LETTERS OF REGRET. 



The following letters of regret were read after the remarks of 



President White. 



Boston, June 9, 1885. 



My Dear Sir : I regret that it will not be in my power to visit 

 Ithaca and be present at the unveiling of the tablet in memory of 

 Louis Agassiz. My relations with the illustrious professor were 

 of long standing and always most cordial and to me delightful. It 

 would be a great pleasure to me if I could be with the friends who 

 are to do honor to his memory. We have borrowed distinguished 

 men from the old world before his day. Fiance lent us Lafayette. 

 Germany spared us Steuben to lead and to discipline our armies. 

 Switzerland had already sent us Albeit Gallatin, the counsellor of 

 Washington, the statesman identified with .the history of the 

 Government for more than half a century. He was still living 

 when his fellow-countryman, Agassiz, reached our shore to blend 

 his life with our American civilization as unreservedly as did the 

 great financier, diplomatist and scholar who had preceded him. 



The special work of Agassiz was to establish the scientific inde- 

 pendence of his adopted country, The dream of his ambition 

 was to make the favored centres of the New World strong enough 

 in their attractions to draw students from the older schools of Eu- 

 rope. No pent-up Utica could limit his aspirations. No, not 

 even your wide-margined and wide-minded Ithaca could have 

 filled the large measure of his magnificent ideals.. 



"How much money would you really like for your museum?'' 

 I once asked him. 



'"Ten millions," was his instant answer. 



This enthusiasm spread among all with whom he came in con- 

 tact. Students followed in his steps as the disciples of a new re- 

 ligion tread in the tracks of their teacher. His eloquence led 

 captive the most obdurate assemblies, the least tractable of listeners. 

 The purses of rich men opened like the mouths of his cyclosto- 

 mata. The hard-featured country representatives flocked about 

 him as the fishes gathered to listen to Saint Antony, as the birds 

 flocked to hear the sermons, of Saint Francis. 



It is in vain that we should try to describe his fascinating per- 

 sonality, the memory of which must fade away with this passing 

 generation. But his noble contributions to science will keep his 

 name in lasting honor, and the vast museum which he founded 

 will be his proud monument as long as science has its altars and 

 its priesthood in our Western hemisphere. I am, dear sir, 

 Yours very truly, 



Oliver Wendell Holmes. 



Hon. Andrew D. White, President of Cornell University. 



