New-York tribune., 1874-06-03

rne & aW r operstons OF that mysterious prin
cipio called ie, who would discourse gHo1 d rr and
who would the history Of man In
fines from the remnants - o. tb,s s'i Institution.
", For example, what an effect would BE- produced On
Of the inhabitants oi ts h ss;husa.c sym
pathy with hs subject and his audenoe nn "a
nnslng moral ron nat%re to natures God; OF
not only onligntening the heads ps Vi n y, IN
hearts OF his audience, were 10 give '0' ''"''' " "
snch an announcement would be haea WIN M intense @
m ,yon,d be crowded TO oyerfowing with receptive
and admiring auditors. need oniS so,, ~, ,,s
rrar gemen to fud doubt not, an appreciation OF us
imporiance in every OF my hearers. and the nope
et or the directors OF TN, an
w endeavor 10 provide endowment ,or the support
OF such feature OF museum But have not lot yet yet
done The development OF the snTn,sbed with all The
appliances have mentioned ,o ,iselt and 70 the
sYiiled world aude to an endowment for the sup
port OF college Of dscovercrs OF series -, en % osP pa
be moi only OF expOundng establisneu Cu."s w. u, M
terroeating nature and OF discovering new 1acts new
phenomena and new principles dno d ~ h. nar IN
ttanco of endowmcnts for its advancement Is truly
remarkable. No country IN .ho T., "Uliu nsor and
nSs'sS sS iS Sciences and yet
country does so little TO ene0urage @ or aavanro
i'm colleges badly paid and generally oyerwOrked. III
not every one however well educated that Is capable
coyorer is born not made. aud when OF this class
has been found he should be cherished literally pro
all the Implements OF Investigation and his life cOnse-
Grated to the high and holy office OF penetrating the
the hs'''i1c hnowedss Of the forces and operations
Of nature aud the use to which this knowl-
recng these forces useful purposes constitutes the
highest claim TO glory OF our race Yet II Is melan.
wealth iaSd aGd 1e our for the
only institution intended especially Tor the alvancement
James Smithson and that very large portion OF the
income OF tbis wronguly been devoted to the erec
ton Of a costly edhce and the embellishment OF
grounds aud expenditures on other local objects un
necessary for the realz OF the intentions OF the
founder happy however to say that after Is years
OF ncessant line by the directors. Congress
has at length induced Indicate an intention or re-
its whole energies TO the advance OF science the
evident design OF the tes;ator NewI0rk at present
the Union and is destined in the future to be more
But do not be offended with me II 10 perfect candor
and with the desire OF doing good that III has done less
than any other city, in proportion it's TO adj
science. More than 20 years ago. Boston estao'
lished the American Academy OF Arts and Sciences,
which, annually SINCE. has given to the world the
result of original aDors in the way OF new discoveries
Of Franklin established the American Philosophical
Society, Which has sIi vigorous existence and con-
societies in exchange for theirs New York also
than so years ago. commenced to establish Philo-
scphjca Society which expired however, in giving birth
to single memoir by De witt Clinton the Importance
and value Of such establishment is also true that
| nave been zealoisy devoted to science. and have
done honor to 1T and the world. such a. Reddeld
storms aud Torrey, who devoted an unobtruslye, in
dnsrious and productive life to the advance of chem
stry nineralogy. and botany, and yet while he was
shedding halo OF reputation his native city he had
the best hours OF every day for the support OF
his family n miserable pittance as subordinate In
the Assay Office and left his family OF daughters, well
educated and sefrelant as they are, to struggle un-
Boast of wealth. Of refinement, while original
powers of intellect, the choicest sift OF heaven
appeal to the mionaircs OF this city IL any one OF
them Is desrOus OF perDetuang his name ana of living
in tne mel Of
from this life. TO endow, connected with the Park
means Of printing and dlssemmlnang over the world
results of its abors. refer him to the effects which
are being produced IN regard to the name of James
of England VINO rIghtfully anticipated that
nISsSn naSe would snd live in the history Of mankind
when titles Iof his proud ancestors were extinct or
institution filled with an account Of discoveries
made under its auspices which is distributed TO more
than 1900 foreign institutions. THIS publication, bearing
Ibe name of Smithsonian contributions TO knowledge,
thus renders name of the found ubiquitous with
household wori every part OF the civilized world.
What comparison to this are local monuments pyra,
mids OF flint, statues OF Drdss or oDeskS oi mafDiei
These but DO tue few ana ore con
while the everywhere present. end i. as endur-
civilization itself the operations or the uni-
man has scarcely read more than tltlepage rno
preface. IL tho saying OF La Place g what We
indeed every advance OF knowledge bat enarges the
sphere OF our ignorance" How many problems OF the
pressing upon us even In the ne OF
biology. is vitaya Is it unintelligent force
nature like that Of attraction, producing crystaiz9-
tOD intelligent principle operating by the or1i-
nary forces OF nature, producing results indi-
eating design and consequent 1ntenuonf Can
dead matter be made alive under the influence OF
certain conditions without propagation from parents
This ia Gnestion which cannot be solved priori and
| must wait The decision Of refined experiments IL has
the fact that ether breath OF air
inhale that portion OF the earfns atmosphere
is teemlng with the germs OF living ORGANISMS or tnat
process OF what Is called spontaneous generation In
scipn
a higher point OF view Tor making excursions into the
OF the unknown, and the man OF science how
lextended his VISION. however multiplied his re-
sources, can never want for worlds 10 conquer.
operation and rewards his industry. Germany owes
ascendancy at the present day not only to the
eral education OF people but to the means winch
she has provided for the discovery OF new truths.
En- gland is becoming awakened To the Importance Of
the same object, and portion of the Immense income
OF her universities is devoted to the support OF
original investigators
God has created man in his own intellectual image,
and graciousy permitted him to study His modes OF
operation, and rewards his industry in this line by
giving powers and Instruments which affect In the
highest degree his material welfare. IL the
recognition Of the Importance OF original science
that rendered France a few years ago the
OF cvilizl OF the world. The celebrated Musea.
called the Garden OF Plants not museum. as 1t
were, OF dead specimens for the qualification OF ordi
nary curiosity, bn theatre OF the laOors OF Cuyier
a st. Hilaire, and OF the many distinguished men
which have rendered the scientific annals Of that
country immortal. With the hope that Will
the painness OF some OF my remarks and attribute
them to my ardOr for the advancement OF knowledge
and q desire to stimulate the inhabitants of this
city to efforts in the line In which most Interested
rather than tendency to indulge in depreciation
cynical criticism. 1 must close my address and throw
myself upon your indulgence for having inv0luntariy
as 1t were, exceeded the limit OF my time.
|
THE ORTHODOX FRIENDS YEARLY MEETING.