Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-13
JEFFERSON As yAruRALYsr.
What His Influence Did for Science in
America.


what His Influence Did for Science In
America.
HIS CONTROVERSY WITH AND vIcroRY OVER
BUFFoN-BRINGING FOSSIL BONES no THH
CAPTTAL-wHAT Mr.. 0oopr SAID IN HIS
ADDRESS
Mr.. q. Browne Goode, president of tho Bio
logical society, in his annual address In "The
Beginnings Of American Natural History be
fore that body last Saturday night, referring to
Thomas Jefferson, said: "Had he not been a
master in statecraft he would have been q
master of science. 1t is probable that no two
men have done so much for science in America
as Jefferson and Agassiz-not so much by their
direct contributions to knowledge as By the
Immense weight which they gave to scien.
tihc interests by their advocacy. Many pages
OF Jeferson's "Notes on Virginia" are devoted
TO the discussion OF Buttons Statements % that
the animals common to both continents are
smaller In the new world, t2) that those which
are peculiar to the new are on q smaller scale,
l3) that those which have been demonstrated
IN both have degenerated in America, and a.
species. He successfniiy overthrows the .eeci.
Gus and superficial arguments Of the eloquent
French naturalist, who, it must be remembered
was at this time considered the highest an.
tnority living In such matters.
HOW HE CONVINCED BUTTON.
mot content with this, continued Nj. Goode,
when minister plenipotentiary to Europe,a few
years later, he forced Button himself to admit
MS error. The circumstances shall be related
In the words of Daniel Webster, who was very
FOND of relating this anecdote: 1t was q dis
pnte In relation to the moose, and in one of the
circles or the 6edur-esprits in Paris, Mr.. Jeffer-
son commended for some characteristics in the
formation OF the animal which Button stoutly
Paris to General John Sullivan, then residing in
durham, New Hampshire, to procure and send
MN the whole frame OF a moose. The general
so extraordinary. but well acquainted with Mr..
JEFFERSON, he knew he must have sufficient
reason for it; SO he made a hunting party OF his
nelshbors, and took the field. They captured
a moose Of unusual proportions, stuffed IL to
the bone and sent the skeleton to Mr.. Jefferson,
at cost of fifty pound sterling. On its arrival
Mr.. Jefferson invited Button and some other
Sdrdns to n supper at his house and exhibited
ms oear.bought specimen. Button Immediately
suited you, monsieur he said, before publish
ing my book on natural history, and then I
should nave been sure of my facts.
JEFFERsoN'S SCIENTIFIC FORESIGHT.
I'm still another matter in which he was at
the right. In letter to MIR. Madison, of Will
liam and Mary college he wrote: speaking
one day with NJ. de Button on the present
ardor OF chemical inquiry, he affected to consider
of the laboratory on a footing with those of the
kitchen. l think it on the contrary, among
the most useful of sciences, and big with future
discoveries Tor the utility and safety OF the
1t was the scientific foresight Of jefferson, so
manifest in such letters, which led him to ad-
be the cornerstone of our republic.
In 1889 he wrote from Paris to DIR. Wellard
president of Harvard college:
"What q field have we al our doors to sigma
lie ourselves in! The botany of America Is far
from being exhausted, its mineralogy lis In.
touched and its zoology totally mistaken and
lSrenTPSpnfpH 10 for
tutiOns as that over which you preside SO
worthily. sir to do justice 70 our country its
productions sa and ITS genius It is the work to
winch the young men you are forming should
lay their hands. We have spent the prime of
our lives in procuring them the precious bless
ing OF liberty. Let them spend theirs in show
ing that it is the great parent of science and Of
virtue, and that nation will lie great in both
always in proportion as it is free"
To Jeffersons influence was due the oryanf.
cation OF the first government exploring expe-
dition. AS early as 1850 we find him anxious
to promote an expedition to the upper portion
OF the Mississippi valley, and offering to raise
LOCO guIneas for the purpose from private
sources, and while he was President, he dis
patched Lewis and Clark upon their famous
expedition into the orthwest-fhe precursor of
all the similar enterprises carried on by the
general government, which have eliminated
In our magnificent geological survey.
JeHerscns personal influence in favor of
science was of uncalculable value. Transferred
from the presidency OF the principal American
scientific society 10 the Presidency OF the
nation, he carried with him TO the Executive
Mansion the tastes and habits of a scientific
in veStigator.
Mr.; Luther, in his recent essay upon jefferson
as Naturalist, has shown that during his res
ldence in Paris, he kept the four principal col
ieses. Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, and
the college OF Philadelphia, informed Of all that
happened in the scientific circles in Europe
tie wrote to one correspondent: Mature in-
tended me for the tranquil pursuits of science
10y rendering them my supreme delight" To
another he said: "YOur first gives me in forma-
ton In Tie line OF natural history, and the
second promises political needs. The first is
my passion, the last my duty, and therefore,
both desirable"
CARRYING BONES TO PHILADELPHIA.
"Whcn Jefferson went to Philadelphia to be
inaugurated Vice President he carried with
him collection Of fossil bones which he had
obtained in Green Brier county, Virginia, to-
gether with a paper in which were formulated
the results of his studies upon them. This was
published in the Transactions of the American
philosophical society, and the species is still
known as n,egdtony1 Je6ersoni.
1.-The spectacle, remarks Luther, of an
American statesman, coming to take part as q
central figure in the greatest political ceremony
OF our country, and bringing with him an
original contribution to science, is certainly one
we shall not soon see repeated.
when Jefferson became President his scien.
tific tastes were the subject OF much ridicule as
well as OF bitter opposition among the people
in whose eyes, even in that day. science was
Cullen Bryant wrote satirical poem, since
suppressed, in which the popular feeling seems
to have been voiced.
"'GO, wretch, resign the presidential chair
Disclose thy secret measures. foul or fair:
Go search with curious eyes for horned frogs
Mid the wild wastes of Louisianian boys.
Or where the Ohio rolls his turbid stream
nd Inv