New-York tribune., 1905-07-23

and no Phidias. Flor -, -,
ence and Venice were )GR.x ~
towns whose merchants ~|ex.. "a. =
were r,rinceS: but no - esSS
!. !. 9. ]. q. J. j: J. J. :: :: !: ):
A.neri,an city has Vet
froucht forth Giotto, Z23sE,
a Dante, Titan. q. ~ >
Itisuow nearly three Il ~
scorevears andten since
Enle-=en delivered his
add~c-s on the Amer
can holar" which has well been styled our INTEL
lect-l Declaration of Independence, and in which
he e>nressed the hope that perhaps the time is
aJr.s liz come when the sluggard intellect
Of ms continent Will look from under its iron
he and fulfil the postponed expectation OF the
world with something better than the eNertIons OF
mechanical skill" Nearly seventy years ago was
ths prophecy uttered which still echoes unfuhlled
But we like sentries are obliged to stand
IN starless nights. and wait the appointed hour
IN ne nineteenth century. in which we came to
,,sr---1 as a nation. of the chief leaders of
ar N including literature in It's broadeSt aspects
aud r one of the chief leaders in science native
= a-. .auutry. Perhaps may claim that
We,.~-.- was one OF the worlds greatest orators
and thu. Iarlrnan was one of the worlds greatest
historic. hut probably the world outside of the
United -as would be found unprepared and
y;rrr- limit either claim. however likely it may
H. 10 r-. .cptance IN the future Lincoln Is in
disrat. .ae of the worlds greatest statesmen
and his is now firmly established throughout
the who. civilization. But this Is all we can
assert. .. I'VE cannot deny that we have given
birth to- ely one of the foremost poets drama
fists ,.. .-~ painters. sculpters, architects
sientia- 9rerers OF the past hundred years
Alfred II Wallace. whose fame is linked with
Darvir'~ ..f whose competence as a critic of
s1enrI6c .nce is beyond dispute has declared
that the .enth century was the most wonderful
Of all sin be world began He asserts that the
scientific -ernents OF the nineteenth century
both IN t~,overy OF general principles and in
Their rr appication. exceed in number the
sum to--. the scientific achievements to be
credited al the centuries that went before
He con~...-- inst OF all the practical applications
which have made the aspect of civilization in 1870
diaer II sand WAYS from what il was in 1891
He names ..---een OF these practical applications
including ways. steam navigation, the electric
telegraph telephone, trlCtiOn-matches gas-light-
ing eleo--.. hitting, the photograph, the Rontgen
ravs spectrum ANALYSIS. anesthetiCs and antsepticS
l. is with -ile that an American can check of at
least SIX o these utilities being due wholly in
part 20 che ingenuity OF or another of his
countrymeu.
But his r-ie has a fall when Wallace draws up
second list not OF mere inventions but of those
fund3nent.l discoveries, of those formulating
theories underlying all practical applications and
making them possible, OF those principles which
have extended our knowledge or widened our con-
certions of The universe" OF these he catalogues
twelve. and r.e are panied to find that no American
has had an Important share IN the establishment of
anv one oI these broad generalizations We NAV
have added a little here and there; but single
one of all the twelve discoveries IS either wholly or
IN large part 10 be credited to any American. 1t
seems as though our French critic was not so far
out when Die asserted that we were terribly prac-
tcaL' In The mere application of principles, in
he of 71afn