National Republican., 1883-04-20

why, TO man like Prof. Henry, Interested MS he
was in teaching, devoted TO research aud with the
scientific world watching eargerly hisexperimen
the ATTRACTIONS Of the place should be scanty and
the possbiities and demands OF ,iN tho place, aud
his own capacity and purpose TO meet them, that
we can explain the ria illness with which
he responded TO this call. The secretary was
TO initiate and control the policy of novel in
sutution, with handsome but not eNtrayagant
ed giSon 10 Inf UneH saSSS oT & 5e
Loosely ntespesed, the terms OF the gilt might
admit any application OF popular usefulness. But
whom read IN the light of the known tastes of the
River aud the previous bcqnest Of the estate to a
society which was severely scientific In its funo.
tions aud especially when interpreted by the
eminent need and certain usefulness OF special
application 1t was clear 10 Prof Henry that IL
should be used exclusively in the interests Of the
lie foresaw and foretoid that his theory would Mt
first encounter active dissent and opposition. He
was equally confident that IL would finally be:
upon his duties the institution had been partially
committed TO another policy II was not until
mittces and IN both houses of congress, In which
some of the ablest aud most brilliant members
were conspicuous, that the policy of Prof Henry
at last prevailed, and has ever since justified itself
" the approval Of the nation IL was not TINT
Prof Henry despised literature that he did not
sl iavor the attempt % found splendid library for
precativc of its powers much less that he
did not understand the value OF museum to mn
aardent Interest In which he was pledged by his
iondncss for natural history aud his curious zeal
III ethnology and archaeology but because he saw
aneed aud opportunity for an institution that
should be limited to the increase aud diffusion of
sciertlfc knowledge. FInis coronat opus. The
experiment has justified the theory. Not only
have the workings of the Smithsonian institu.
ton yindicated the wisdom of his anticipatons.
but 1t is itself monument to his strong convic-
tons and h unyieldng tenaclty, tempered as
these were by singular simplicity, patience. and
unsel6shness. Had 1t not been for these charac-
teristics the Smithsonian institution rs we know
i would never have existed at all. Were it not
Ia m m n hn n IN Npa xyAu
statue speak rs II surveys the scene OF his life
work, "Si monumentum Qudoris ctrcumsptce."
Then showing that the library, the
museum, and the art collection had thrived
better than if Prof. Henry's policy had failed,
the orator continued:
1t would not have been surprising if his scientific
ardor had thereby been cooled, his invention had
been limited, and his manysidedness had been
curtailed. This does not seem to have beon true.
From the beginning TO the end of these more than
thirty years he was almost as Inventive, ingenious,
alert, and wide minded Ms when he achieved the
triumphs of his early manhood. Though many
of his official responsibilities, they all bore tho
stamp of scientific gonius During all this period
1t should be remembered the sciences of nature
wSre making a progress such as the world had
never witnessed beiore-progress in every form
from the seyerest mathematical analysis through
er.as@Sending @ steps Of adventurous speculation
Experiment, too, had never made such daring
ventures, whether in the form Of applica,,
III
problems purely scientific With every one OF
| these onward movements, whether of theory or
experiment, Prot Henry was in active sympathy
In many of the most important he was the leader
Of thought and act, aS witness his place In the
very earliest anicpations of the doctrine of the
and suggestions in respect to the use OF the tele.
graph In meteorological observations and the re-
ports of astronomical discovery; his devices TO
render available the reports and essays, scattered
over the scientific world by systematized biblio.
graphy the long-continued researches IN respect
10 light and sound which were incidental TO his
official experiments as a member of tho light
house board his comprehensive experiments in
respect 10 the sustaining capacity of building
stone, and his never ceaSng study OF acoustics in
every possible production, prolongatlon, and dis
turbance OF sound, whether IN his own parlor In
solitary walks, In fog or sunshine, or In travel by
laud or sea. Al
Briefly alludipg to the dark days of the war
and the lofty bearing of Henry during that
period which lifted him above personal bit
terncss from any man, the orator dwelt on the
singlencss of purpose actuating the secretary
of the institution. That singleness of pur-
pose lifted above jealousy, envy, and even the
idea Of reasonable compensation for his la
bors He never directly or indirectly sought
for place or honor, nor even asked for increase
of pay. Continuing, the orator said:
In the wars of theory against theory he was rec
oguzed as an upright mediator, Who thoroughly
understood the critera by which scientific truth
can be established and would impartialy apply
them. If political. or ethical, or theological tra-
dllions seemed TO conflict with established scien-
tihc principles or facts he calmly awaited tho
issue, and Insisted that science must have Its
rights whatever might be the consequence to any
received ethical or theological Interpretations.
Though his own faith was fixed aud feryent in
respect to the leading Christian yerites he
scorned with all the energy Of scientific integrity
to apply these convictions as a test to any ques-
ton that was properly scientific. 1t would have
been strange III a man who was always learning
something new, had not modified his Views of
objective and practical Christian truth with the
AN la atVNI Nd ONnNnN .NnA hA
would never acknowledge any base compromise
of sentimentallsm, or mysticism, or one-eyed
Sq sng nn or Se OF of
science proper he was clear-eyed, impeTsonal
and uncompromsing arbiter and judge. Theo'
rists might complain dogmalists might rage,
2ealots might bomoan, but not one of them would
dare accuse the judge Of an Ignorant or partisan
decision.
For ali these high and varied functions in his
high position, Prof. Henry had one supreme ad-
vantage in that he had not only studied aud mas.
n s9 sSsc q, @ tse m Is nppnneS nro
ceSses the subject Of his profoundest reflection.
We have abundant evidence that from the time
when he made his earliest discoveries his mind
was not content to search after the secrets Of ma.
ture without but was equally curious TO discover
the secret Of the processes by which man Inter .
with such studious reserve. From the time when
he began at Princeton till the end ofhis life this was
prominently aud ayowedly the theme Of his con-
stnnt med tation, In making this study he wasnot
singular among eminent scientists, but only in
tnat from the beginning to the end this seemed 70
haunt him as the most wonderful problem Of all.
This habit forced him to contemplate all the
sciences of nature as an organic whole, having in.
Innate relations that are broader aud deeper than
those which are limited 10 any single class OF
phenomena. 1t forced him TO study aud question
most closely the process Of knowledge, the sublim'
est and most fundamental phenomenon in nature,
that he might know how far to trust its products
aud by what critera TO test Its conclusions We
fluid evidence of this habit of mind in the ques-
tions which he suggests in his earlier essays and
in the partial solutions which he gives
In his miscellaneous writings. such a
habit would insensibly train him to exalt
tho human intellect In It's higher functions,
tuitlons, its theories and anticipauons, It's fore.
casting queslionings, Its creative hypothesis its
tentative theories, and Its decisive experiments,
and to assure himself than an agent or agency
and own no allegiance with physical laws Even
the suggestion that the thinking agency which
interprels the universe by authoritative question
and answer could once have slumbered IN fiery
cloud or could have been evolved from any mate
rial mind stun by any series OF physical processes,
however daintily phrased seems never to have
been entertained by him for an instant as having
tho semblance of scientific probability And yet
there Is abundant evidence from his writings, both
early and late, that he was In no sense behind the
times ignorant of the fascinating pluusibities of
the newest and the most fantastic of theories
While h1 was almost the earliest in the field to
formulate and defend the doctrines OF the cor
relation OF force and 10 concede that Ii might be
applied TO all the processes that are properly
physiological, he WAS equally sharp and positive
In the assertion that mental agencies OF every
kind cannot be the correlate of any physical
agency, but are simply directive, He Insisted
with equal postiyeness that the so.called vital
force cannot be the product Of any mechanical or
chemical activity, single or IN combination, but
must be directive or constructive agent Of itself
Later in life ho recognized the manifold iudlca-
a a a A n W. VA