wards, beginning with the battles of the 8th and 9th of May, 1846, at Palo Alta and Resaca de la Palma, and ending with Buena Vista, he overthrew, with fearful odds against him, and signally defeated the most skilful of the Mexican generals, Ampudia, Arista, Paredes, and even the president of Mexico himself, and, by a series of brilliant victories, gained for himself and the brave wing under his command a world-wide renown, commanding the respect and admiration of Europe and America, and securing an enviable and proud place in the brighest chapters of American arms."*

Gen. Cass, in his usual happy manner, addressed the senate as follows:

"Again, during the present session, has a warning voice come from the tomb, saying to all of us, 'Be ye also ready.' Two of our colleagues have fallen in the midst of their labour, and we have followed them to the narrow house where all must lie. "In life we are in death.'

This lesson, which accompanies us from the cradle to the grave, is among those merciful dispensations of Providence which teaches us how transitory are the things around us, and how soon they must be abandoned for an existence with no hope but that which is held out by the gospel of our Saviour. And now another solemn warning is heard, and this time it will carry mourning to the hearts of twenty millions of people. Impressively has it been said, and repeated, that a great man has fallen in our Israel.'

In the providence of God, the chief magistrate of the republic, to whom his fellow citizens had confided the high executive duties of the country, has been suddenly taken from us, ripe, indeed, in years and in honours, and but the other day in the full possession of health, and with the promise of years of faithful and patriotic services before him. The statesman occupying as proud a position as this world offers to human hopes, has been struck down in a crisis which demanded all his firmness and wisdom. The conqueror upon many a battle field has fought his last fight and been vanquished-the soldier who had passed unharmed through many a bloody fray has fallen before the shaft of the great destroyer. How truly we all, the mighty and lowly, descend the tomb together, and together are covered with the cold clod of the valley; and thus pass away the honours and the cares of life. The moment is too solemn and impressive for laboured addresses-thoughts, not words, are the tribute it demands. History will do justice to the deceased patriot. He will live in the memory of his countrymen, as he lived in their hearts and af• See sketch of the life of Gen. Taylor, at page 424 of the 3d vol. of the Register.

fections. His active life was spent in their service, and in these scenes of peril and exertions, and of exposure, which is the lot of the American soldier to meet, and which he meets without a murmur. Faithful to his duty, lead him where it may-in life or in death-his splendid military exploits have placed him among the great captains of the age, and will be an imperishable monument of his own fame and of the glory of his country. In the despatch of force, they carry us back for similar examples of desperate struggles to the early history of the world-to the combats which history has recorded, and which in equality of numbers yielded to the exertions of skill and valour. But I need not recur to them. Are they not written in burning characters upon the heart of every American, strong in the confidence of his countrymen?

He was called to the chief magistracy at a period of great difficulty, more portentous indeed than any we have ever experienced; and now he has been called by Providence from his high functions with his mission unfulfilled, leaving us to mourn his loss and to honour his memory. His own words, spoken with equal truth and sincerity, constitute his highest eulogy. I am not afraid to die,' said the dying patriot, 'I have done my duty.' The integrity of his motives was neither assailed nor assailable. He had hoped through life, a long and active one, neither meriting nor meeting reproach; and in his last hour, this conviction of the honest discharge of his duty was present to console him, even when the things of this life were fast fading away."

Judge Berrien, of Georgia, concluded an appropriate address with these remarks:

"If on the altar of our country we can lay aside all bitterness of party and sectional feelings; if at the moment when the heart of a great nation is palpitating with anxiety, we shall come to discharge the duties which shall devolve upon us in the spirit which becomes us, this solemn dispensation of Providence will have produced results most salutary to the great interests of the American people, and, believe me, senators, if that departed patriot could in the last struggling moments of his existence have anticipated such a result, it would have cheered the agony of his dying hour.

I am permitted to repeat an illustration of the strong patriotic feeling which animated him, even in the last moments, when the light of intellect was flickering. I am permitted to repeat the expression of the departed patriot and hero, when adverting to a recent visit which he had made to the monument about to be erected to the memory of Washington: Let it arise-let it ascend

without interruption-let it point to the skies-let it remain a lasting monument of the gratitude and affection of a free people to the Father of his Country.''

The funeral obsequies of the illustrious dead were celebrated with great pomp and solemnity, on the 13th July. He was the first president who had died during the session of Congress, and both houses, with the cabinet and officers of the government, united in the grand pageant. Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, commander-in-chief of the army, directed the military arrangements in honour of the deceased hero. The body was placed in a magnificent coffin, with the inscription, "Zachary Taylor, President of the United States, Et. 66." The hearse was drawn by eight horses, each led by a groom in oriental costume. The general's favourite war steed, "Old Whitey," followed the corpse. There were twenty pall bearers, among whom were Messrs. Clay, Cass, Benton, Webster, Berrien, Winthrop, and Generals Gibson, Henderson, and Jessup. The concourse of people who assembled from different quarters on the occasion was immense. The procession moved to the congressional burying ground, where volleys were fired over the remains, and the religious service was performed by Rev. Mr. Pyne. The body was then placed in the vault; and thus terminated the earthly career of a man who has occupied so distinguished a place before the world. We conclude this account with the words of the poet, appropriately quoted by one who was present at, and described the ceremony:

"So sleep the brave, who sink to rest
With all their country's wishes blest!
When spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck this hallowed mould,
It here shall find a sweeter sod.
Than fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands his knell is rung;
By forms unseen his dirge is sung;
Here Honour comes, a pilgrim gray,
To deck the turf that wraps his clay;
And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell a weeping hermit here."

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

THE ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, OR YEAR BOOK OF FACTS IN SCIENCE AND ART. By David A. Wells, of the Lawrence Scientific School, Cambridge, and George Bliss, jun. Published at Boston, by Gould, Kendall & Lincoln.

"The idea of the present work," say the editors, "was first suggested by the examination of similar works, which have been published in Europe for several years past. We believed that such a work could not fail to be useful to many persons, by enabling them to see at a glance what has been accomplished during the past year; and thus showing them in what direction they can most profitably apply their labours."

The work professes to exhibit "the most important discoveries and improvements in mechanics, useful arts, natural philosophy, chemistry, zoology, astronomy, botany, meteorology, mineralogy, geology, geography, and antiquities." The editors acknowledge the assistance of several able contributors, among whom is Professor Agassiz. A portrait of this distinguished gentleman is placed before the title page, and a biographical sketch of him is appended. It states that Professor Louis Agassiz was born, 28th May, 1807, in Switzerland, and that his father was a protestant clergyman. He was educated at Heidelburgh and Munich. Before he finished his studies his knowledge of natural history obtained for him great notice.

"Having, however, gained the degrees of doctor of medicine and philosophy, he went to Vienna, where he applied himself to the study of existing and fossil fishes. A friend having lent him some money, he visited Paris, and here gained the friendship of Cuvier and Humboldt, with the former of whom he remained until his death, in 1832.

"Having returned to Switzerland, he was appointed professor of natural history in the University of Neufchatel, a place which he filled until his departure for the United States. In 1833 he commenced the publication of his great work, Poissons Fossiles, in five volumes, with an atlas of about four hundred folio plates, and comprising descriptions and figures of nearly a thousand species of fossil fishes. This work gained for him the respect of the scientific world, and at the age of thirty-four Agassiz was a member of every scientific academy of Europe. The degree of doctor of laws was conferred upon him by the universities of Edinburgh and Dublin, and he was also admitted to the freedom of those cities. The order of knight of the red eagle of Prussia was conferred upon him by the king of Prussia.

"In 1846, Agassiz came to America, and on the establishment of the Lawrence Scientific School, he accepted the appointment of professor of zoology and geology, which he still holds. Since his arrival in this country, Professor Agassiz has presented a large number of communications to the American Academy and other scientific bodies, and has published, in connection with Dr. Gould, of Boston, a Zoology for students. His elaborate work on Lake Superior has just appeared."

Having thus noticed the learned professor in connection with the book before us, in which he occupies so prominent a position, we feel ourselves at liberty to advert to a theory lately advanced by him in relation to the unity of the human race, denying the origin of man from a common ancestor, as we have it in the Mosaic account. On this subject we have already inserted an article, at page 386 of this volume, and we hope it will not be deemed inappropriate to add here the following remarks, by Professor Steuart, in answer to M. Agassiz, which were not in our possession at the time we inserted the article just alluded to:

"Will it be said, by any, that the African is not a proper man, but an inferior species of animal between a monkey and a man, and therefore we may enslave him, as we do the lower animals? If so, (and this has often been said) then does our third text directly contradict this: GoD HAS MADE MAN OF ONE BLOOD. Besides, Paul has elsewhere declared, in the most explicit manner, that by the offence of Adam all men were made sinners (Rom. 5. 19); also that in Adam all have died (1 Cor. 15. 22.) There is one God, one Mediator, one Sanctifier of all. Even if the scriptures had not decided the point of homogeneous origin, nature speaks it out in very intelligible language. It is an irreversible law of nature, that different species cannot amalgamate and form a new one, to which the law of continual propagation attaches. But men of all classes and colours can and do commingle and propagate. Beyond this, facts demonstrate the thing in question. The Jews in Malabar are black; in China, Tartarian; in Palestine and its neighbourhood, of olive hue; in Germany and the north of Europe, they commonly have a white delicate skin, and light hair with blue eyes. Climate changes pyramidal skulls to elliptical ones, woolly hair to long Caucasian hair. The hair on the heads of the negro is real hair, and not wool, as chemistry demonstrates. These facts are all certain; and being so, they prove that the difference of races is occasioned by climate and adventi tious causes, and not by diversity of origin.

I take it that Pritchard, and his Reviewer in the Edinburgh Quarterly, and Balbi, and Adelung, and Mr. Owen of the British Museum, have placed the question about the unity of the human race, as to origin, on a foundation never to be shaken. I have seen, indeed with deep regret, an opinion of Professor Agassiz diverse from this, as announced at the late literary meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. No one more highly respects his talents and skill than myself. But with the bible in my hands, and as a believer of its teachings, it is absolutely