New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-20
NOTES FROM LONDON.

The actual final retirement Of Professor Huxley
trom the presidency of the Royal Society OF Great
Britain took place Monday OF this week NO one
can replace him. SAYS the leading journal, echoing
the universal voice OF the country and OF th3 "olu
OF science aboye ali NDr can he be replaced i'll the
public service from which he has also retreu
retaining. however. an honorary connection WIN
the Normal School Of Science and Royal school OF
Mines at South KensngOn. 1t is pretty safe to say
that TO q man with Professor liuxleys conceptions
of duty and devotion to science, any connection
with a scientific institution is likely to he some
what more than merely honorary. His Heanery at
South Kensingtnn will not be a snecure, the sense
of responsibility Will not be wholly Got rd OF :
vislant oversight and wise advice in the conduct OF
that great school may still be expected from MN,
lie has regained IN part. lis health, his heh'"i
faculties are still if fairly used in their PRIME ana
he is relieved from much OF the driidGcry anu
routine work which ought never 10 nave p'oi'
imposed on him either by Government or by MS own
colleagues of the ROYAL Society. lie has never uH"'
7 know OF complained: which is the more reason
why Others should have complained Tor NM
,etrospectiye erumble now is of no use. Bat
everybody may be expected 10 read Professor
Huxey's faroN ell address to the Royal Society on
the progress and present condition of science; an
address of the most excellent wisdom Astounding III
suggestions which cannot he neglected; above all
in suggestions touching scientific education Inc
advance from the time when Huxley was young
man is prodigious aud his account OF the matter
lacks no element Ci interest, Whether OF personal
experience or lucid knowledge. definite views as
TO tie future.
1t onght to be explained in juStceto the LhghSh
Government that the pension of t3OO assigned I'd
Professor Huxley is IN addition 10 ms regular
retiring pension of CT 200. To the latter he Is
l,,, No is
recognize his claims on public gratitude, and the
most that can be sad is that Lord Iddcsleigh' in
whose uris LECTION the matter lay, would have been
glad to do more hut thought lie could not. An
application to Parliament wOuld bave been
necessary and il seems to have been supposed that
Parliament would have been reluctant to grant an
adeouate sum to the greatest of living English
savants who has given to the state forty years OF
invaluable and extremely iIl-paid service.
Professor HuNlcy's reply in the December Nine
tenth Ctpigry to Mr.. GladstOnes extraordinary
paper on the Dawn OF Creation is a sufficient proof
that illness has robbed him Of mono of his intel
lectual vigor The reply is as crushing as 1t IS
civil. Mr. Gladstone in reviewing Dr. Rtyilles
book on the History of Religions undertook to
support by scientific testimony the 1our-fold order
of creation on the fifth ard sixth days set forth
In Genesis HIS succession of creations is, l, the
water population; .. the air population; 3 the land
nomination of animals I. the land population as
consummated in man. This fOurfold order said he.
is understood 10 have been affirmed in orr time
by natural science that it may he taken as
demonstrated conclusion and established fact
Understood queries Professor Huxley. BY
whom! For himself, diSastetul as contradiction is
n him. the great English biologist declares he can
meet Mr. GladstOue's statement with nothing hut q
direct negative "If," says Professor Huxley,
~, L L.,
the natural science of time. it is demon
strated conclusion and established fact, that the
four-fold order given by Mr.. Gladstone is not
that in which the evidence at disposal tends to
show that the water air. and land populations OF
tie globe have made their appearance" And
thus through ten pages he lays bare Mr.. Glad stones
total want of al. knowledge of the literature of the
subject which h, rashly entered upon lt is done
with the most perfect good humcr. with gentle
anter with grave courtesy. and with every
profession OF respect. but with pitiless rigor of
demonstration. If Mr.. Gladstones latest informal
ton on these matters is derived from Cuvier, who
died in 1880, Professor Huxley can understand
The position he has taken up: but if he has ever
Opened a respectable modern manual OF paleOntOl-
ogy or geology. cannot The matter IS neatly
expressed in an analogy particularly adopted to
impress the student of Homer and of Greek history
in general: II a chroncler Of Greece affirmed that
the age of Alexander preceded that of Periccs and
immediately succeeded that of the Trojan war. MI.
Gladstone would hardly say that this order is
ur deTstOOd to have been affirmed by historical
science that il may be taken as a demonstrated
conclusion and established fact Yet natural
science ailirms his 'fonrfod order to exactly the
same extent-nether more nor less" Professor
Huxley's paper is one which may be read with
equal delight by the man of science and the mere
man of letters. His competency to answer Tor
science will be disputed by no one. In mastery
of diaIectics and of style are within the Judgment
of the non scientific reader, who will be toerably
sure to echo the opinion Mr. Matthew Arnold once
expressed that Professor Huxley is at the very
prince of dcbatOrs."
The publication in England of the first volume of
General Grants Memoirs excited unusual
degree of interest. Most of the papers print long
reviews of the book. many of them, as is the bad
custom in these too eager days, picking ont the
plum5 for their readers, and rather discOmting
than enhancing the attraction of the volume itself
Due homage is paid to the herosm with which
General Grant set himself to this task in the midst
Of acute suffering, and with the almost hourly
prospect of death. The profoundcst sympathy
was felt" says The Times for tho great soldier
who surrounded by troubles and with imminent
death before his eyes. strained every and used
every hour Which physical pain and mental distress
left him to complete this record of his career" The
book composed awaited IN England. this
reviewer tells u.s. with anxiety. Nor has it disap-
pointed expectation. The style is that of a
soldier. manly, straightforward. very modest and
devoid of any attempt ut embellishing simple facts
by the glamour of romance or OF a great philosophc
idea" The four columns devoted to the book
conclude with the opinion that General Grants
autobiography is "amOng the works which
combine historic value with the keenest personal
interest. He is never dull and never sensational"
t. | have heard more than reader remark on the
admirable simplicity and directness of the writing.
The personality of General Grant is visible Oh
every page. better notion OF him may be got