Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-03

Reference 60 the Exietenee Of the
Deity.
WASHINGTON, May 19.-A 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. is given herewith
by the permission Of the family, |
from whom it is learned that the
Professor wrote it early in the
morning of April 12. The day
was warm one, and the writer did
not feel able to revise the letter, as
he always did everything that he |
wrote before mailing; but when he
had finished writing he put the let
ter back into drawer of his desk, |
fully intending to read it over and
send it to Philadelphia at the first
opportunity. The Academy met
soon after this, and in preparing
for his reception he forgot the let
ter, and after the adjournment of
that body he did not have the ply
sical strength to complete the task.
So the letter laid in the drawer pre-
cisely in the form in which it was
indited until the day after Professor
Henry's death, when it was remem-
bered by the family and brought
out. 1t is printed here verbatim.
y = We live in a universe Of
change; nothing remains the same
from one moment till another, and
each moment Of recorded time has
its separate history. We are car
RED on by the ever changing events
in the line Of our destiny, and at
the end of the year we are always
at q considerable distance from the
point of it's beginning. How short
the space between the two cardinal
points of an earthly career, the
point Of birth and that of death;
and yet what a universe Of wonders
are presented to us in our rapid
fight 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 accumu-
lation of the millions of lives
through the art Of printing in hun
dreds of years.
How many questions press them
selves upon us in these contempla
tions. Whence come weP Whittier
are we going? What is our fina
destiny? The object of our crea
ton? What mysteries of unfath
Omable depth environ us on ever,
side but after all our speculation
and an attempt to grapple with TIL
problem of the universe, the sim
pIest conception which explain
and connects the phenomena is tina
of the existence Of one spiritua
being, infinite in wisdom, in power
and all divine perfections; whicI
exists always and everywhere
which has created us with intellec
tual faculties sufficient in some de
gree to comprehend his operation
as they are developed in nature b
what is called science" This be
ing is unchangeable, and therefor
His operations are always in accord
ance with the same laws, the cond
tions being the same. Events ths
happened thousand years ago wi
happen again a thousand years t
come, providing the condition {
existence is the same. Indeed,
universe not governed by law woul
be d universe without the evidenC
of an intellectual director. In IL
scientific explanation Of physic
phenomena we assume the exis
ence of a principle having prope
ties sufficient to produce the effe
which we observe; and when Il
nrincipIe SO assumed explains |
logical deductions from it all Il
p6enomena, we call it a theor,
thus We have the theory Of ligh
the theoryof electricity, etc. The
is no proof, however, of the tru
of these theories except the expl
nation Of the phenomena whl'
they are intended to account fC
This proof, however, is sufficient
any case in which every fact is fuI
explained, and can be predict
when the conditions are known.
In accordance with this scienti
view, on what evidence does t
existence of Creator rest? Fir
il is one Of the truths best esti
lishod by experiences in my o.
mind that l have q thinking vi
ing principle within me, capable
intellectual activity and of mo
feeling. Second, it is equally eli
to me that you have a similar 81
itnal principle within yourself,si
when ! ask you an intelligent qu
ton you give me an intellect
answer. Third, when / exam