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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1874)
Hesperian Student. VOL, s. University or .Ycbtutafia, NO 11. jicoiSinuu Qui noiiProilolt. liollolt. 187. lror. Tymlull'N AddroHM. The Into address of Prof. Tymlall at Belfast, if not the most important coniri. bution to scientific literature made during the year, has confessedly produced more controversy and asperity among scientists, than any other production. It was a bombshell thrown from the entrench ments of science, causing great alarm, though doing but little execution. The chief cause of this quivering excitement is to be found in the fancied danger which a great name lends to a dangerous douma. It is common to suppose that because a man has achieved eminence in a single line of investigation, his opinions arc well nigh infallible in every other. It by no means follows that a successful investiga tor of material phenomena, will be equal ly successful in the realm of mindand spiritual forces. The subjects in these two great realms and the processes of in vestigation in each being totally un ike, it Is presumptively true that tho man Hio by taste, bias, and hate has gained emi nence in one of these directions, will be thereby disqualified for safe and trust worthy labors in the other. Universal knowledge and universal aptitude belong 1o no man, and the " ne ultui crcpidam" is just as properly applied to Prof. Tymlall as to any other man. His claim to be heard and followed in one department, does not therefore establish his leadership in other departments of research. A urotest has been raised against the wholo strain and tendency of thoaddiess, which is held to be one of materialism, and implicit denial of an intelligent Au thor of tho material universe. The purpose of this short article is to point out 6ome of tho more obvious short comings, and the inconclusivoucss of parts of Die address. 1. At the beginning of his address there is a "svpprcsxio vert" which has all the effect of a misstatement of fact. The impression is sought to be conveyed, that the prevalence of anthropomorphism, in respect to the origin of tho universe, forc ed the leaders of scientific speculation to adopt the " pregnant doctrine of atoms and molecules." From the hislon of speculative thought, it is evident that the earliest school of phi losophy, the Ionic, was thoroughly mater ialistic. Synchronous with this and an tngonistio to it, there arose another philos phy which denied that water, air, .or fire were causes at all. II held in opposition to materialism, that tho "fo apclran" or the " noun" was tho efllcient cause of all phenomena. Anthropomorphism as an element of philosophy, and as effecting the development of speculative thought was of much later date. From the oarli est ages, the great doctrine, which ascribes the origin of all things to an injinilo in telligcnce, commanded thehomago of the oftiest intellects, such as Anaxagoras, Xenophaucs, Socrates, Pluto, etc., and as the sti earn descends it widens and deepens, refreshing and fertilizing the arid realm of metnphysiccal speculation. This lino or philosophical thought is entirely ignored by this eminent physicist in his sketch of the history of philosophy, and its studious suppression hits the effect to mislead the uninformed. 2. As the notions commonly entertain ed with respect to tho nature of matter, stand in tho way of a belief which ho is about to profess, he must needs modify and readjust them. Matter is no longer inert, lifeless, and subject only to median, ical laws, but it possesses a " potency to originate every form and quality of life." As if startled by so audacious an assertion he hastens at once to qualify and explain Casting his eye beyond the boundaries of experiment, as he says, he discerns "a cos mical life" in which matter and soul have thin roots, and of this 'cosmic life' nothing can be known. The attempt would "be as lutile as to try to lift one's self by his waistband". This "Power manifested in ovolution is absolutely inscrutable to tho intellect of man". This Power, or J ife is keep it about his person, he anxiously searched for some safe hiding place. All at once his look brightened; he stepped to the chimney, drew out the stove pipe, and then, as there was no fine guard, thrust the parcel into tho unused Hue of an adjacent room. In less than half a minute the pipe was replaced, and no casual observer would have noticed that it had ever been disturbed. "When the ranchcros had done their work at the bridge, they relumed, accord in to agreement, to the crossing of the trails below the old fort to meet Kelly and Wardlaw, where they were to deliver up the clothes of their victim, and receive compensation for their services. When they reached the meeting place, Diego gavo the clothing to Kelly, who seized them eagerly and began to feel them all over, vainly searching, with many an oath for the coveted treasure. Diego demamkd the money that was due to him. Kelly accused him of not having passed over to confessed to be beyond the boundaries of him all that had been taken from the body. experiment or observation, and belongs to the category of the Unknowable. Now Science has to do, and only to do with that which may be known and veri fled ; hence this "Power absolutely inscru table" to us docs not belong to tho realm of Science at all, and why need Prof. Tyn dall trouble himself about itV Why need lie warn others oft' this ground when he has no title to an inch of it ? So that af ter all there may be a God, an infinite in telligence, a cosmic Hie perchance he may be, au all devising, creative mind. When, therefore, he "abandoned all dis guise" and ostensibly announced a new doctrine and definition of matter, with such a llourish, lie lias really given us nothing new on the subject. The nature of matter is as mysterious as ever, and its capabilities to produce life ot every qual ity are only conjectures, confessed with a simplicity that would be amusing were they not accepted by some as demonsti ti ed and incontrovertible facts. Some things remain to be said on the nature of matter, as far as it is known to modern science, and on the evidences of design, or the Ideological argument, as seen in nature, which must be resorved for anoth er time. A. It. B. What Became of Blini. jy c. v. m. Concluded. CIIAlVriJK V. WHAT HKCAMK OK HIM. After Dr. Mantor and Gilbert Van Zaiidt had retired, Kelly made all possible haste to Wardlaw's. Rousing him at last, by knocking repeatedly, the door was un fastened and the two w ere soon engaged in an earnest consultation, the partial re sult of which we have already seen. But they had, unfortunately for them reckoned without their host, as it were. For Dr. .Mantor had begun as soon as ho entered his room, to look for a suitable place in which to secrete the precious parcel. Fearing, lie hardly knew why, to Diego indignantly denied the charge. Iu his passion of mingled disappointment, suspicion, and anger, Kelly, losing all command of himself, threw the lie upon him, drawing his revolver. Immediately the report of a single shot rang out upon tho air. By the next Hash of lightening, that for u moment dispelled the darkness of the stormy night, could be seen a horse dashing away riderless over the prairie. Kelly had not fired. When Dr. Mantcr cimo to himself again the almost resistless current of the river was bearing him rapidly down stream. The icy coldness of the water had restor ed his consciousness. And bewildered as he was, not oven knowing in what manner lie had met with his misfortune, lie struck bravely out for the bank. Borne hither and thither by the eddying waters, now hurled against the rocks in the midst of the rnpids, now imprisoned by masses of lloating debris, ajrain and again drawn be neath the surface by strong uuder-currents he finally struggled to the bank, and once more was safe. The cord, by which the weight had been attached to his body, had worked loose and bad freed itself "both from the stone and his feet. Scaling the steep hauk he, witli much difficulty found his way to the river trail, which he follow ed back to Tokoma as rapidly as his nearly exhausted strength would admit. Arriving at the house of a friend, lie was cordially welcomed and was provided with comfortable clothing, food and shelter- After his recovery from the ensuing ill ness, Dr. Mantcr heard of the discovery of Kelly's body and the disappearance of Diego and the ranchcros. But so sudden had been the attack upon him, that had it not been for their subsequent course of ac tion, he would have been utterly unable to fasten the deed upon the ranchcros or even to identify any one of his would be murderers. As soon as he was able to leave his bed ho returned to tho hotel, and aain was in possession of tho treasure that had so nearly cost him his life. Drop-- ping a letter to his nephew, Zanle, lie straightened all liis allaiiH, and nnule haste to follow his letter by the next stage. Two days and a half of jolting, jarring and rocking bacitwards, forwards and sideways, then with a few more days of steamboat and railroad travel, Dr. Planter found himself comfortably ensconced in Zantc and Alvin's cosy suit of rooms. But the strain had been too great. Mouth after month of a gradual butstcady decline followed, and upon his graduation day Gilbert Van Zandt was the sole pos sessor of the ill-starred treasure. The wedding was at Mrs. Galigni's. And the happy couple didn.t go to tho continent. Zante had a'.wnys had a desiro to travel in Egypt; it was at last satisfied: Returning from the pyramids he fell a vic tim to the climate. Poor Madge had left htr country a bride, returned a widow. But as the years rolled by, her old suitor, Alvin De Puy, sued again; and this time not iu vain. Many a cold winter night, as the family were all seated around the glowing hearth fire, has Alvin De Puy told tho story of his college days to some chance visitor as Three Lives for One Fortune, or Drexel Manter and What Became of Him. ECHOES FROM NORMAL HALL. FKOM OUlt HKGUIjAK COHUKSrONDKNT. Our Principal elect, Rev. A. Freeman, D. D., arrived Tuesday, Nov, 24. He will not take charge of the school, however, until the beginuiug of next term, Jan. 7. Several of our students have left us iu the last few weeks; most of them to teach. The first-unniversary of the dedication of the building which we now occupy was celebrated in Normal Hall, Dec. 2, and 11. Wednesday evening, Dec. 2, we listened to four original productions prepared by the members of the "fourth year class" and ton declamation and select reading by two members of the "first year class" Thursday evening the exercises were composed of the following: First, a re port of tho progress made by the school duriug the first term of this year, by Prof. Wilson, acting Principal. From tho re port we glean the following: Number of students in tho Preparatory Department 145 ; number in the Normal Department, 05; total number enrolled in both for this term, 210. Examining tho catalogue fox the year 1S73-4, Ave find that during the entire yaar there were enrolled in the Pi e puratory Department, 144, and in the Nor mal, 80. The present year Is only about one third gone, and yet our list shows but 14 less enrolled than during tho entire year of 16753-4. Prof. Wilson said he had received a grout many letters from young men and ladies on the frontier who had intended to come to the Normal this year but have been deterred from so doing be cause of tho failure in crops. Had it not. been for this, tho building would, ,hayo, been crowded to its utmost. Second, short addresses by tha follojy- 1 A