PROFESSOR WINCHELL'S RELATIONS WITH THE 

 ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



By President T. B. Walker 



Back in the year 1865, Secretary of State Seward, in an ad- 

 dress from the balcony of the old Merchant's Hotel, said to the 

 street full of people : "We are too close to the men of the hour, — ■ 

 Lincoln, Grant, Chase, Stanton, Sherman, and others historically 

 related to the great Civil War, to appreciate and understand their 

 true place in history, and the full measure of their contributions 

 to the vital welfare of the present and future generations of this 

 country." It seemed a very strange view of the situation, that 

 we, who had been so daily and hourly impressed with the real 

 momentous events that were occurring in the battle field, and the 

 shifting tides of success and failures, and having arrived at the 

 time of the close of the great conflict, should not be more appro- 

 priately qualified to judge these men, and including particularly 

 the part that Seward himself had taken in it, than to leave it until 

 the memory of the events had drifted away into the pages of 

 history. But his meaning was, that the comparative measure of 

 greatness of character and measureless value of their services to 

 the country could be realized in fifty or one hundred years later, 

 better than at the time in which their services were given to the 

 country. And in looking over the history of our honored, re- 

 spected and esteemed friend and associate, and particularly as it 

 relates to his interest and connection with the Academy of Sci- 

 ence, I think we can speak of either side of the question, of 

 whether we of the present appreciate more fully than future gen- 

 erations can, his worth as a citizen, his faithfulness, reliability, 

 and sincerity as a friend, and his high character, usefulness and 

 real greatnos as an investigator, thinker and writer in the scien- 

 tific world. His contributions along these lines will be presented 

 by Professors Sardeson, Emmons and Upham, who are more 

 ably qualified to speak on these matters. As president of this 

 association, upon my part, and on the part of Mr. Harlow Gale, 

 as secretary of the Academy, this brief review of his relations to 



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