Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-11


ton follows its neglect Of higher eda-
cation. for, Is described 10 the proverb
of Solomon, "They that hate instruc-
ton love DEATH In sociology, as in
biology, there are three states--the tirst
Of balance, when things grow neither
better nor worse; the second. that OF
elaboration or evolution, as we see 1t
when animals adapt themselves to their
environments; and third. that OF dcgene-
ration, when they rapidly lose the ground
they have made. For nation, a state OF
balance is only possible in the early
stage Of its existence, but i Is impossi-
bic when it's environments are constant
ly changing. The possession OF the
raw materials of industry and the ek-
istence of surplus population are i'm
portsnt ctors for the growth OF manu-
features in the early history OF nation,
but afterwards they are bound up with
another fac,or--the application Of in
tellect to their development. Science
has in the last hundred years altered
altogether the old conditions OF indus
trial competition. She has taught the
rigid metals 10 convey and record our
thoughts even 70 the most distant lands,
and-within less limits, to reproduce
our speech. This marvellous applica-
ton Of electricity has diminished the
cares and responsibilities OF gov
ernments, while Y has at the same time
altered the whole practice ofcommerce.
To England steam and electricity have
been of incalculable advantage. The
ocean, which once made the country
insular and isolated, is now the very
life blood of England and Of the greater
England beyond the seas. AS in the
human body the blood bathes all its
parts, and through its travelling cor
puscles carries force to all its members,
so in the body-politic of England and
it's pelasgic extensions, steam has be-
come the circulatory and electricity the
nervous system. The colonies, being
young countries, value their raw materi-
ais as their chiefsou-ces ofwealth. When
they become older they will discover it
is not in these but in the culture Of sci
entific intellect that their future pros
perity depends. Older nations recog-
nize this as the law of progress more
than we do. or, as Jules Simon tersely
puts it, That nation which most edu-
Gates her people will become the great
est nation, if not to-day, certainly to-
morrow" Higher education is the
condition Of higher prosperity, and the
nation which neglects to develop the
intellectual factor Of production must.
degenerate. for it cannot stand still. If
we felt compelled to adopt the test of sci
ence given by Comte, that its value must
be measured by fecundity, it might be
prudent to claim industrial inventions
as the immediate fruit of the tree of
science, though only fruit which the
prolific tree has shed. But the test is
untrue in the sense indicated, or. rather.
the fruit, according to the simile Of
Bacon, is like the golden apples which
Aphrodite gave to the sutton Of Alta
lanta, who Jagged in his course by stoop-
iig to pick them up, and so lost the
race. The true cultivators of the tree
Of science must seek their own re-
ward by seeing it flourish, aud let
others devote their attention to the
possible practical advantages which
may result from their labors. There
is, however, one intimate connec-
ton between science and industry
which | hope will be more intimate as
scientific education becomes more pre-
vaIent in our schools and universities.
Abstract science depends on the sup
port of men Of leisure, either them
selves possessing or having provided for
them the means of living without enter
ing into the pursuits OF active industry.
The pursuit Of science requires a super
fluffy Of wealth in community beyond
the needs Of ordinary life. Such super
fluffy is also necessary for art, though
a picture or a statue is a salable COM
modify, while an abstract discovery in
science has no immediate or, as regards
the discover, prOximate commercial
value. Ii our universities and schools
created that love Of science which a
broad education would surely inspire,
our men of riches and leisure who ad-
vance the boundaries of scientific know
ledge could not be counted on the
fingers, as they now are, when we
think Of Boyle, Csvendish. Napier,
Lyell, Murohison, and Darwin, but
would be as numerous as our states
men and orators. Statesmen, without
a following Of the people who share
their views and back their work, would
be feeble indeed. But while England
has never lacked leaders in science, they
have too lew followers to risk rapid
march. We might create an army to
support our generals in science, as
Germany has done, and as France is
now doing, if education in this country
would only mould itself to the needs OF
a scientific age. 1t is with this feeling
that Horace Mann wrote: "The action
of the mind is like the action OF fire
| one bllleL Oh WoOu Will NtIulN DuIn
alone, though as dry as the sun aud
northwest wind can make it, aud though
placed in current of air ten such bill
let's will burn well together, bat hun
.drcd will create heat fifty times as in.
tense as ten--will make a current of
air TO fan their own flame and consume
even gIeonness ITSELF
The Eusuenot Emigration TO yir-
giuia.
To the Editor of the Dispatch
The Virginia Historical Society would
announce thV it will issue early in
1856, as its annual publication, "Doc.
,uments Relating TO the Huguenot Emf.
;gretion to Virginia to form Volume
V. of it's new series of collections
.(edited by the subscriber), and to be
uniform with the preceding volumes Of
the "Spotsw God Letters" and the
Dinwiddie Papers, The documents
to compose the prospective volume are
of the highest Importance and interest,
majority of them never having beer