Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-06-07

-, raaa nv Hiss Katie M. BillingsleF, ~
1Rroadhnrst institute, May ~, 1873.

he learned OF TINS gener@tAoil- III
,Iasa Of individuals who have de- \.
themselves the true ex- u
moments of thought, the expounders :
AZ science and the store-house IN !
which il treasured up the wealth OF !
truth-we find ourselves face TO face !
with the assumed impregnable posi-
tion. the ultimatum of modern !
science, that all things must be YER J
flied. Mathematical certainty l. :
there extoIled as the winnowing fan
which is expected to blow away the /
chat and darnel of superstition, anu
false theories, and leave the unadni-
+arated grains of truth which, as
mental food, will prove to be new
GOSPEL and regenerate the world. IL
i with some degree of intere=t that
we look forward to the naodats ope-
,qaoi by which the facts of history
will he demonstrated, when 1t Will
be shown by the principles of math-
ematics that Homer sang his meio-
diOus songs; that Virgil followed
his example and poured forth his
soul in softer strains, re-echolng the
tribulations and the glories OF
Rome's iHustrious prOgenitors that
there were mighty empires, refined
arts. renowned philosophers, heroes,
warriors, phiIanthropists and mar
tyrs of humanity; that anything
has been and is or was what Its
partisans claim for it. To do this
will be a master work indeed. TO
demonstrate any historical truth
would require the possession OF an
other sense, which would enable US
to arrange with certainty events as
we would the problems of geometry
or the comic sections, and to equalize
them so that the product of the sum
and difference of any two would be
equal to the difference OF their
squares. In one sense such a pos
session might be an advantage, In
another untold Disadvantages would
accrue. The trouble would De SO
few would be able to demonstrate
AIIpersons now consultthe almanac
hut hardly one in a thousand can
give the principles upon which 1t Is
constructed-expl why there are
365 days and a fraction of day II
a year; why leap year comes II
occasionally, and why some year
divisible by four are not leap years
tell why the sign viii be in Aries
Germini, Taurus, Aquarius, or an.
of the twelve; to give an iota OF
reason why upon a certain day Tn
sun will be darkened or the moo
withhold her light; why som
planet battles in the disk of the sur
or wandering comet territies TEL
restial inhabitants with its wondrou
tail. These things are received, br
il is through faith in principle
which have never deceived: X pit
Vi; 3xy - 1853. There Is Il
doubt what will result from the
equations; any number of solution
will point to the same or
Whence is this certainty OF math
matics? Why does it compel assen
These questions have been we
answered by an eminent philos
pher, who says that ''the pecull
force of demonstrative reasonli
rests in the fact that the first prime
pIes from which it sets out, Z. e.,
definitions are purely hypothet1c'
involving no basis nor admixture
facts, and that by simply reasoni
strictly upon these assumed hypO'
eses the conclusion follows inevi
bly." The same thing would hf
pen in other sciences could
perform the impossible feat OF CO
structing our definitions to $
ourselves, instead of proceed
upon facts as our data. Even, nc
ever, some degree of doubt finds
way into the hearts of leading
enlists, and we hear them Civ
utterances to the mathematical n
estes. that there may be wor
when a straight line Is not
shortest distance between
points, or that the whole body
not necessarily equal to the sum
all its parts.
But leaving these fields, so fr
full of hypothesis, we will no
some Of the sterner realities that
staring us in the face. Weareso
times asked to solve such probl
as this: Given four years OF ma
matics, four years of languages,
wears of natural science, four y
of history and literature, bellies
tres, etc, and what will be the
suit? This is a difficult PROB
!. There are too many unknown q
titles connected with these prem
II is not simply a question so
bv the rule of addition Their
something else to be taken into
sideration. From these sums
are to be subtracted so many
OF absence lTOIu SSiOOAs SN "
recitations missed, so many les
unlearned, so much valuable
lost, that in the end, if we we
succeed in forming an equation
would often solve it with a neg
sign, and it would read: Mil
life of usefulness, happiness
prosperity; almost these had
A. obtained, but lost through inc
ence and neglect. But followl
a certain extent the practices o
Z, monstrative science, we can
hypothetical solutions to all
queries. 1t is only nece5sal
preface with an If. This is
markably significant word, II
it is ever so little. 1t change
tirely the meaning of deelar
s. and assists in preserving ones