AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 105 



The first principle in the selection of the professors should be 

 that they were capable of advancing the boundaries of their 

 sciences, and not only capable but diligent in so doing up to the 

 limits of their capacities. • 



It is no doubt true, that many profound thinkers are our good 

 teachers, but where they are, there is a living spirit imparted by 

 their teaching, which penetrates the mind of the neophyte and 

 kindles the flame upon the altar of truth within. It is the highest 

 kind of teaching. A chancellor of the university who knew how 

 to use men and their gifts, would easily so arrange matters, that 

 by supplementary professors or by assistants any defect in the 

 teaching of the chief professor would be made good. In fact, so 

 fairly do scientific men, as a rule, estimate each other, that vol- 

 unteers would readily be found to serve under the leading spirits 

 in research, to spare their time and exertion, and to occupy the 

 rostrum in their behalf. This is not Utopian. 



Award of Scicnfijic Reputation. 



I have often of late years been brought into contact with two 

 different .classes of minds, the one wliich, seeing the brotherly 

 afiection of many scientific men for each other, feels and says that 

 American scientists are members of a mutual admiration society; 

 the other, seeing the occasional earnest differences of opinion 

 rising sometimes into the regions of temper, sueeringly says, how 

 quarrelsome philosophers are ! The truth, I suppose, lies between 

 that the philosophers are men, have the hearts of men to feel and 

 love, and the tempers of men, showing themselves in occasional 

 outbursts of volcanic trap, through the horizontal layers of the 

 quietly deposited sand-stone. In regard to the award of reputa- 

 tion which such men make to each other, it should be considered 

 as final and conclusive. It is founded on knowledge as on a rock. 

 Notoriety among these men does not pass for reputation, for one 

 may be personally known to all the cultivators of science in the 

 country, and yet be rated low in mental power. Those of the 

 same pursuits fathom first and most truly the minds of each 

 other, then those of diverse pursuits, the circle of judgment wave- 

 like decreasing in height and sharpness as it expands. The outer 

 world of intelligence is hardly reached by these waves at all; and 



