EDITOR'S TABLE. 



493 



be on his guard. Every one familiar 

 with his writings is aware that he dif- 

 fers from most of his scientific colleagues 

 by looking habitually from the subject 

 he is investigating to the working of 

 his own mind in the investigation, and 

 by frequently throwing parenthetical 

 remarks of a philosophical, rather than 

 of a strictly scientific significance, into 

 his expositions. The interjected obser- 

 vations about authority in the preface 

 are clearly of this kind. In his "Lect- 

 ures on Light," second edition, page 80, 

 he remarks: "Newton's espousal of 

 the emission theory is said to have re- 

 tarded scientific discovery. It might, 

 however, be questioned whether, in the 

 long-run, the errors of great men have 

 not really the effect of rendering intel- 

 lectual progress rhythmical, instead of 

 permitting it to remain uniform, the 

 retardation in each case being the pre- 

 lude to a more impetuous advance. It 

 is confusion and stagnation rather than 

 error that we ought to avoid." Now, 

 the underlying thought in the passage 

 from the preface above quoted is mani- 

 festly the same as that here expressed. 

 The object in both cases is, simply to 

 bi'ing out the uses of authority, and no 

 candid reader will recognize any ele- 

 ment of "self-laudation" in the one 

 case any more than in the other. 



It has hitherto been thought that, 

 as discoveries are the result of mental 

 operations, science is always the gainer, 

 when an intelligent account is given of 

 the intellectual processes by which a 

 new result is reached ; but it now seems 

 that if one refers to his own thoughts 

 he must expect to be snubbed as an 

 egotist. And, particularly, if he at- 

 tains conclusions ot moment, involving 

 the upsetting of former tlieories, and 

 where it is of increased importance to 

 know the mental operations that lead 

 to them, he will be pretty certain to find 

 some mocking cynic who will twit him 

 with his "self-consciousness, explaining 

 to itself and to others how it grew so 

 great." It is a little comical, however. 



to take lessons in humility from a writer 

 who mounts the judgment-seat and ex- 

 hausts the vocabulary of abuse in de- 

 preciating others ; or to listen to hom- 

 ilies on modesty from a journal that 

 sets up each week to criticise all that 

 is going on in the universe while both 

 are convicted of detraction on the basis 

 of the most brazen perversions. 



" TEE CONFLICT OF AGES." 



We ask careful attention to the ar- 

 gument of President White on the " War- 

 fare of Science," the first installment of 

 which opens the present number of the 

 Monthly, and the second of which will 

 appear in our next issue. The import 

 of his clear-cut thesis, and the vigor, 

 learning, and logical force, with which 

 it is sustained, will command the admi- 

 ration of all intelligent students of the 

 subject. But that which makes Presi- 

 dent White's discussion unique, and es- 

 pecially valuable, at this time, is tne 

 copious notes and references by which 

 it is enriched and fortified, and which 

 open the way to tlie whole literature 

 of the question for the benefit of those 

 who desire to consult the original au- 

 thorities. At this time, when the hot 

 temper of controversy leads to much 

 random and reckless statement, it is 

 desirable to know, very clearly, what 

 can be proved, and where the proof can 

 be found : President White's article is, 

 therefore, opportune, and will be especi- 

 ally valued at present, whUe it must also 

 take its place as a permanent contribu- 

 tion to a question which is bound to be 

 of increasing interest in the future. 



That we may not be accused of par- 

 tiality or injustice to opposite views, 

 we print also, in this number, an elab- 

 orate and earnest argument, delivered 

 at the inauguration of Vanderbilt Uni- 

 versity, by Dr. Deems, on the other 

 side of the question. The address is 

 liberal in spirit, and often bold in its 

 concessions, but we can hardly assent 

 to its opening declarations. The author 



