve steps in development OF life, than there is
| in the application Of chemistry to the analysis Of
| minerals, OF astronomy to the calculations Of
| the motions OF the heavenly bodies Yet the moment
that similar method is applied 10 the explanation or
the facts OF lfc cry OF alarm f. sounded The guar
dians Of religion summon the yotares OF science TO
stand false knaves and dsturbers OF the peace Of
society Like a certain famous magistrate they begin
with the question, Masters do you serve God e. and
insist that God" shall be written first, "f0r Goa forbid
but God should 20 before such villains" In paper
the Social Science Association" the editor offers
suggestions that are not without force on the purposes
| and methods Of that philanthropic body.
While recognizing that the aim OF this organization il
! excellent, and much Of It's work highly commemorative
We OF opinion that it falls short OF what should he
its chief duty 1t fails t1 do that for whicD, Judging
its title, II was specifically Instituted 80 far from pro-
noting social science should rather sly that social
science is just the subject which 1t particularly avoids
IL might rather be considered general reform con-
yeutiOn 1t is an organizltion for public action, aud
flt m lsD. MI
,nn and 81 or mr. or f6e
spict P aId and tdy Of society fr" scisntide
| point of view, We hear but very little The
hs pFomoon OF ths cv Service e' reform
and. If of its leading object Is not the deter
mnatlon of the natural laws by which society coust
tuted and regulatcd-that is, not scientific II we re-
member rightly, at the establishment Of the organza-
ton the question what Social Science Is, became
matter Of discussion, when the most extraordinary aud
! conflicting views were prop0unded and nobody seemed
for a To suspect that social science Is hut
branch general science having similar objects. and
| TO be pursued by the same methods, as tht other
sciences. Social science is knowledge OF the phcnom
ena of society as chemical science knowledge
| phenomena OF the elemental changes OF matter. And
the generalization OF chehica laets gives us chenca
laws the generalization OF social facts must give us
social laws. Social science Is poa siDl, Just TO
the degree IN which these are arrived at All the pro-
ceediugs of the late meeting imply thar there are such
things social laws for there are not iacts that can
he known and compared and effects that are traceaOle
10 causes and order OF Relations whlch makes pos
sibe to calculate results then the whoe work OF such
an association il futile. Every project OF social amend
nent proposes that TINS thing shall be done rather
| that course or action VIII result IN
evil and another good, presuppOses facts, principles,
and a method in the natural constitution OF society
which IL Is the legitimate province of science to nvesti
gate ana determine And If tas be II obvious that
tbc first and imperative thing done Is To trace
these pr ncpleS out, to arrive at system Of ee
mqnary truths that may he taken the startngpOin
and found of all active OF social improve
ment The working OF something like definite and
authoritative basis OF scientific principles Is the
first tang be done. and tins view IL sustained by all
| that we know OF the past history Of science.
Among the other titles in this number which will
| attract attention are 1.-THE Nebua of Orion" Hum