New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
cHarrNcrY wRIeHrs LETTERS.

Tho selection from the correspondence or the late
Chaupeey Wright now edited by Mr. j. D. Ihayer'
n professor in Harvard University, forms an oppor-
time supplement to the voinme OF Fmiosophicai
n;scussionsr published under tho supervision OF
profcssor Charles Eliot Norton in the early part OF
the year 1877. Devoted to subjects OF
profound philosophical character rather than to per-
soual details or the current events of the day, the
letters present an impressive memorial of man OF
the rarest intellectual endowments and ono OF the
few original thinkers and writers on the highes'
problems OF philosophy whose names can be iound I'D
the records of American literature Indeed. he is
described by competent English authority, as
zone Of the finest philosophical minds which Ameri-
ca or any country has produced" Ills letters
for the most part were written to few intimate
friends including the editor of the volume, Dir.
Charles Norton and his sisters and MIR. and Mrs D. +.
Lesley. of philadelphia, with number to Mr..
Charles Darwin and Mr. Francis E. Abbot devoted
10 discussions of the questions presented ID the
writings Of those suggestive thinkers.
In addition to the brief memoir by Professor Nor
ton in the volume of Philosophical Discussions"
Mr. Thayer has presented q variety of personal rem-
niscenees Of Cbauncey Wright both from his own
experience and that of several intelligent friends
which, though of a fra Ementary character, anoro
delightful portraiture OF qualities as lovely and at
tractive as they were peculiar From these interest
TO methodical order, learn that Chauncey, as he
was almost universally called by his familiar ac-
ouaintapcc until the day of his death, was boy oil
singularly gentle and quiet disposition, always cool
and selfpossessed in his manners. and giving butiew
signs of intellectual activity at this early age AT
college which he entered at the age OF eighteen, his
progress was slow and nconspcuous He was sell
dom seen with book in his hand, and devoted
little time TO the studies of his class. He loved
10 take his case with his friends talking If any one
was ready to talk and keeping silent others were
busy. He had never much TO say, but always made
himself and his companions comfortable, even if he
kept his mouth shut. He was always sympathetic
ready to listen ready to talk. ready for an impulse
in any direction His presence seemed to be rs nat
ural as little marked, and quite as welcome as the
sunlight or the air. But everybody was surprised TO
see how little lie read and how much he knew
HIS personal appearance was peculiar. He couid
not be called handsome he had thin, rather long,
and very straight red hair, somewhat light blue eyes,
and a complexion which took deep color on any
unusual exposure TO wind or sun. His head was
large and shapely; but his expression at that time
was dull; he was without any pretensions to manly
grace and though not precisely awkward was slow
and heavy in his movements. There was nothing
about him to offend any one, but he had little to
attract person who did not know him. Still. to
his friends there was gracious sweetness and COM
posrre in his face thoughtfulness in his look and
a light of quick intelligence his eye that held
them fast. His face grew nobler and more express
sive as he grew older and those who saw him in his
later years felt that they were in thoughtful and
imposing presence.
BY the time of his graduation at college. it was
well understood BY his classmates that his talents
were of high and remarkable order. No one was
respected or better liked. Heh had none ofthe an
tagonisms, the jealousie the private grudges which
SO often embitter the course of college life. His
gentleness his kindness of heart his unfailing good
humor were as universally recognized as his power
of intellect. Even at that early age, he began to
show the taste for metaphysics which afterwards
became his master passion He loved to engage in
the discussion of some deep problem which
always worked ont in his own mind, without the aid
of books. He seldom if ever, read a novel One of
his classmates writes Il always, in college,
looked upon him as philosopher, yet more as
practical than speculative one and so was some
what taken by surprise when found how high
rank he gaining an original thinker IN the
line of the most abstruse discussions of the times"
Another classmate remarks: "My impression
remained a long time that the college
studies were of wholly secondary impor-
lance in that quarter In the mathematical elective
hour. he would occasionally exhibit an original
method of arriving at the same result with Profess
sor PIERCE and then he grew greatly in my hOri-
z0n. Whatever he said OF did, it seemed but the
surface only of a great deep beyond. 1t was the
sense ofreserved power in him which gave one the
idea of greatness HIS gentleness and sweetness of
nature seemed to almost unexampled l never
q ruffle in the great sea of his placidity and
goodness"
At this time, Emerson was favorite author with
him, and, although his own mental habit grew to
be very different from that of Mr. Emerson, he
lost cordial appreciation Of the writings which
had aroused his early enthusiasm Soon after leay-
ing college. he took eagerly to the works of Bacon
There a time when he said little that was not
favored by the wisdom of the Novum Organum."
He was then a careful student and ALI ardent ad-
mirer Of Sir William Hamilton To him succeeded
John Stuart Mill, and then came Darwin, and the
literature which grew out of the Origin of Species"
For Darwin he always cherished profound admi-
ration; he spoke Of no one with such ardent
praise; and TO no one yielded such I'M
bounded homage. The influence of Darwin
not only great on his scientific views, but il
soon gave decided coloring to his purely specu-
lative opinions There was no sudden change; but
up to the time of his interest in Darwin it was his
synthetic powers that were most called INTO play
in his philosophy From that period the analytic
element became the more potent and bit by bit the
old foundations crumbled away, until nothing was
left of an integral form in his mind that was not
founded in experience. Experience of phenomena
gave both the content and the form Of knowledge;
the ground and the sanction of moral judgments;
the limits Of the universe nits Ineligible credible
relations with man."
The intellect of Chauncey Wright was little fed
through Lis emotions. He had but faint sense of
the beauties of nature, of art, of literature,
and although his comments at times such sub
iccts were striking and navel il was fhrou oh his