Address of John L. LeConte. 249 
been given to man to produce, and gaze upon them with the 
same difference that they would show to the conceptions of 
mediocre artists exhibited in our shops. Perhaps they would 
develops out of a rude block of ae or eer of ath mean 
Vv 
figures which surpass in beauty and in power of exciting emo- 
tion the objects they profess to represent. 
Yet these unzsthetic and nonappreciative persons are just as 
highly educated, and in their respective positions as good and 
usefu hashes s of the social organism, as any that may be 
found. I Saisie only, they would never make good students 
of biolo. 
In like 1 manner, by way of illustrating the foregoing obser- 
vations, there are some, who, in looking at the phenomena of 
the external universe, may recognize only chance, or the ‘“ for- 
tuitous concourse of atoms,” producing certain resultant motions. 
Others, having studied —_ deeply the nature of things, will 
perceive the existence of laws, binding and correlating the 
events they — Others again, not superior to the latter 
in intelligence, nor in power of investigation, may discern a 
deeper relation aoa these phenomena, and the indications 
of an intellectual or ewsthetic or moral plan, similar to that 
which influences their own actions, Ame directed to the 
attaining of a particular result. 5 
These last will recognize in the operations of nature the 
oo of a human intelligence, greatly enlarged, capable of 
modifying at its will influences beyond our control; or they 
will appreciate in themselves a resemblance to a superhuman 
intelligence which enables them to be in sympathy with its 
actions. Hither may be true in individual instances of this 
class of minds; one or the other must true; I care not 
which, for to me the propositions are in this argument identi- 
eal, though in n picer eh mares Ss they ma r led 
Re) 
