New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-20
4 PHILOSOPHERS FILTH.
PROFESSOR HENRY'S LAST LETTER.
An INTERESTING PAPER FOUND IN THE DESK or
TIN LATE PROFESSOR, Is REFERENCE 10 THE
EXISTENCE OF THE DEITY.

N IN ERINllNN BAILk tOOND ~ Inn Bhph VI
TIE LATE PROFESSOR, Is REFERENCE 10 THE
EXISTENCE OF THE DEITY.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TEIBCNE.l
WAsHINGroN, May ia letter addressed to Mr.
Joseph Patterson, Of Philadelphia, which is the last
one that Professor Henry wrote with the exception
of few brief business notes., IL given herewith to
the readers of THE TRIBUNE by the permission Of
the family from whom il is learned that the Profess
sor wrote IT early in the morning of April ~. The
day was n warm one aud the writerdid not feel able
TO revise the letter. rs he always did eyery hingth at
he wrote before mailing but when he had finished
writing he put the letter back into drawer Of his
desk. fully intending to read it over and send it TO
Philadelphia at the first opportunity. The Academy
met after this, and in preparing for Its recep-
ton he forgot the letter and then after the adjourn
Of that body he did not have physic strength
to complete the task. So the letter laid in the
drawer precisely in the form in which it ndIted
until the day after Professor HenTy's death when it
WAS remembered by his family and brought out. 1t
is printed here verbatim.
SMITHSONIAN, April II. 1873.
Ny DEAR Mr. PATTERSON: We have been expecting tC
see you day day for two weeks past thinking
that You would be called TO Washington give some
Information to the future OF finances and the
possibility OF rcsumng specie payment. l commenced
on two occasions to write 10 you found so much
a pen that gave up the attempt The doctors say that
am gradually getting better. DR.. Mitchell gave me
visit his going South and his return his report
favorable but still suffer good deal from oppression
in breathing.
have learned, with pleasure. that f. and yourself
intend to TO Europe this Summer Travel is the most
agreeable way Of obi aiming cosmopolitan knowledge,
and il Is probable that great Importance will
transprc in the East within few months You VIII
subjects Of interest 10 occupy yoar attention.
have also learned that r. IL to be married next mouth.
and we shall be happy to receive visit from him and
his bride when they go upon their wedding tour.
We live in universe OF change; nothing remains the
same from one moment till another, and each moment
of recorded time has its separate history We car
ricd by the eyerchangng events in the line OF
de- tiny and the end of the year always at
considerable distance from the point of its beginning
short the space between the two cardinal points OF
an earthly career the point Of birth and that OF death
and yet what universe OF wonders presented to
IN our rapid flight through this space. How small the
wisdom obtained by a single life in its passage and how
small the known when compared with the unknown by
the accumulation OF the millions OF lives through the art
OF printing In hundreds OF years.
How many questions press themselves upon us in
these contemplatioDs. Whence come wei Whittier
we gongi what's final destiuyi The object OF
creatoni What mysteries Of unfathomable depth
environ MS on every side; but after all
specuiatIons and attempt 10 graphic with
the problem OF the universe the simplest
ception which explains and connects the phenomena
that OF the existence Of one spiritual being infinite in
wisdom. in power, and all divine projections; which
exists always and everywhere; which has created us
with intellectual faculties sufficient In degree
comprehend his operations they developed in
nature by what is called g. science" This being Is I'm
clangcabe and therefore His operations are always IN
accordance with the laws the conditions being the
same Events that happened thousand years ago will
happen again thousand years to come providing the
condition OF existence is the Indeed, universe
not governed by law would DE universe without the
evidence OF an Intellectual director In the scientific
explanation of physical phenomena we assume the
stence of principle having properties sufficient TO pro.
ougo the effects which observe; and when the pTln-
cipe so explains by logical deductions from IL
all the phenomena, call 1t theory; thus we have
the theory Of light the theory Of electricity. ETC. There
IL no proof however of the truth Of these theories
cept the explanation OF the phenomena which they
invented account for. This proof however, is sui
Gent in any case In every fully explained
and can be predicted when the conditions known.
In accordance with this scientific yiew on what evil
dence does the existence of Creator resti First it is
one of the truths best established by experience in my
own mind that have a thinking willing principle
within me- capable OF intellectual activity and OF moral
feeling Second, IL Is equally clear TO me that you
have similar spiritual principle within yourself, since
when | ask you an intelligent question you give me an
Intellectual Third, when examine operations
Of nature fud everywhere through them evidences OF
Intellectual arrangements, OF cOntriyances to reach
definite ends precisely as ind In the operations OF
man: and hence infer that these two classes OF OPP
crations are results OF similar intelligence. Again. IN
my own mind find ideas of right and wrong. of good
and evil These ideas lhen exist IN the universe, and
therefore form basis OF our ideas OF
moral universe Furthermore, the conceptions good
which are found among ideas associated with eva
can be attributed only being OF initiate projections
ike that which We denOminate God" On the other
hand we are conscious OF having such evil thoughts and
tendencies that cannot associate ourselves with d.
zinc beng no the director and the governor Of all or
even call upon hin for mercy without the ntercessOn OF
one who may affiliate himself with US.
find my dear Mr.. Patterson, that have drlfted In
line of Theological speculation and without stopping 10
inquire whether what have written may be logical