National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-05
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
The Arts and Sciences OF Our Age-An Ad.
mirabIe Paper by DIR. Gregory.

mirabie Paper by Dr.. Gregory.
The following is an abstract of the ad-
mirable paper read by Dr. ]. NJ. Gregory at re-
cent meeting of the Classical Society After brief
introduction DR.. Gregory said In the Olden time
the ruling brains of the world made military glory
their object and political power their end. In our
age the best brains are in the laboratories and
schools, or i'll the mills and tields-n the service
of those gigantic world sustaining and world
transforming arts and sciences which are making
the globe school and workshop, over which
SenateS must watch, and around which the moral
and political power of the world revolYe. This
has frequently been called the century of progress
and this is truly its Characteristic spirit. But
progress is result not cause; it is motion, not
force. We must look behind the movement to as
certain the forces which shape the century; and
thus looking, we find that the secret stands re-
vcaled in one word-science. The science Of this
century has liberated the powers of man from the
thraldom which made progress slow and toilsomc.
But the
GREATNESS OF THE CENTURY
admi tied, and the source and character of that
greatness established let us seek the causes of the
unprecedented and surprising phenomena which
thas exhibited. These are: First-The settled be-
lief in the universally of natural law, by which
the great dom ain Of nature is controlled instead
of being, anciently believed at the sport Of
erence for facts Since law is universal it follows
that every result is the outcome of some law, and
not mere freak of nature, or of some Ineddiesome
power over nature. Formerly if facts disagreed
with preconceived theory, SO much the worse for
the facts every fact is recognized the effect of
some adequate cause-a result to be accounted
for. Third-The modern method of Verification.
While
ANCIENT SCIENCE ENDED
but just begun here Under every possible case
the hypothesis is submitted to the test of observa
ton, which only ends when theory, corrected, re-
fined, and demonstrated, stands forth no longer
theory; but proven truth-a great law of nature
answering TO all the facts coming under it. Thus
the scholarship of this great century recognizes
the greatness of nature and turns reverently its
pages as to another word of God. Facts are Gods
thoughts; theories are the thought of man. When
they disagree the thoughts of men must be
stretched or trimmed, renewed and shaped till it
perfectly answers to and is verified by the fact
Fourth-Passing from the forces within to the
forces without the man, We meet first the instru-
ments of precisi on, which have given him, as it
were,
KEENER SENSES
and sharpened q thousandfold his power of OBJ
servation. The microscope, the telescope, the
spectroscope, the chemical balance and hun
uTeu luSIrun1enIS OF Strange CONSTRUCTION SO IN
crease powers that neither in the heights nor in
the depths, in the magnificent nor in the minute
nature hide her secrets from the scholars gaze
Fifth-Along with the instruments of precision
must be counted the mathematics-that instru-
ment of mental power and precision which one
has justly called "the great iron key that unlocks
the universe" Sixth-But our count of causes OF
the greatness Of modern science is not yet COM
plete. We must take in the wide spread of popular
and public education. This has reinforced the
thinking brains of the world with an
NNUNERABLE HOST OF OBSERVERS
students and workers, and enables genius to work
with double zeal in the presence of appreciative
and applauding populations. seventh-The
emergence of the people from the low and british
condition of the middle and older ages into the |
recognized manhood, the political supremacy, the |
social aspiration, the allembracing, alinspiring
freedom of thought, and work. and worship of |
these latter days Not the wars of great monarchs
but the daily wants of the greater millions, now
dictate to science its problems, and its rewards |
come not from the stinted bounty of kings and |
mobiles, but from the rich fruitage of the million
handed arts which it serves. After thus enumer- |
ating some Of the causes of scientific progress |
during the present century, he proceeded to con-
slider the results, and, saying that as the mere roll
call of these sciences would weary the patience Of