112 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



pleasant duty in the navy, service afloat, and he implied 

 that he believed Maury had been unwilling to go to sea 

 because of "love of scientific distinction". 



Meanwhile the press of the country had taken up 

 Maury's cause, and a few examples from the newspapers 

 will show how high the feeling ran. The Scientific Amer- 

 ican wrote, ''To use the language of the Philadelphia 

 Inquirer, we regard the action of the Board 'as an insult 

 upon the virtue and general intelligence of the coun- 

 try'. . . . (Maury's) eminent services have been ac- 

 knowledged by almost every government in Europe. 

 Prussia and Sweden have struck gold medals to his 

 honor. The Russian Ambassador has publicly thanked 

 him by the direction of his government. England has 

 not been sparing of her tribute of admiration in Parlia- 

 ment, and has adopted his plans in her own navy, while the 

 great French Industrial Exhibition awards to his charts 

 her highest premiums. His own country, on the contrary, 

 declares him a clog and an incumbrance on its navy, and 

 unworthy of promotion. We trust Congress will set 

 this matter right. Better dispense with the services of 

 the entire Board of 'ten minutes inquisitors' than of this 

 eminent man. We understand that it had been pro- 

 posed in Philadelphia, in case Lieutenant Maury retired 

 from the Observatory, to present him with a testimonial 

 of $50,000, as an acknowledgment of his services, and 

 as a mark of the disapprobation of the action of the 

 Board. We doubt not that this sum might easily be 

 raised in our great commercial cities. Yes, twice that if 

 necessary". 



The New York Herald held the Board up for ridicule, 

 in the following fashion: "I understand there is now in 

 press, and will shortly appear, a history of the lives and 



