34 



address, where the erratum has failed to be discovered, 

 I propose to present to you now, another question 

 which is somewhat akin to the one you have already 

 heard discussed. It is found in these words, and it is 

 the toast which I ask you to drink : " The successful 

 pursuit of Science expunges error." That is the reason 

 why Dr. Wilson could not find the erratum. "The 



SUCCESSFUL PURSUIT OF SciENCE EXPUNGES ERROR : IT 



NEVER ANTAGONIZES TRUTH." In Order that you may 

 hear an equally brilliant address upon this view of the 

 subject I beg to call upon the Hon. Lyon G. Tyler, 

 M.A., President of William and Mary College, to re- 

 spond. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the American Philo- 

 sophical Society : — To be called upon to respond to a toast of 

 the character of that just proposed is a compliment which I 

 highly appreciate. Coming as a stranger among you, I might 

 naturally feel appalled at the magnitude of the sentiment it con- 

 veys, Eome, it is a trite and trae saying, was not built in a day, 

 nor could I in a ten or fifteen or twenty minutes speech do justice 

 to a sentiment which besjan its victorious crusade against error 

 when the centuries were young, but which now stands upon 

 the starry summits of success, overlooking all human thought 

 and human action. 



Yet, Mr. President, I am glad that this opportunity is pre- 

 sented to me this evening. We, Virginians, are often accused 

 of vanity, but I am ready here to-night to admit, while I claim 

 that we are the best people, that the Philadclphians are the next 

 best 1 I am even disposed to go further than that. I had a 

 brother, Robert Tyler, who lived in your midst some twenty 

 odd years as Protlionotary of the Supreme Court of the State ; 

 was Chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of the 



