, 1876-11-04

are TAR less important anu lnllhtVIN lcss
revolutionary in their effects on science
ut large than IS the great discovery of
Thompson, that dcat is Il mare modc W
mo'joD. as shall try to make clearer to
YOU by and by. Newton was lead to his
discovery by simple and obvious grada-
tions by reasoning from small things
up to great but Thompson was lead by
the penetrating power Of his genius, and
bv far seeing observation, to make an
enormous stride and connect things that
seemingly nave no connection to de.
clare things to be identical that are ap-
parcntly unlike each other HIS diScov-
cry was so far in advance of the ace in
which he lived that it remained almost
in allowance for more than fifty years )
hut few, even among the leading minds
of the world, could comprehend the force
and nature OF it and it is only within
the last thirty years that it has received
the consideration it is entitled to. Then
and not till Then, the minds OF men hav-
ing ripcned sufficiently to understand
him, several leaders in the ranks of sci
encc in different parts Of the world,
without tn ir mutual knowledge, and
without communication with each other,
,riumphantly confirmed and established
the long neglected discovery of Bcnja-
min Thompson, showing its intimate re-
relations to other truths, and in perfect
consistence to all known truths.-Mayer
Of Eleilb Jnn, and Helmholtz, of Konigs-
berg, in Germany; Joule, of Manchester.
and Grove, Of London, in England Sc.
gUin, in France, and Colding in Denmark
all independently OF each other, have
within the last thirty years, labored to
establish and extend the views of their
illustrious predecessor, Thompson.
Benjamin Franklin was also truly
great man, aud made II great discovery
in science; but the discovery that cleo
tricity and the dreadful thunderbolt are
identical in their nature, was but trivial
in its ulterior effects on knowledge and
modes OF thought compared to those al
ready brought about, and undoubtedly
still to be brought about by the great
discovery of Thomps"n - 49,. ~
Jared Sparks, in =
rapliy, says The State ol 4unss,.
sets may be justly proud of having Civ
en- birth to him whom posterity will
know under the name of Rumford.--
Next to Franklin's, his name is the
prDudest among those Americans who
have gained distinction in the field of
science" When this was written the
vast scope Of Thompson's great, t,discovery
was just beginning to be understood by
o few leading men OF science and to the
minds Of most men, aye, .seyen men es-
teemed rs scientific, it was wild, un-
cultivated, and almost unknown region.
| shall now proceed to give o brief
sketch Of the career OF him whom | call
a prophet without honor in his own
cauntry,' Benjamin Thompson was
born at Woburn, in Massachusetts, in
1853. His ancestors were among the
earliest Colonists in the country, and are
to have emigrated from Eng
land. They appear to have held respec-
table rank among their neigh5ors, though
their circumstances, at least more latter
ly, were very limited, and the only edu-
cation our hero received was that rudi-
character usually taught in our
common schools At the age of twelve
he was apprenticed TO store keeper
but became a school-teacher few years
later, and devoted himself to mechanical
and chemical studies with assiduity dur
ing his leisure hours At seventeen he
was placed in charge of an academy in
the village OF Rumtord, now Concord,
New Hampshire; and at the age of nine
teen be married widow in good cir
by whom lie had one daugh-
ter At the outbreak Of the revolution.
ary war he took the side of the colonists
against the encroachments of the parent
country, and applied for commission in
the continental service which was refus-
ed. He seems to have been unjustly sus-
pected Of toryisnl, probably from his re-
served and studious habits, and from his
society being much courted by the veal